Written answers

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Irish Language

11:00 pm

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of reports, documents and memos in his Department that have been translated into Irish since the commencement of the 30th Dáil; if he will give a breakdown of the reports and the cost per document of the translation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47559/09]

Photo of Dermot AhernDermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Public bodies, including my Department, are obliged under the Official Languages Act 2003 to publish certain documents in both official languages. Such documents include those setting out public policy proposals, annual reports, audited accounts or financial statements, and statements of strategy required to be prepared under section 5 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The costs of translating documents into Irish are met from my Department's Administrative Budget and cannot readily be distinguished from the cost of providing administrative services generally.

The available information indicates that in the period in question, my Department published its Annual Reports for 2007 and 2008 and incurred translation costs of €3,212 and €4,247 respectively. During the same period my Department also incurred translation costs of €3,538 in respect of my Department's Strategy Statement 2008 - 2010 and €2,175 in respect of the Ist Progress Report on the Agreed Programme for Government 2007 - 2112. I can also inform the Deputy that while my Department does engage outside translators on occasion, as much translation work as possible is undertaken by an in-house translator and other staff members who are proficient in Irish. Examples of documents translated by Departmental staff include Rules of Court, Statutory Instruments, forms, website pages, letters etc.

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