Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform chun córas nua earcaíochta agus oiliúna a chur i bhfeidhm a rachaidh i ngleic leis an easpa foirne sa chóras poiblí le cumas dátheangach; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [21781/11]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Tá srian ar na deiseanna atá ann maidir le fostaíocht san earnáil phoiblí i gcoitinne de bharr an moratóir ar earcaíocht agus ar ardaithe céime a tugadh isteach ar an 27 Márta 2009. Tá feidhm ag an moratóir, ach amháin i gcásanna eisceachtúla theoranta, ar an stát seirbhís, údaráis áitiúla, comhlachtaí stáit neamh-thráchtála, an Garda Síochána, na Forsaí Cosanta buana agus roinnt comhlachtaí a bunaíodh de réir reachtaíochta agus a fhaigheann ar a laghad cuid dá gcuid maoiniú ón gCiste Lárnach. Tá na socraithe seo á gcur i bhfeidhm ar bhealaí ar leith i gcás na n-earnáil oideachais agus sláinte, ag tógáil riachtanais na n-earnáil sin san áireamh. Is é an sprioc atá ag an moratóir ná uimhreacha iomlána sa tseirbhís poiblí a ísliú chun leasa airgead an stáit.

Maidir leis an stát seirbhís, go bhfuil mise freagrach as go díreach, níl i gceist faoi láthair breis foirne le cumas Gaeilge a earcú.

Mar is eol don Teachta, leagann Acht na dTeangacha Oifiúla 2003 dualgais ar chomhlachtaí poiblí i leith na Gaeilge. Is gnó do gach comhlacht poibli agus do gach Roinn/Oifig de chuid na stát seirbhíse scéim teanga a chur le chéile, nuair a iarann an t-Aire Ealaíona, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta orthu é sin é a dhéanamh, agus é a chur i bhfeidhm.

Leagtar amach sa scéim na seirbhísí go bhfuil i gceist ag an comhlacht poiblí a sholáthar:

· i nGaeilge amháin

· i mBearla amháin

· go dátheangach

Ní mór a shonrú chomh maith na céimeanna go bhfuil i gceist ag an gcomhlacht poiblí a thógáil chun na seirbhísí atá sonraithe a sholáthar i nGaeilge nó go dátheangach.

Is gnó do gach Roinn/Oifig a chuid dualgas faoin Acht a chomhlíonadh. Is iad na Ranna/Oifigí féin is fearr atá in ann a gcuid riachtanas maidir le scileanna a mheas, ag tógáil a scéim teanga féin san áireamh, agus pé riachtanais traenála atá acu a mheas agus freastal orthu.

Translation in English

The position in relation to opportunities for employment in the public service generally is limited by the recruitment and promotion moratorium which was announced on 27 March 2009. The moratorium applies, with limited exceptions, to the civil service, local authorities, non-commercial state bodies, the Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Forces and to certain bodies established by enactment and wholly or partly funded out of the Central Fund. The arrangements have been modulated in relation to the education and health sectors to reflect the particular needs in those sectors. The moratorium is aimed at reducing overall public service numbers in order to consolidate the public finances.

In relation to the civil service, the area for which I have direct responsibility, there are currently no plans to recruit additional staff with competencies in the Irish language.

As the Deputy is aware, the Official Languages Act 2003 confers duties on public bodies in relation to the Irish Language. It is a matter for each public body and civil service Department/Office to devise a language scheme when requested to do so by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and to implement it.

The scheme describes the services which the public body proposes to provide:

· in Irish only

· in English only or

· bilingually.

It is necessary also to specify the steps which the public body intends to take to provide the stated services in Irish or bilingually.

It is a matter for each Department/Office to meet their obligations under the Act. Individual Departments/Offices are best placed to determine their skills requirements, having regard to their own language scheme, and to identify and meet any training needs required.