Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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650. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps being taken to promote the use of Irish in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14174/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003 and the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language, my Department is committed tocontinued implementation of the regulations under the Official Languages Act, includingincreasing the number of functional bilingual officials to promote the use of the Irish language and to deliver services in Irish. The most recent skills audit of all staff revealed that 55 staff members in my Department had advanced or fluent Irish language skills, while a further 160 officers declared that their Irish language skills were at an intermediate level. This is approximately 20% of permanent HQ-based staff.

My Department fully supports all staff in the development and maintenance of their Irish language proficiency and has provided in-house classes in recent years, which over 200 officers registered to attend. Officers at some of our diplomatic missions have also availed of Irish language classes, particularly in countries with the largest diaspora communities. New, intensive refresher courses are being developed this year for officers to enhance the capacity of our overseas missions to promote the use of Irish abroad.

Officers are also encouraged to develop their Irish language skills in their own time and my Department is happy to fund appropriate and relevant tuition undertaken outside of office hours.

The Department’s Coiste Gaeilge (Irish Committee), an active group comprising officers at all levels of the Department, meets on a regular basis. The promotion of the Irish language within the Department is a standing item on its agenda. A notable example of their activity was an interactive Seachtain na Gaeilgeevent, held last month, involving a bilingual panel discussion on the Department’s role in promoting the Irish language in Ireland and abroad. The event attracted a capacity audience in our largest meeting space, and was characterised by a high level of participation in the discussion, including by staff based abroad, who participated via video conference technology.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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651. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No 742 of 24 March 2015, the procedures with regard to establishing whether, in fact, a passport applicant has reduced capacity; and the acceptable documentation or proof that a person must furnish to show they are duly authorised to act on behalf of an applicant with reduced capacity. [14247/15]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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All Passports are issued in accordance with the Passport Act 2008. When it is brought to the attention of the Passport Service that a passport applicant has reduced capacity, then the provisions of S6 (4) of the Passports Act 2008 are applied. Section 6 (4) states, “An application for the issue of a passport to a person who is suffering from a physical or mental incapacity may be made on his or her behalf by a person duly authorised to act on his or her behalf.”

Where these circumstances occur, the Passport Service requires evidence from an individual(s) that they are duly authorised to act on behalf of the applicant and where this evidence is provided, generally in the form of a court order, a passport issues.