Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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51. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of vacancies which exist within her Department for candidates who must display competence in the Irish language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5439/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality customer service in both Irish and English. The Department’s Irish Language Scheme 2015 – 2018 took effect from the 16th March 2015 and will remain in force for a period of 3 years or until a new Scheme has been confirmed by the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This Scheme, which sets out the Department’s commitments to customer service in Irish and advises of the availability of services through Irish, is published on the Department’s website www.welfare.ie.

The Department are currently in the process of arranging to fill three vacant posts which require the assignment of a bilingual staff member. A review is currently under way to determine the overall number of functional bilingual posts that are required in the Department and assignments will be made to fill vacant bilingual posts as they arise.