Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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316. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection cad iad na céimeanna atá tógtha aige lena dhéanamh cinnte go bhfuil dóthain daoine ar fáil in a Roinn le seirbhísí a chur ar fáil dóibh siúd ar mian leo a ngnóthaí a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge leis an státseirbhís; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [44383/18]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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317. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection cén céadatán den státseirbhís atá inniúil chun seirbhísí in a Roinn a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [44398/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Molaim Ceisteanna Uimh. 316 go 317, cuimsitheach, a fhreagairt le chéile.

Freagra

Tá sé de rún agam Ceisteanna Parlaiminte 316 agus 317 a fhreagairt le chéile.

Mar chuid de phróiseas pleanála lucht saothair mo Roinne, agus ionas gur féidir na gealltanais faoi Scéim Ghaeilge na Roinne a chomhlíonadh, déanann an Roinn, i gcomhairle leis na Bainisteoirí, athbhreithniú ar na láithreacha ina gceanglaítear ar an bhfoireann seirbhís trí Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil do chustaiméirí.  Nuair a tharlaíonn folúntas i bpost i láthair ina mbíonn gá duine a bhíonn dátheangach go feidhmiúil, féachann mo Roinn lies an bpost a líonadh ó phainéil de chuid na Seirbhíse um Cheapacháin Phoiblí (SCP).  Tá 190 duine ag fónamh faoi láthair in Oifigí Craoibhe agus in Oifigí Roinne araon atá ar fáil chun seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge a chur ar fáil.

Tá na hoifigí poiblí seo a leanas de chuid mo Roinne suite i gceantair Ghaeltachta: na Lárionaid Intreo in Acaill, sa Chlochán Liath agus i mBéal an Mhuirthead agus oifig chraoibhe Dhaingean Uí Chúis agus is féidir leis na hoifigí seo go léir seirbhís ghutháin agus seirbhís “aghaidh ar aghaidh” a chur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge .

Tá mo Roinn tiomanta do sheirbhísí ardchaighdeáin a chur ar fáil dá custaiméirí i mBéarla nó i nGaeilge, mar atá ag teastáil ón gcustaiméir agus tá ár ngealltanais ina thaobh seo leagtha amach inár Scéim Teanga. Tá ár bhfoireann eolach ar a ndualgais faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla agus faoi na Rialacháin. I dtaca leis na háiteanna nach mbíonn an fhoireann a bhíonn ar fáil in ann plé le duine trí Ghaeilge, tairgtear seirbhís ateangaireachta don chustaiméir. Is féidir an tseirbhís seo, ar féidir í a shocrú faoi ghearrfhógra, a chur ar fáil i modh glao gutháin trí bhealach, nó i bpearsain, de réir mar is gá. Tá ns seirbhísí digiteacha ardáin go léir agus an t-eolas ar fad laistigh de agus ar fáil dár gcustaiméirí i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla araon. Ní féidir le haon seirbhís dhigiteach teacht i bhfeidhm gan an dá theanga a bheith ar fáil go hiomlán agus a bheith feidhmiúil go hiomlán.

Thairis sin, tá mo Roinn tiomanta d’fhorbairt agus oiliúint leanúnach na foirne chun éascaíocht a dhéanamh ar sheirbhísí a sholáthar trí Ghaeilge agus tá sí ag leanúint den fhoireann a spreagadh agus a éascú le leas a bhaint as raon na dtacaí agus go háirithe le freastal ar chúrsaí oiliúna Gaeilge. 

Tá freagracht ar an Aonad Pleanála Corparáidí as faireachán a dhéanamh ar fhorfheidhmiúchán Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003 agus Scéim Teanga na Roinne agus feidhmíonn an tAonad mar rannóg idirchaidrimh le hOifig an Choimisinéara Teanga agus leis an Roinn Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta agus cuireann an tAonad tuairiscí agus eolas ar fáil de réir mar is gá. 

Is deimhin liom go bhfuil dóthain foirne ar fáil faoi láthair chun freastal ar na hiarrataí ar sholáthar sheirbhísí na Roinne trí Ghaeilge.

CRÍOCH

(PQ Ref: 44383/18

To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection what measures has she taken to ensure that there are sufficient people available in her Department to provide services for those people who wish to conduct their business with the civil service through Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

PQ Ref: 44398/18

To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection what percentage of staff are proficient in providing services in her Department through Irish; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Answer

I propose to take PQs 316 and 317 together.

As part of my Department’s workforce planning process, and in order to deliver on commitments under the Department’s Irish Language Scheme, the Department in consultation with Managers reviews the locations where staff are required to provide a service to customers in Irish.  When a post becomes vacant in a location where a functional bi-lingual is required, my Department seeks to have it filled from panels established by the Public Appointments Service (PAS).  Currently, there are 190 people serving in both Branch Offices and Departmental offices who are available to deliver services through Irish.

The following public offices of my Departmentare located in Gaeltacht areas: Acaill, An Clochán Liath and Beal an Mhuirthead Intreo Centres and An Daingean branch office and all of these offices can currently provide a telephone and face to face service through Irish.

My Department is committed to providing quality services to its customers in either Irish or English as required by the customer and our commitments in this regard are set out in our Language Scheme.  Our staff are familiar with their obligations under the Official Language Act and Regulations.  In areas where the staff available are unable to deal with a person through Irish, a language interpretive service is offered to the customer.  This service, which can be arranged at very short notice, can be provided either by 3-way phone call, or in-person, as required.  All digital platform services and information within and is available to our customers in both Irish and English.  No digital service can go live without both languages being fully available and functional.

In addition, my Department is committed to the continued development and training of staff to facilitate the provision of services through Irish and continues to encourage and facilitate staff to avail of the range of supports and in particular to attend Irish training courses. 

The Corporate Planning Unit in my Department has responsibility for monitoring the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003 and the Department’s Language Scheme and the Unit acts as liaison with Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga and with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and provides reports and other information as required.

I am satisfied that there are sufficient staff currently available to respond to requests for the delivery of the Department’s services through Irish.