Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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491. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department has an operating language scheme in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003; and the date when such a scheme was introduced. [15485/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As required under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003, my Department has an operating language scheme, which was agreed with the then Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and published on 13th November, 2013. The Scheme includes commitments to using Irish in a number of areas, including press releases, speeches, correspondence, application forms, brochures and leaflets, stationery and signage. It also covers my Department’s website, training and development, and reception services.

Although the current Scheme was due to run until 2016, it still remains in operation. The Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2017, proposes to replace language schemes with a new set of standards for public bodies. With this in mind, it is not deemed practical to prepare a new language scheme for my Department. The provisions of the existing Scheme continue to be adhered to.  

When the Office of An Coimisinéir Teanga reviewed my Department’s language scheme in 2017, it commented favourably on the ongoing work of my Department in implementing the Scheme, and noted the majority of commitments in the Scheme had been implemented. Further progress was made in that regard, and in 2018 my Department's website www.dcya.gov.iewas upgraded. It now has an increased focus on the Irish language.