Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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504. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has an operating language scheme in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003; and the date on which such a scheme was introduced. [15497/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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My Department was established on 19 July 2017 and has recently completed work on its first Irish Language Scheme, which will be in effect for the period of 2019-2021 in accordance with the Guidelines outlined under Section 12 of the Official Languages Act 2003.

I am pleased to confirm that the draft scheme has now been approved by the Minister of State, Seán Kyne, at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.  The scheme shall remain in operation for a period of three years from 8 April 2019 or until a new scheme has been approved.

The Scheme has been formulated with the intention of ensuring that all relevant obligations under the Official Languages Act 2003 relating to my Department are being fully addressed on an incremental basis, through this and future schemes.