Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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64. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the Minister has a view on whether a person should be entitled to the use of their name as Gaeilge on official documentation without a change by deed poll. [3800/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The aim of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 is to increase and improve, in a planned manner over a period of time, the quantity and quality of services provided for the public through the Irish language by public bodies. This includes the matter referred to by the Deputy. In this regard, a process has been laid out under Section 9 of the Act in relation to the use of names in the Irish language on official documentation.

Section 9A of the Act sets out the duties of public bodies regarding names, addresses and titles in the Irish language. That section inter alia provides that a public body that is prescribed by the Minister shall ensure that the information and communications systems, and any other systems (whether electronic or otherwise), that are used by the body in its communications with the general public, or a class of the general public, as may be appropriate, are configured in a manner that—

1. permits a person’s name (including the patronymic or matronymic form of the name), address or title (including the option to use no title), in the Irish language, to be correctly recorded and used by such systems in relation to the services offered or provided by the body in respect of which it is so prescribed, and

2. facilitates the use of the length accent in Irish language text.

Section 9 of the Act further states that the Minister shall, not later than 3 months after the commencement of section 4 of the Act, prepare and issue guidelines to assist public bodies in complying with their obligations under that section.

I am currently working with officials of my Department to give effect to the provisions of this new legislation, which was enacted on 22 December 2021. To this end, officials of my Department are currently developing a work plan which will set out the various steps to be taken in the coming months.