Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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128. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of general grade civil servants recruited to the civil service with a proven capability to do their work through English and through Irish since the recent enactment by the Houses of the Oireachtas of the amended Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla; if the civil servants with an ability to work in more than one of the official languages of the State or of the European Union are given an allowance for this capability in view of its importance for service provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30333/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is the primary recruiter for the civil service and establishes recruitment panels that individual civil service employers may access as vacancies falls to be filled.

I am advised by PAS that since the enactment of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 on 22 December last, a total of 36 candidates have been assigned from panels established from recruitment competitions - from Clerical Officer to Principal Officer level - where fluency in Irish was required for the post in question and for which proficiency in Irish was tested as part of the PAS assessment process.

Additionally, PAS has assigned 101 candidates from competitions to posts where Irish was not identified by the hiring employer as a prerequisite for the post in question and where the candidate declared as part of their application that they had fluency in Irish. Their proficiency in Irish was not, however, tested as part of the PAS assessment process.

It is possible that some Departments or Government Officers may also have recruited fluent speakers directly under their local recruitment licence instead of PAS.

An allowance is not payable to an individual that can discharge the responsibilities attaching to their posts in more than one official language of the State or of the European Union.

The Deputy will be aware that the Act requires the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to establish an Irish Languages Services Advisory Committee within 6 months of the date of enactment. The functions of this Advisory Committee are set out in the Act and include the preparation of a National Plan, within two years of its establishment, to increase the provision of services through the medium of Irish as well periodic surveying of the number of Irish speakers employed by the public service. The work of this Committee may include consideration of approaches to the future recruitment of Irish speakers. My Department and PAS, as the principal recruiter for the civil and public service, will be represented as members on this Committee at the appropriate level.