Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the failings highlighted in the most recent report from an Coimisinéir Teanga; the way that her Department will be addressing these failings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32451/22]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The primary 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.  

In setting out new requirements as regards the delivery of public services in Irish, ending the system of Irish language schemes and establishing a system of language standards in its place, the Act aims to address many of the issues highlighted in the recent report by An Choimisinéir Teanga.  This may include standards specifying services to be provided through the medium of the Irish language and through the medium of both the Irish and English languages. It will also include standards specifying the level of competence in the Irish language required by staff of a public body so as to enable the provision of the services through Irish or through Irish and English.

With regard to the difficulty in using names and addresses in Irish, a process has been laid out under section 5 of the Act in relation to the use of names in the Irish language on official documentation while there is also a provision to ensure that communications with a public body on social media are answered in the same language.

Section 5 includes a provision to ensure that the IT systems and any other systems that public bodies use in their communications with the general public, allow a person’s name, address or title in the Irish language, to be correctly recorded and used by such systems, while also facilitating the use of the síneadh fada in Irish language text.

The provision of Irish language services will also be enhanced through the implementation of a new National Plan for the Provision of Irish Language Public Services which is scheduled to be drawn over the next two years.

I can assure the Deputy that work will continue on commencing other sections and provisions of the Act on a planned basis. In this context, my Department, in conjunction with Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, is currently organising a series of online information seminars for public bodies to advise them on their new responsibilities under the Act. These information seminars are scheduled to take place towards the end of July.