Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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689. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the details of the requirements for having State identification documents, for example, passport, public services card, driver's licence and so on, issued with names in Irish, should the applicant choose to use the language; if these requirements are discordant with State efforts to facilitate increased use of the language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46660/24]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy should note that my Department has no function in the issuing of such State identification documents, as noted in his question, and accordingly, details of any associated requirements should be sought directly from those relevant Government Departments and public bodies concerned.

However, it is worth noting in this context that I signed an order recently to commence the final provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 on 21 December 2024. Among these was a specific provision around the correct recording and use by a public body of a person’s name, address or title (including the option to use no title) in the Irish language. This includes the use of the síneadh fada (accent) and ensuring ICT systems are configured appropriately to accept same. Public bodies will be prescribed as regards the implementation of these additional provisions in due course, commencing in the first half of 2025.

My Department is also scheduled to issue guidelines in relation to these new requirements before the end of March 2025.

The Department, through this work, aims to set a common framework with a view to harmonising the use of the Irish language as it applies to public services and public bodies.

Any further developments in this area will be publicised across the media and will be communicated in advance to the relevant public bodies.