Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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460. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider the preparation and issuing of a circular on best practice recommendations in relation to Irish language provision, and implications for workforce planning, for local authorities. [13679/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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While meeting our Irish language obligations is a responsibility for all relevant Departments and public bodies, policy responsibility for the Official Languages Acts 2003 and 2021 rests with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

Local authorities are entirely independent corporate entities having full responsibility under law for the performance of their functions. I have no role in respect of local authorities meeting their Irish language obligations. Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible. My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector and engages with the sector on an ongoing basis in respect of sanctions for new staff as requested.