Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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119. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform cad atá beartaithe aige chun an státsheirbhís a ullmhú leis an dualgas reachtúil maidir le sprioc earcaíochta go mbeidh Gaeilge ag 20% de státseirbhísigh faoi 2030 a chur i ngníomh; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [16049/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá oifigigh ó mo Roinn agus ón tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí (PAS), arb í an príomhearcaitheoir don Státseirbhís í agus ar comhlacht faoi choimirce mo Roinne í, ina gcomhaltaí den Choiste Comhairleach um Sheirbhísí Gaeilge a bhunaigh an tAire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán i mí an Mheithimh 2022 de bhun alt 18 d’Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2021.

Ar cheann de phríomhspriocanna an Choiste sin bhí Plean Náisiúnta do Sheirbhísí Gaeilge 2024-2030 a ullmhú, plean a d’fhaomh agus a d’fhoilsigh an tAire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2024. Feidhmíonn an Plean Náisiúnta mar threochlár do chomhlachtaí poiblí maidir leis an gcaoi le líon agus caighdeán na seirbhísí poiblí Gaeilge a chuireann siad ar fáil a mhéadú agus a chur chun feabhais go córasach. Cuireann sé conair ar fáil freisin chun líon na mball foirne atá inniúil ar an nGaeilge a mhéadú ar mhaithe le soláthar na seirbhísí sin a éascú, ar céim é sin i dtreo sprioc an Achta maidir le hearcaíocht 20%.

Mar bhonn taca faoin bPlean Náisiúnta sé bliana sin, beidh dhá Phlean Gníomhaíochta trí bliana, ceann amháin a chlúdóidh an tréimhse 2025-2027, agus ceann eile a chlúdóidh an tréimhse 2028-2030. Leagfar amach sna Pleananna Gníomhaíochta sin bearta sonracha a bheidh le déanamh ar fud an Rialtais agus ag comhlachtaí poiblí faoin Acht chun cuspóirí an Phlean Náisiúnta agus Acht 2021 go ginearálta a bhaint amach.

Mar chuid den Choiste Comhairleach, tá m’oifigigh ag tacú leis an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán chun an chéad Phlean Gníomhaíochta a thabhairt chun críche, atá beartaithe lena fhoilsiú sna míonna atá le teacht, tar éis fhaomhadh an Rialtais.

Tá baint dhíreach ag mo Roinn freisin leis na hiarrachtaí chun státseirbhísigh atá ann cheana féin a spreagadh chun cúrsaí oiliúna Gaeilge a dhéanamh trí OneLearning, an tIonad Foghlama agus Forbartha don Státseirbhís a bhí lonnaithe i mo Roinn. Tá OneLearning ag soláthar oiliúint Gaeilge don Státseirbhís ó bhí 2020 ann. D’aistrigh OneLearning go dtí an Foras Riaracháin in 2024. Chláraigh 2,896 státseirbhíseach ar chúrsaí Gaeilge ó bhí 2020 ann. Ó bhí 2023 ann, tá cúrsaí Gaeilge atá ar fáil trí OneLearning deimhnithe go páirteach ag Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (“TEG”), agus 1,627 foghlaimeoir cláraithe i gcaitheamh na tréimhse sin. Beidh téarma an Fhómhair 2025 de chúrsaí Gaeilge ar oscailt le clárú sna míonna atá le teacht.

Le Comhchreat Tagartha na hEorpa um Theangacha, ar a bhfuil córas TEG bunaithe, a luaitear go sonrach in Acht 2021, beidh luach ar leith ag cáilíochtaí TEG sna blianta amach romhainn d’fhoghlaimeoirí agus d’fhostóirí araon, mar go mbeidh daoine a bhfuil scileanna teanga ar leith acu á lorg le haghaidh réimse leathan ról éagsúil ar fud na hearnála poiblí.

Thairis sin, tá mo Roinn, i gcomhar le comhghleacaithe sa Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán, ag scrúdú bealaí eile chun tuilleadh tacaíochta a thabhairt d’fhoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge laistigh den chóras chomh maith le níos mó feasachta a chruthú maidir leis an teanga i gcoitinne. Beart breise amháin den sórt sin atá le déanamh ná gnéithe feasachta teanga a chur le cuid de chúrsaí OneLearning, ag díriú ar dtús ar sheirbhís do chustaiméirí agus ar bhainisteoirí sóisearacha.

Tá oifigigh i mo Roinn ag obair go dlúth leis an Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán agus le PAS freisin chun comórtais thiomnaithe earcaíochta agus ardaithe céime a fhorbairt agus a chur chun cinn a bheidh dírithe ar chainteoirí Gaeilge. Reáchtáil PAS comórtais ghinearálta státseirbhíse do dhaoine atá líofa sa Ghaeilge ag na leibhéil seo a leanas: Oifigeach Cléireachais, Oifigeach Feidhmiúcháin, Ardoifigeach Feidhmiúcháin agus Príomhoifigeach. Ina theannta sin, earcaíonn roinnt Ranna nó Oifigí Rialtais cainteoirí líofa go díreach faoina gceadúnas earcaíochta áitiúil seachas trí PAS.

English version

Officials from my Department and the Public Appointments Service (PAS), which is the central recruiter for the Civil Service and a body under my Department’s aegis, are members of the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee that was established by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in June 2022 pursuant to section 18 of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021.

One of the main goals of this Committee was the preparation of a National Plan for Irish Language Services 2024-2030, which was approved and published in October 2024 by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. The National Plan acts as a roadmap for public bodies on how to systematically increase and improve the number and quality of Irish language public services that they provide. It also provides a pathway to increasing the number of staff competent in Irish to facilitate the provision of these services, towards the Act’s 20% recruitment target. This six-year National Plan is to be underpinned by two three-Year Action Plans, one which will cover the period 2025- 2027, and another which will cover the period 2028-2030. These Action Plans will set out specific measures to be taken across Government and by public bodies under the Act to achieve the objectives of the National Plan and the 2021 Act generally.

As part of the Advisory Committee, my officials are supporting the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media on finalising the first Action Plan, which is intended to be published in the coming months, following Government approval.

My Department is also directly involved in the efforts to encourage existing civil servants to pursue Irish language training courses via OneLearning, the Learning and Development Centre for the civil service that was based in my Department. OneLearning has delivered Irish language training to the civil service since 2020. OneLearning transferred to the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) in 2024. Since 2020, 2,896 civil servants have enrolled in Irish language courses. From 2023, Irish language courses available through OneLearning are partially certified by Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge (“TEG”), with 1,627 learners enrolled over this period. The 2025 Autumn term of Irish courses will be open for enrolment in the coming months.

With the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, on which the TEG system is based, specifically mentioned in the 2021 Act, TEG qualifications will hold a particular value in the coming years for both learners and employers alike, as people with particular language skills will be sought for a wide variety of diverse roles across the public sector.

Furthermore, my Department, in conjunction with colleagues at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, are examining other ways to further support Irish-language learners within the system as well as create more awareness around the language in general. One such additional measure to be taken is the addition of language awareness elements to some of OneLearning’s courses, focusing initially on customer service and junior managers.

Officials in my Departments are also working closely with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and PAS to develop and promote dedicated recruitment and promotion competitions targeted at Irish language speakers. PAS has held general civil service competitions for individuals with fluency in Irish at Clerical Officer, Executive Officer, Higher Executive Officer and Principal Officer levels. In addition, some Departments or Government Officers also recruit fluent speakers directly under their local recruitment licence instead of through PAS.