Parliamentary Question on the Irish language in the public service
To ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department is forward planning to help fulfil the provisions set out in Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021, and in particular the objective that 20% of recruitment into the public service by 2030 will be proficient in the Irish language; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Is ceist í seo a mbeadh suim aige inti freisin. This issue is timely this week with the census figures being announced. Both good and bad stories are to be found in respect of the use of the Irish language in the State. What forward planning is the Minister’s Department undertaking to help fulfil the provision set out in Acht na Teangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú) 2021, in particular the challenging objective that 20% of staff recruited to the public service by 2030 will be proficient in the Irish language?
Deputy Simon Harris
I thank the Deputy for this question. The Official Languages Act (Amendment) 2021 introduced a new system of language standards that will require adjustments across the public service. The Act brings forward a number of changes to Departments’ obligations with regard to the Irish language and will see the imposition – that is a negative word – it will see the requirement to respond to an enhanced set of rules. Specific details of how these language standards, including the newly established competence levels, will be implemented are currently awaited, prior to taking forward work on the establishment of a new language scheme for my Department. It is a process I presume other Departments will also go through.
In this regard, I understand that my colleague, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, established the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee in June 2022 in line with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. A wide range of stakeholders are represented on this statutory committee, including the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Public Appointments Service, which our recruits come through. I am advised that the committee’s primary focus for its initial two years will be the preparation of the first national plan for Irish language services, which is due to be completed by 19 June 2024. As part of this work, the committee is also considering approaches to the future recruitment of Irish speakers. This work will be important in supporting Departments, such as mine, to meet their statutory obligations. My Department does not hold a recruitment licence and all recruitment is conducted by means of the Public Appointments Service so getting it right centrally is key to success across Departments.
With regard to educational initiatives, the advanced Irish language skills initiative, funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, is intended to ensure the availability of qualified persons with Irish language skills to meet recruitment needs in Ireland and the EU. It supports a range of specialised third level Irish language courses in areas such as translation, interpreting and law, with eight courses now available in five different institutions, which is key. There are a lot of job opportunities here and in the EU. A broad range of courses are available in Irish in higher education institutions, with student returns statistics showing 106 courses available in higher education in Irish with 2,510 enrolments in the past academic year.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
I thank the Minister. Anyone who is involved in the sector will know that there is a big difference between advertising a job and finding someone with the skill set to fill it. We have to consider the second part of the equation. There are two possibilities. The first is to train people from scratch, which I will address first, and the second is to go back to the people we have and help them to upskill in a particular area. I draw the Minister’s attention to comments made by the outgoing Coimisinéir Teanga before the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach’s committee, Comhchoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge. He stated, “D’fhéadfadh ról a bheith ag an bhforas riaracháin agus institiúidí ardoideachais siollabas comónta a dhearadh ina gcuimseofaí dianoiliúint teanga agus modúil chuí sa pholaitíocht, eacnamaíocht, dlí agus riarachán poiblí.” He sees a role for administrative and higher education institutes in designing a common syllabus that will not only focus on the necessary language skills but also on the other skills necessary to work in the public service. That is worth examining.
Deputy Simon Harris
I agree. I am conscious that the Deputy and I discussed this during the passage of the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 when much of the debate he, the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and I had was around ensuring the obligation on the HEA and higher education institutions to play their part in respect of our first official language was, let us be frank, more strengthened and prominent than it was in the original draft legislation. I will not use up time here, but as we develop our education strategy, there are now clear responsibilities and legal requirements on the authority to promote the Irish language beyond simply providing a set number of courses, but embedding the language. I am happy to explore that more generally.
On the specific question regarding recruitment into the Civil Service, the answer lies with the advisory committee and the work it is doing at a central level to ensure that right across Departments, including mine, we can meet the requirements under the new legislation. On the education sector, I am satisfied that we are making a lot of courses available in Irish. There were 106 courses with 2,510 students last year. We will continue to work closely with other Departments to ensure we provide enough courses and opportunities to meet all the requirements under the legislation.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
On that specific point, I will turn back to a local issue. We often forget that the South East Technological University, SETU, is a Gaeltacht university. We have a Gaeltacht in Port Láirge and SETU stands ready to provide those courses for public services and the Irish language.
I will also turn to the other part of the equation, which is a great untapped resource. According to the census, 1.874 million people report that they can speak Irish with 10% stating they can do so very well and a further 32% reporting they can speak it well. The Minister set a challenge for us to learn a new skill this year during the European Year of Skills. I set people the challenge of brushing up on an old skill, to go back to their Irish language skills, engage with the Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, TEG and find out what level they are at. There is a huge untapped resource of people who have language skills and could build on them to be able to provide for the vacancies that will arise.
