The Government has published a national plan to enhance Irish language services provided by the State.
The National Plan for Irish Language Public Services, which is the first of its kind in the history of the State, was developed to fulfil the objectives of language rights legislation, the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021.
Under the Act, at least 20 per cent of public sector recruits will be proficient in Irish by the end of 2030; all public services in the Gaeltacht will be provided through Irish; and new standards of language competence will be introduced throughout the public service.
It was also announced that a tender process is to take place as part of a major programme by Údarás na Gaeltachta and the Department of Public Expenditure to develop an Irish language artificial intelligence tool by the end of 2026.
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Speaking at Government Buildings on Wednesday, Minister for State for the Gaeltacht Thomas Byrne said the plan marks a significant milestone in the provision of services in Irish and in protecting the linguistic rights of Irish speakers.
“It will give the right to citizens in the Gaeltacht to [access] all their public services through Irish and it will give people like me, who speak Irish outside the Gaeltacht, the right to deal with the State through Irish,” he said.
Public services not currently provided through Irish will be identified as part of the process and public bodies will receive guidance on how to provide those services.
The plan will provide advice on the level of language competence required for the provision of services, using a system of standards known as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
“At the moment you can’t walk into a Government office and expect to speak Irish to somebody,” said Mr Byrne. “You can ring a number and you might get somebody who can speak Irish, but this means you will be able to deal with the health service, social protection, the tax service, all the State services through the Irish language.
“We have to be serious about our first official language and I think this, together with the work [carried out] under the Official Languages Act over the last number of years, shows the seriousness of the Government in this regard.
“This is of fundamental importance. It is not about forcing anyone to speak any language, it is about giving people the right to speak and to use Irish in their daily interactions with the State,” he said.
Mr Byrne said the plan would lead to employment opportunities for those with competency in Irish.
“Not only will you be able to use the Irish language, but it will now be a definitive advantage for you in seeking employment, and I have absolutely no doubt that when the State leads, the private sector will follow,” he said.
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