The policy in my Department, is to release staff on secondment to work in the EU institutions to facilitate Ireland’s 2026 EU Presidency. We do not regard this as special leave or career break.
In 2024, my Department ran two internal competitions at Assistant Principal and Higher Executive Officer/Administrative Officer grade to increase the Departments presence in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU in Brussels (PRB) in the lead up to the 2026 presidency where two panels were established at the respective grades. 4 senior positions have already been filled with the deployment of 4 Assistant Principal Officers on the 27th of Jan. The remaining panellists (3 Assistant Principals, 1 Higher Executive Officer & 2 Administrative Officers) are to be assigned to their new posts in the PRB in the Summer of 2025.
In regards to the Government "Career for EU" jobs strategy and in line with the strategies aim to increase the number of Irish officials in both permanent and temporary positions within the EU Institutions, my Department have ensured that all departmental staff are made aware of the career opportunities available to them via the Seconded National Experts (SNE) vacancies, where these vacancies closely align with the strategic relevance of my departments remit.
The final provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 came into effect on 21 December 2024. My Department is fully committed to the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021. A member of Senior Management at Principal Officer level has been appointed to oversee performance and report on the Department’s obligations under the Official Languages Acts and will continue to keep staff informed as new provisions are implemented.
My Department is currently preparing a statutory return in line with the new obligations under section 10A (Advertising by Public Bodies) requiring a minimum of 20% of all advertising undertaken to be in the Irish language and that 5% of annual advertising spend on Irish language.
In order to ensure that my Department is accessible and capable of engaging with all customers proficiently, Irish Language Training is provided by the Learning and Development Unit through OneLearning, the Civil Service Language and Development Centre. This training is being delivered to ensure that my Department has a cohort of staff who can assist business units to respond to clients who may wish to communicate through the medium of Irish.
The Gaeilge Section is continuously looking at ways in which my Department can promote the Irish language across my Department informally and we reach out to our colleagues for new suggestions/feedback.
Promoting the use of the Irish language in DETE
• DETE staff volunteer their Irish language services to assist my Department conduct its business through Irish by translating short documents/letters and accepting telephone calls in Irish. There are currently eight such volunteers.
• DETE have contracted a reputable outside provider for Irish language translations ensuring a quality translation service is readily available.
• To coincide with the Seachtain na Gaeilge festival week, DETE promotes the calendar of events and also runs a number of social events in DETE through the Irish language.
• DETE’s Learning and Development Unit offers accredited Irish language training to all staff.
• DETE’s informal social events include virtual tea breaks and an annual Christmas table quiz run through Irish. The objective is to provide staff with an opportunity to enhance their Irish language skills in an informal, non-classroom, environment.
My Department is a client of Gaelchultúr; the largest provider of Irish language courses worldwide. Gaelchultúr is committed to promoting the use of Irish and to the development of improved language services while offering several training courses designed specifically for Public Sector bodies. My Department’s Learning and Career Development Unit works closely with Gaelchultúr to ensure timely promotion of courses and highly encourages participation among staff members. The Learning and Career Development Unit also promotes extra-curricular activities such as Gaeltacht attendance, as appropriate.
My Department continues to be committed to providing a quality service to the public through the medium of the Irish language having regard to the demand for services in Irish. My Department’s internal Customer Service Unit has responsibility for promotion of the Official Languages Act and regularly holds information sessions to raise awareness and compliance with same. The Customer Service Unit also regularly holds informal events for staff who wish to converse via the Irish Language.
