Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
21. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation cad iad na bearta atá déanta ag a Roinn ó 2021 i leith chun a chinntiú go mbeidh na forálacha d’Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2021 a bhaineann le 20% d'earcaigh sa Státchóras a bheith inniúlach sa Ghaeilge ó 2030 ar aghaidh fíoraithe [10914/26]
View answerTá mo Roinn ag tabhairt tacaíochta do chur i bhfeidhm Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, dhá mhíle fiche a haon (2021), lena n-áirítear an ceanglas go mbeidh fiche faoin gcéad (20%) d’fhostaithe na seirbhíse poiblí inniúil i nGaeilge faoin mbliain dhá mhíle tríocha (2030). Bímid i dteagmháil go gníomhach leis an tSeirbhís um Cheapacháin Phoiblí (PAS) ar an gCoiste Comhairleach um Sheirbhísí Gaeilge, a bunaíodh i mí Meithimh dhá mhíle fiche a dó (2022), trí chruinnithe rialta agus trí theagmháil leanúnach.
Spreagaimid státseirbhísigh atá ann cheana go gníomhach chun oiliúint i nGaeilge a ghlacadh trí OneLearning. Seoladh sraith nua cúrsaí in dhá mhíle fiche a trí (2023), atá deimhnithe i bpáirt le Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, agus tá breis is dhá mhíle (2,000) duine cláraithe leo cheana féin. Cuirfear cúrsaí nua ar bun in earrach na bliana dhá mhíle fiche a sé (2026), agus súil le thart ar cúig chéad (500) foghlaimeoir breise.
Táimid ag obair freisin le Ranna ábhartha chun feasacht maidir leis an nGaeilge a leathnú i gcláir OneLearning roghnaithe agus chun sruth Gaeilge a fhorbairt laistigh den phrintíseacht nua Gnó agus Oibríochtaí, agus an chéad fheachtas earcaíochta beartaithe do thráth níos déanaí i mbliana.
I gcomhpháirtíocht le PAS, táimid ag tabhairt tacaíochta do chomórtais thiomnaithe earcaíochta agus ardaithe céime d’iarratasóirí a labhraíonn Gaeilge. Ó dhá mhíle fiche a dó (2022), shann PAS os cionn céad seasca (160) cainteoir líofa Gaeilge thar raon leathan grád sa Státseirbhís, agus tuilleadh iarrthóirí ar an bpainéal nó á n-imréiteach faoi láthair. Tá coinne leis go leanfaidh an líon sannachán Gaeilge ag méadú, de réir mar atá iarrthóirí breise ar phainéil faoi láthair agus daoine eile ag dul ar aghaidh tríd an bpróiseas imréitigh.
I gcomhthreo leis sin, tá sé de chumas ag Ranna agus ag Oifigí Rialtais cainteoirí Gaeilge a earcú go díreach faoina gceadúnais earcaíochta áitiúla féin, rud a thacóidh a thuilleadh leis an bhfáil a bheidh ar an tallann Gaeilgeoirí d’ardchaighdeán ar fud na Státseirbhíse.
ENGLISH VERSION
My Department is supporting implementation of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, including the requirement that 20% of public service recruits be competent in Irish by 2030. We participate actively with the Public Appointments Service (PAS) on the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee, established in June 2022, through regular meetings and ongoing engagement.
We actively encourage existing civil servants to take Irish language training through OneLearning. A new suite of courses, partly certified by Teastas Eorpach na Gaeilge, was launched in 2023 and has already attracted more than 2,000 enrolments. Further courses will open in Spring 2026, with around 500 more learners expected.
We are also working with relevant Departments to expand Irish language awareness in selected OneLearning programmes and to develop an Irish-language stream within the new Business and Operations apprenticeship, with the first recruitment campaign planned for later this year.
In partnership with PAS, we are supporting dedicated recruitment and promotion competitions for Irish-speaking candidates. Since 2022, PAS has assigned over 160 fluent Irish speakers across a wide range of Civil Service grades, with more candidates currently panelled or in clearance. The number of Irish-speaking assignments is expected to continue increasing, as additional candidates are currently on panels and several others are progressing through the clearance process.
In parallel, Departments and Government Offices also have the capacity to recruit fluent Irish speakers directly under their own local recruitment licences, further supporting the availability of high-quality Irish-speaking talent across the Civil Service.
