Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 May 2026
52. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the actions his Department is taking to achieve the target that 20% of new recruits to the public sector will be competent in the Irish language by 2030; the work underway through the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40717/26]
View answerMy Department is actively supporting the implementation of the Official Languages Acts, 2003 and 2021, including the target that 20% of recruits to public bodies will be competent in Irish by the end of 2030.
This is being progressed in a number of practical and coordinated ways and in close collaboration with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) and the Public Appointments Service (publicjobs), a body under the aegis of my Department and the centralised recruiter for the Civil and Public Service.
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht is leading the implementation of the Plan, with officials from my Department contributing through our senior-level participation on the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee, which was established in 2022. That Committee recently published the first Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services for 2026–2028, which sets out a clear, measurable and system-wide approach to delivering on the national target, with a strong focus on recruitment, support for those wishing to improve their Irish language competency, the development of alternative pathways to recruitment such as apprenticeship, internship and other programmes, etc.
To achieve these goals we are working with publicjobs to support targeted recruitment and assignment of Irish-speaking candidates. Since 2022, over 160 fluent Irish speakers have been assigned across a wide range of civil service grades, with further candidates currently in the pipeline.
Irish language capability is also being expanded within the existing workforce. Through OneLearning, we have introduced a suite of Irish-language training programmes, some aligned with recognised proficiency standards, which have already attracted over 2,000 enrolments, with further uptake expected.
In addition, my Department is supporting the development of awareness initiatives and alternative entry pathways such as apprenticeships and internships.
Importantly, officials in my Department are also actively engaged in a range of technical working groups to support delivery of the broader programme of actions. These groups are addressing key areas such as digitalisation and the development of alternative recruitment methods; strengthening of training and learning supports is also under consideration.
Taken together, these actions demonstrate a practical, coordinated and system-wide approach by my Department to meeting the 2030 target and supporting the delivery of high-quality bilingual public services.
