Final provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 signed into law

• commencement of order marks a new chapter in the journey towards a bilingual public service in Ireland
• more language rights for Irish speakers – including social media posts
• additional obligations on public bodies regarding the use of Irish in marketing correspondence; naming of newly established public bodies and logos

The Minister of State for the Gaeltacht Thomas Byrne today announced that he has signed an order to bring the final provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 into force on 21 December 2024, in line with the statutory deadline set for it. These provisions include significant ones that will have a major impact on the language rights of the people of Ireland from that date on.

With the commencement of these provisions:

• posts to public bodies on social media will now have to be responded to in the official language in which they are received
• correspondence sent out by public bodies to the public to market themselves or their services will be done in Irish only or bilingually
• the names of newly established public bodies will be in Irish only and new or updated logos of public bodies will be in Irish or bilingual - a trend that has already been established with the likes of the Media Commission, Tailte Éireann and the rebranding of Irish Water
• elements of services provided by third parties on behalf of public bodies will now also come under the Act

The commencement will also give effect to the provisions relating to the protection of the use of, and accurate recording, of names, addresses and titles in Irish, including the 'síneadh fada', as well as the layout of official forms in Irish only or bilingually. The implementation of these specific provisions will, however, involve a further step before they take wider effect, in that public bodies will be prescribed to these additional duties in due course. It is hoped that this process will commence in the first half of 2025 in conjunction with the language standards.

Speaking today, Minister Catherine Martin said:

Minister of State Byrne said:

The department will issue guidelines in relation to these new duties before the end of March 2025 which will support public bodies in their implementation and provide transparency to the public about what they can expect in this space in the period ahead.

The full implementation of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021 marks the beginning of a new era for Irish language services in the public service. The Act sets out a clear framework to ensure that the public has a choice of language and that services are provided bilingually to a high standard. Public bodies are actively preparing for this change and the department will continue to provide them with support in the coming years.

Sections 4, 5 and 17 are the final provisions of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021 which will come into force on 21 December 2024.

Section 20(3) of the same Act sets a statutory deadline for the Act to come into operation within 3 years of the passing of the Act.

2024 was a significant year for the Irish language in the public sector. Highlights of the year included:

• the launch of the National Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2024-2030 in October. This plan is an exciting step forward, the first of its kind in the history of the State. It sets out ambitious targets to 2030, focusing on providing high-quality public services through Irish to the public. This will be supported by two 3-year action plans, the first of which is due to be published in the next few months
• positive results already visible in relation to Section 10A on Irish Language advertising. Spending €14.2 million on Irish language advertising in 2023 demonstrates the strong commitment of public bodies to the language and is significantly contributing to the visibility of Irish in the media
• a new Placenames Committee was established on a statutory basis in July. The Committee has been appointed by competent experts from various fields until 2027. They will focus on finalising draft placenames orders for the country's counties, with support from the Placenames Branch
• July also saw the launch of the Gréasán Gaeilge na hEarnála Poiblí (Public Sector Irish Language Network). The launch of the Network is timely given the significant increase in the number of people in the public sector undertaking Irish language training. Public service employees are provided with opportunities to use and improve their Irish at work, with regular events taking place across the country
• the provision that will ensure that jury summonses will be issued bilingually from now on was brought into effect in July. Through collaboration between the department and the Courts Service, a new system is in place and the jury portal is able to operate fully in Irish

With the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021 now fully in force, 2025 will be a significant year in terms of strengthening language rights and the use of Irish in the public sector. Among the major areas that will be addressed are the following:

• the first consultation on the Language Standards will begin in early 2025. The new Language Standards will be an important development that will place clear obligations on public bodies in relation to providing high-quality Irish language services to the public
• the first Action Plan under the National Plan for the period 2025-2027 will be submitted to Government for approval and implementation across the public service. The plan will set out clear steps for public bodies to implement the objectives of the National Plan and the Official Languages Act
• in January 2025, the Minister will set dates by which public offices in Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas (LPTs) will operate through Irish, and by which public services in and for LPTs will be provided through Irish
• with a view to the 20% recruitment target by 2030, major awareness campaigns regarding career opportunities through Irish in the public service will commence in early 2025
• an Apprenticeship Scheme for Irish Language Specialists will be developed in 2025 in conjunction with the Review of the Advanced Irish Language Skills Initiative which will be completed in 2025

Information on:

• Official Languages Acts 2003-2021
• Irish Language Services Advisory Committee
• The National Plan for Irish Language Public Services
• Progress under the Act (Press releases related to the Act)