Publication

Irish Language Services Advisory Committee

From: Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Published on: 10 August 2022
Last updated on: 15 April 2025

Establishment of the Committee
Functions of the Committee
Membership of the Committee
Regulation of Lobbying Act, 2015
Related Documentation
Other Relevant Links

Establishment of the Committee

Under Section 18A of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 it is specified that the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee would be established no later than 6 months after the enactment of the Act and this was done on 20 June 2022.

According to the Act, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is responsible for providing a secretariat for the Committee and it is he/she who decides the procedures of the Advisory Committee.

Functions of the Committee

The specific functions of the Advisory Committee are set out in Section 18C and Section 18F of the Act, including:

• The preparation of a National Plan for the provision of public services through the medium of Irish within two years of the establishment of the Committee, i.e. by 19 June 2024. The preparation of the National Plan is in line with achieving the overall objective of the Act, which is that 20% of recruits to the public service will be Irish speakers no later than 31 December 2030.

• The provision of an Annual Progress Report to the Minister and An Coimisinéir Teanga by 30 June of each year, save for the first one which is to be provided by 30 June 2024 and which will include the work carried out by the Committee from the day it was established up to 31 December 2023. Copies of these will be published on the Department's website once they have been submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas.

In carrying out its specific functions, the Committee will also have regard to these other relevant sections of the Act:

• Section 18D relating to the duty of the Minister in relation to the National Plan;

• Section 18E relating to deadlines to be set by the Minister, having regard to the National Plan, under which public offices located in the Gaeltacht will operate through the medium of Irish and under which all public services in the Gaeltacht and for the Gaeltacht will be provided through the Irish language.

• Section 19A (2), specifically mentioned under Section 18C (1)(a)(i) (above), which relates to language standards.

Membership of the Committee

In accordance with what was specified under Section 18B of the Act, the membership of the Committee consists of:

Organisations mentioned in the Act

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (Chairperson*);

The Department of Public Expenditure, NPD Delivery and Reform; and

The Public Appointments Service;

Public bodies decided by the Ministers

The Department of Social Protection

The Department of Education

Health Service Executive

An Garda Síochána

Local Government Management Agency

Foras na Gaeilge

Appointed by the Minister (as a result of a competition held by the PAS)

One representative of the Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas who is competent in Irish and was appointed through a competition run by the Public Appointments Service; and

One representative of areas of the State that are not Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas who is competent in Irish and was appointed through a competition run by the Public Appointments Service.

- *Under Section 18B(2) , the Minister nominates one member of the Advisory Committee, who is competent in Irish, as Chairperson.

The membership of the Committee will be reviewed, from the point of view of the 6 public bodies decided by the Ministers that would be central to this process, as necessary.

More information on the current members of the committee is available here.

Regulation of Lobbying Act, 2015

It is worth noting that, as at least one member of the Committee is a Designated Public Official under the Regulation of Lobbying Act, 2015 as the membership currently stands, this means that the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee is a "Relevant Body" under the same Act. More information on "Relevant Bodies" and the Transparency Code is available here.

General Documentation

• Information Note for Members

• Terms of Reference & Procedures

Annual Reports of the Committee

• The first to be submitted to the Minister & an Choimisinéara Teanga by 30 June 2024.

Committee meetings

Meeting 1: Monday, 25 July 2022

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Irish Language Services Advisory Committee

Establishment of the Committee

Functions of the Committee

Membership of the Committee

Regulation of Lobbying Act, 2015

Related Documentation

Other Relevant Links

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