Christopher O'Sullivan
Cork South-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“The aim of the hierarchy of the plan-making, as set out in the Act of 2024, is to improve scope for the various tiers of the planning system to more closely relate to one another, therefore providing greater clarity and consistency for all involved, from individual citizens and residents' groups to landowners and developers and ultimately…”
“My understanding is that a ten-year modernisation programme has already been undertaken by the Courts Service and significant progress has been made in improving the availability and use of court data.”
“Under the Act of 2024, the national planning framework continues to spearhead and explicate the planning agenda and sits at the pinnacle of the plan-led system and structure, whereby all tiers of planning from regional to local align with strategic objectives set out in the national planning framework.”
“The Senator has suggested that such plans would identify strategic development priorities, including settlement hierarchy, infrastructure corridors, climate adaptation measures and areas for regeneration; set out indicative phasing for major infrastructure and public investment; include spatial mapping of long-term development objectives;…”
“The Bill also facilitates the completion of the work of the Valuation Tribunal and the facility for the local authority to issue the levy demand and, where necessary, for An Coimisiún Pleanála to deal with any appeals to the demand that may arise in those existing cases currently with the tribunal.”
“As the system of plan-making in the State has just been revised and is being implemented for the first time, the introduction of another layer of plan-making could undermine the new hierarchy that was carefully arranged and agreed following extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General, an…”
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“I welcome the guests from Kildare. I hope they enjoy their time in Leinster House. The Senator is right. I think everyone is now aware of St. Francis special school in this House and the Dáil, right across Leinster House and Government buildings, because she raises it so regularly. Fair play to her for representing her constituents in that way. I will try to give the most accurate update possible and I hope it will be of some comfort to the Senator and the school staff and principal. The school referred to by the Senator was approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects under the additional school accommodation scheme to provide a four-classroom special educational needs, SEN, base. This project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.”
“The existing provision for tenancies of unlimited duration is strengthened by the incorporation of rolling six-year tenancies of minimum duration. How a landlord can end any existing tenancy agreement is not impacted by the new rental changes. The stronger tenancy protections only apply to a new tenancy created on or after 1 March 2026. There is no six-year rent resetting option or six-year rolling tenancies of minimum duration for pre-March 2026 tenancies. This outlines the position. I appreciate the case that Senator Cosgrove is making on behalf of these people. We cannot necessarily intervene by providing legal advice but I appeal to the owners of the properties in this instance to have regard for some of the most vulnerable people in society.”
“From 6 July 2022, the Residential Tenancies Acts have been amended to further enhance tenancy protections, including by providing for tenancies of unlimited duration after six months under tenancies without a valid notice of termination having been served, and the extension of termination notice periods where there has been no breach of obligations. The Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 came into operation on 1 March 2026. The reform of the rental sector provides stronger protections for tenants and encourages investment in the sector through updated rent controls. In order to provide greater security of tenure for tenants, the 2026 Act provides stronger tenant protections by significantly restricting no fault evictions for new tenancies.”
“All of the work and investments made by this Government are making a difference to the ongoing development of that service, and will ensure that communities across Ireland can be confident in the policing service they receive from An Garda Síochána, now and in the years and decades to come.”
“There are assertions that rural areas in particular feel the operating model does not work, and that it breaks the link between communities and their gardaí. However, the model has realigned Garda functions so that there is at least one dedicated community engagement superintendent in every division. In larger divisions, there are two or three, each over a community engagement area. The model removes the administrative load from these senior gardaí to other functions within the division such as business services, so that they can focus on delivering front-line policing, which is what we want our gardaí to be doing. An Garda Síochána plays a crucial role in ensuring the security of the State, protecting and serving communities across Ireland through the maintenance of law and order and upholding the principles of justice.”
“What has not changed is the ethos and mission of An Garda Síochána. The new operating model has changed the way in which Garda work is managed and has enabled An Garda Síochána to free up policing resources to do police work. It takes account of the fact that there are newer types of crime, such as cybercrimes, that require specialist resources. Domestic and sexual violence has also been a focus of the Garda Síochána and of Government in the past number of years, and the roll out of divisional protective services units across the country is welcome. This is to say that the gardaí should be able to change the way they work, the way they are structured and the way in which resources can be deployed to adequately serve the community. The operating model is facilitating these changes so that all policing services can be delivered locally.”
“The primary aims of this Bill are to provide a clear and transparent statutory basis for the existing police powers of search, arrest and detention, supported by statutory codes of practice; subject to those powers, place the fundamental and procedural rights of suspected and accused persons on a statutory basis; and rationalise and modernise the powers to take account of developments in modern technology and best practice in policing. The Garda operating model has also introduced a number of new ways in which the Garda organisation is administered. These changes reflect the fact that policing has changed at the same time as our country has changed. Transformation in our way of life, in our work, in our communities, in technology and in our infrastructure have meant changing demands on Garda resources.”
“This Bill will also provide for biometric analysis which conducts searches of general characteristics, unknown individuals and known individuals. It is intended that biometric analysis may be carried out retrospectively on documents gathered in the course of an investigation by gardaí in the context of the prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of an arrestable offence; in the search for missing persons; and for the protection of the security of the State. There will, of course, be protections and oversight mechanisms put in place, including a code of practice and oversight by a High Court judge, who will report to the Taoiseach annually on the operation of biometric analysis. The Government is also progressing the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026.”
“There has been €19 million allocated as part of budget 2026 to support this. Highly successful pilot projects have been operating in Dublin city, Waterford and Limerick. Body-worn cameras are curbing public aggression and preventing crime, and the evidential value of footage is helping to secure convictions in court. This Government is also working to support the gardaí by bringing through legislation which allows An Garda Síochána to respond to the challenges it faces. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025 is progressing through the Houses. Once enacted, this legislation will save Garda time associated with reviewing vast amounts of video footage and images. It is not acceptable that gardaí are spending hours on end combing through footage for evidential material when we can make use of a technological solution.”
“There has been €460 million allocated in the national development plan to increase Garda capabilities in the areas of digital transformation, technology and cybersecurity. We have seen the benefits of funding in this area in recent times. All gardaí are now equipped with mobile devices which allow them to, among other things, access the PULSE system, scan driver licences to check for validity and disqualifications, and verify insurance, tax and national car test, NCT, details for road users. As a result, gardaí can quickly and efficiently identify offenders and issue fixed-charge notices for a range of traffic offences. Additional funding to support the full nationwide roll-out of body-worn cameras for An Garda Síochána is critical to protect front-line gardaí and prevent criminal activity.”
“I will have to mention my local station in Clonakilty, which will avail of this investment. This investment will ensure that stations across the country receive the improvements they need. I also want to highlight the €69 million the Minister has allocated through the sectoral investment plan to expand, modernise, diversify and electrify the Garda fleet over the next five years. Following sustained investment in air assets, a second new helicopter will be delivered in 2026, significantly enhancing surveillance, search and public order capabilities. Funding is also provided to An Garda Síochána to further develop its drone technology as well as accommodation for the equine and canine units.”
“Late last year, following the review of the national development plan, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, secured €2.18 billion for a justice sectoral investment plan out to 2030. There is €911 million of this allocated to Garda projects, including the completion of new Garda stations. This investment will see the completion of new Garda stations in Portlaoise, Newcastle West and Bailieborough, in 2026 and early 2027. It will also support work on new stations in Macroom, Clonmel, Castletroy, Carndonagh and a new HQ for the Dublin north region. The Garda College in Templemore will also receive a significant investment, as the Minister mentioned earlier. Importantly, €35 million in funding is also provided for a rolling programme of minor refurbishment works at Garda stations around the country.”
“In order to ensure that the needs of the organisation are met over the next decade, the Garda training review group has been established. The group is tasked with identifying options to increase the scale and capacity of high-quality education, training and continuous professional development in An Garda Síochána. The group will also consider specifically the case for a second training college and the role that the tertiary system could play in the delivery of Garda training for all members of An Garda Síochána. This work will also recognise that there will be increased training needs right across the organisation as it continues to meet new challenges and deliver on its mandate.”
“Long-term trends continue to demonstrate an ongoing and sustained reduction in recorded crime. An Garda Síochána recently highlighted that CSO figures show that Ireland recorded a 7% reduction in crime between 2019 and 2024 while undergoing a 9.3% increase in population - that is significant - and an even greater reduction in crime between 2002 and 2024 while experiencing a 37% increase in population. As the population has gone up, the work of An Garda Síochána has led to a situation were crime is reducing. While crime levels are relatively low, the Government is not complacent and will continue to invest in An Garda Síochána to enhance its ability prevent and detect crime. In this regard, I am pleased to be able to outline further supports this Government is providing to An Garda Síochána.”
“I thank the Deputies for their comments and contributions on the Labour Party motion today. I particularly note many of the complimentary comments in relation to the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, who obviously has a vast knowledge and deep understanding of this area and, indeed, the workings of An Garda Síochána. Like others, I want to express my thanks to An Garda Síochána for the excellent work it does on a daily basis. Over the next couple of minutes, I will outline the impact of the work that An Garda Síochána does in Ireland. The 2025 Global Peace Index outlined that Ireland remains ranked overall the second most peaceful country in the world, after Iceland, and in the top ten in the societal safety and security category. That is very much down to the work of An Garda Síochána.”
“If it is the case we need to resource the board further, we will look at that. I assure the Deputy I will come back to him on his specific question about the technical review with a specific time. There will be officials listening to this response and they will issue him with information about when it might be expected.”
“This refers to the fact that the legislation mandates the Minister to review the scheme within three years of the Act's commencement and the appeals process will form part of this review. The Deputy asked for the specific time it will be published and I will get that information for him. Key here is that we have to keep that independence but time and the access to information are the major issues the Deputy is addressing. We have already given the panel additional resources to get appeals decisions out in a more timely manner. Requests for further information can sometimes take a bit of time with the back and forth. I am sure the people the Deputy represents are so anxious to get their decisions that they will get information to the appeals board as quickly as possible. I do not think there is an issue with that.”
“It is my understanding that the appeals panel is aware of the understandable desire of applicants to have their cases dealt with in as expeditious a manner as possible. The time taken to assess appeals has in many cases been longer than originally envisaged. We have to accept that. However, I understand some of the time taken to consider applications and issue decisions has been taken up by requests for further information, either from appellants or other stakeholders. I am informed the panel has taken this approach to allow appellants to have the full facts of their situations properly assessed. A corollary of this inclusive and holistic approach is that it has added time to the overall process. The programme for Government commits to undertaking the planned review of the defective concrete blocks scheme.”
“He is seeking pretty important and basic information in the specific details he has asked for. I will go back from this discussion to find out if we can get access to any of that information, as long as it does not unduly influence any of the decisions. I do not see why we cannot make that request and get some of the specific answers the Deputy looked for in his opening contribution.”
“We hope that continued engagement with appellants will take place with a view to properly assessing appeals so those who still suffer the awful weight of their experiences can be satisfied. We are aware of the urgency of this work and I recognise the vulnerability of a particular group of homeowners. It is an absolute priority for the Department. It is my understanding that in recent weeks a number of determinations have been issued to homeowners and I expect this process to continue to accelerate as the appeals panel continues its work. The main point is that we have to, at all points, respect the independence of the appeals board. It cannot be under any influence in any way, shape or form from the senior Minister or the Department. However, I take the Deputy's point.”
“In the case of an annulment, if the appeals board considers the Housing Agency has made a serious error in law or fact that amounts to a serious or significant error, it can direct the Housing Agency to reconsider its decision in accordance with such directions as the appeals board may consider appropriate, or replace the decision with such other decisions as it considers it appropriate to make in accordance with the Act. Like in any appeals process, there is a continued focus on the further roll-out of determinations. Importantly, in line with statutory commitments, the panel operates within the legislation. The chair and panel must be allowed to continue their work. There is no role under statute for the Minister, Deputy Browne, or me as Minister of State in this regard.”
“The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides administrative support during the initial stage of the process, in that appeals submitted by homeowners are forwarded to the panel. Recently, in recognition of the challenges facing the panel, the Department provided additional funding for the engagement of a direct staffing resource to work directly with the appeals panel chair. I understand this is now beginning to pay dividends, as evidenced by the recent issue of determinations by the panel. The powers granted to the appeals panel are outlined in legislation under section 39(10) of the Act. The appeals panel may either affirm the decision that is the subject of the appeal, or annul it.”
“I thank Deputy Cooney for representing the people of his constituency in Clare who have been affected by this issue. I appreciate the issue of defective concrete blocks is particularly emotive for households and sympathise with all who are caught up in this distressing situation. The establishment of the appeals board was an important step in offering those affected by decisions made by the Housing Agency and local authorities an opportunity to have their cases assessed by an independent group of industry experts. The chair of the panel and the rest of the panel members have undertaken to examine each case thoroughly. It should be noted that the appeals panel is statutorily independent in the performance of its functions of the senior Minister, Deputy Browne, the Department of housing and the Housing Agency.”
“The HSE probably cannot comment any further on the outcome, but I agree with the Deputy's request that the result of this application should be made known as soon as possible so that women like his constituent and women right across Ireland know where they stand, and so that we can address this hidden condition, which for too long has meant women have lived in severe pain with excessive bleeding and reproductive challenges, and address it head-on. I again thank Deputy Burke for raising this issue.”
“As I said, the HSE cannot comment on the outcome of this application. That is fair enough. There is a process to go through. I can probably comment more freely. I agree with Deputy Burke. There are obviously different levels of endometriosis but the surgery is costly and painful and there is a long recovery time. I am not a doctor, but the surgery does greatly increase the success rate for reproduction. Nevertheless, endometriosis can come back. If there is a treatment that can prevent that, it should be looked at and it should be accessible. I agree with Deputy Burke in that regard. In fairness, the statement says this is under consideration.”
“Further engagement between the NCPE and the applicant has taken place in the interim, and the application remains under consideration. The HSE cannot make any comment on possible outcomes from the ongoing process. The Deputy can see from those milestones that it took considerable time for the State to receive the necessary dossier. We cannot progress reimbursement applications without timely engagement. We strongly encourage all pharmaceutical companies to apply for reimbursement here in Ireland and to submit fully prepared HTA dossiers in a timely fashion.”
“The European Medicines Agency, EMA, granted marketing authorisation for this product in July 2021. The company marketing this medicine made an application for addition to the HSE's reimbursement list in May 2024. The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions. HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, NCPE. Formal processes govern applications for the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, and new uses of existing medicines, to be funded or reimbursed. The HSE commissioned a health technology assessment, HTA, in July 2024. Just under a year later, in July 2025, the applicant submitted a full HTA dossier to the NCPE.”
“The framework establishes, for the first time, a defined clinical care pathway for women and girls living with endometriosis. In conjunction with this framework, the Minister has written to all GPs, consultants and other clinicians to raise awareness of endometriosis in their clinical assessments. Moreover, the expansion of endometriosis services provided in Ireland is supported through the HSE's national service plan. Regarding Ryeqo, I will provide some background for our colleagues and then address Deputy Burke's question. Relugolix, estradiol and norethisterone acetate, marketed under the trade name Ryeqo, is a medicine used for the symptomatic treatment of endometriosis in women of reproductive age with a history of medical or surgical treatment for their endometriosis.”
“I am really heartened that Deputy Burke has raised the issue here today and that women right across Ireland are speaking out about it and about the necessity to treat it and, more important, to get access for women to treat this condition. That is the most important point. I commend the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on tackling this issue head-on and putting it front and centre as something she wants to address. I just wanted to say that at the outset. In 2025 and earlier this year, the Minister engaged directly with women on a one-to-one basis through the patient voice forum and listened to their personal experiences of endometriosis. The national framework for the management of endometriosis in Ireland was published in October 2025. This marks a milestone in the evolution of women's healthcare in Ireland.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of endometriosis. It is something that for too long we have not spoken about. There still is not enough awareness of what it is and the challenges and difficulties that women across Ireland face when they have this condition. There are women across Ireland living in severe pain because of endometriosis. There are woman across Ireland who experience heavy bleeding. There are women who have to undertake serious surgery to treat endometriosis, which is very painful and has a long recovery time. There are couples right across Ireland who, because of endometriosis, are facing incredible challenges with reproduction. These are all things that for far too long we have not spoken enough about publicly. We have not raised enough awareness about it.”
“We will have a review of the Oireachtas as well while we are at it. The Senator is 100% right. It will be interesting to see those findings. I assume that the findings and learnings about how the position of democratically elected Mayor of Limerick is working out will be worked in. It will be interesting to see what direction is taken.”
“The Senator referred to the local democracy task force. I absolutely agree that its findings and recommendations have to be taken seriously. Local government is important, but it is not perfect. The Senator represents councillors and talks to them on a daily basis. He will know that there is often frustration about reserved functions and that councillors sometimes feel helpless. I felt I could get more done in the council than I can get done here, but that is a different matter.”
“This timeframe was viewed as an appropriate balance between assessing the new office in a timely way while also allowing time for the new arrangements to bed down. As part of the review, the Minister shall consult with the Mayor, Limerick City and County Council, the consultative forum and other appropriate people. On the completion of the review, the Minister shall make a report to each House of the Oireachtas on its findings. The review will commence in mid-2027, and there will be full consultation. I thank the Senator for his fair and level-headed assessment of this new ground of having a directly elected mayor and allowing that person to represent, in the best possible way, the people of Limerick and to take the appropriate steps to ensure that the city and county drive forward. I appreciate the Senator raising the matter.”
“These functions include staffing and human resources, the role of Accounting Officer and administering schemes, grants and enforcement. The legislation is clear in its design of the roles of Mayor, Príomh Chomhairleoir and director general while preserving the democratic role of the elected members of the council. It mirrors the intention of the detailed policy proposals put before the people of Limerick in the 2019 plebiscite and reflects the recommendations of the independent implementation advisory group on the design of the mayoral office. Importantly, the legislation provides that the Minister will conduct a review of its operation and effectiveness not later than three years after the establishment of the mayoral office, that is, by mid-2027.”
“These functions include proposing the annual budget and the corporate plan to the council, which has the final decision-making role by accepting them with or without amendments; strategic development, including proposing the development plan, which is a matter for the plenary council to agree; housing and building strategy, including proposing the housing strategy for approval as part of the development plan; road transport and safety; and environmental services. Under the Act, the Mayor is an ex officio member of the council with similar rights, responsibilities and duties to other members. The director general is responsible for supporting the Mayor and the council in their roles, the day-to-day operations of the council and specific executive functions.”
“The Mayor serves a five-year term and is responsible for the functions outside the council chamber that were previously performed by the cathaoirleach, including the important representative role for Limerick. The Mayor has new functions assigned under the Act, including preparing a mayoral programme as well as responsibility for strategic and policy functions previously carried out by the chief executive.”
“The legislation replaces the previous two-pillar structure with the elected council and the chief executive performing the functions of Limerick City and County Council with a three-pillar structure of the elected council, the Mayor and the director general, who was formerly the chief executive. The legislation makes no change to the primacy of the elected council, which retains all of its reserved functions. Under statute, it continues to govern the work of Limerick City and County Council and oversee the performance of the executive, including the Mayor. The Príomh Chomhairleoir is a new role established by the 2024 Act and is held by a councillor, who chairs council meetings and is selected by the council each year.”
“Senator Boyhan has given a very level-headed and fair assessment of how the Limerick mayor is working out. Of course, it was never going to be without issues and was never going to go 100% smoothly. I spent 13 years on a local authority and one gripe we always had was that the chief executive was not directly elected and we were the ones who had to face the people and face the music on a five-year term. This was a response to that so I appreciate the Senator's assessment of it. I will give the substantive response and touch on the review later. The Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024 gives effect to the 2019 plebiscite where the people of Limerick voted to have a directly elected mayor.”
“There needs to be an innovative approach to how we can ensure there is an appropriate housing strategy for islands because, certainly, the islands are unique in their nature. I thank all Deputies for their comments today and for their commitment and the clear passion they have demonstrated for the Irish language. It is incredible to see it. For that reason, we will not be opposing today's motion.”
“We have seen the success in some of the Scottish western islands where they have introduced gateway housing. This is an opportunity whereby a certain small number of units the island can accommodate are built. That gives an opportunity for people to live in them and get a taste of island life. Obviously, it is different but if they can get the opportunity to experience what it is like and if they can adapt then that gives families the opportunity to choose island life and, therefore, fill the schools. Deputy Collins referenced Cape Clear earlier. He is obviously right to highlight that issue. We have a situation where the school, unfortunately, is reducing its numbers. There has to be a concerted effort to repopulate these islands. The same can be said for many of the other offshore islands, and Deputy Ward reference that as well.”
“To conclude, I would note that the various actions and measures contained in the Government's housing action plan, coupled with the ongoing work being undertaken by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht in support of Gaeltacht communities, demonstrate the Government's commitment of the Gaeltacht. This work will be built upon over the coming months in implementing the various cross-sectoral actions for the provision of housing and strengthening of protections for, and the promotion of, the Irish language. Obviously, many of the Gaeltacht areas overlap with many of our islands and offshore islands. I note that many of the Deputies referenced that issue as well. I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of a unique approach to housing on our islands.”
“In 2026, an additional €2.5 million in funding was made available to Údarás na Gaeltachta to foster and expand funding a range of schemes. Overall, in 2026, €17.4 million in funding was allocated for administration, wages and pensions; €16.2 million capital to create employment, upgrade buildings and part fund strategic tourism projects; and € 7.5 million to fund community projects. This includes the appointment of a dedicated vacant homes co-ordinator for the Gaeltacht, funded by Údarás na Gaeltachta in partnership with local authorities, to help communities address vacancy issues.”
“As indicated previously by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, such a measure, if introduced, would be extremely difficult to administer and control. I also understand that there could also be potential legal issues in seeking to apply such a measure that is selective on the grounds of a region and a cohort of persons. It should be noted, however, that both Údarás na Gaeltachta and approved housing bodies already enjoy stamp duty exemptions under section 25 of the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act 1979 and section 93A of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999, respectively. Furthermore, I would point to a significant level of funding that has been made available to Údarás na Gaeltachta to support the Irish language and regional development in the Gaeltacht.”
“Accordingly, the Bill provides for Údarás na Gaeltachta to be able to dispose of lands held by the organisation to an approved housing body or to a housing authority to provide housing in the Gaeltacht. The Private Members' motion we are discussing today proposes the reintroduction of a Gaeltacht housing grant scheme in accordance with the housing Acts. In this regard, I am informed that Government does not intend to return to the Gaeltacht housing grant schemes that were operational many years ago. However, the range of actions and significant investment in housing provided through the Government's housing action plan will also support increased housing supply in Gaeltacht areas. The Private Members' motion also proposes a stamp duty exemption for consideration.”
“Although the re-establishment of elections to the board of an t-údarás is the main purpose of this Bill, it was decided to include a provision that would also support the provision of housing in the Gaeltacht given that this is one of the most pressing issues facing Gaeltacht communities and that the organisation is managing a significant portfolio of properties throughout the Gaeltacht. An t-údarás has, over a number of years, developed a level of expertise in providing wastewater facilities serving its network of business parks and industrial estates across Gaeltacht areas. Údarás na Gaeltachta has stated that discussions are under way with the local authorities in which there is an opportunity to work with Uisce Éireann to benefit from the existing infrastructure.”
“A review of the first ten language plans has been undertaken by the company Barr Feabhais Teoranta, which involves consultation with a wide range of organisations, Irish-language lead organisations and stakeholders. The review identified a number of recommendations to improve the implementation of the language planning process. The continued success of Údarás na Gaeltachta depends on its continued alignment with the changing needs of Gaeltacht communities. The Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill 2024 completed Committee Stage in Dáil Éireann last year.”
“The language planning process is rooted in the practice that Gaeltacht and Irish-language communities play a central role in the promotion and strengthening of Irish as a community spoken language in their own areas. Currently, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Foras na Gaeilge support lead organisations that are recognised and representative of the public in preparing a seven-year language plan, following consultation with the public. These plans can include intentions regarding broader objectives and goals such as community capital projects, social infrastructure and services. Under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht must complete a review of language plans under the language planning process.”
“An t-údarás operates in accordance with the Údarás na Gaeltachta Acts 1979 to 2010, as amended by the Gaeltacht Act of 2012, and has an overall objective to ensure that Irish remains the main language of the Gaeltacht and is passed on to future generations. Údarás na Gaeltachta is responsible for co-ordinating the language planning process within the 26 Gaeltacht language planning areas prescribed under the Gaeltacht Act 2012, with Foras na Gaeilge being responsible for co-ordination outside the Gaeltacht. An t-údarás and Foras na Gaeilge do not prepare language plans, rather, and in accordance with the Act, the community in every Gaeltacht language planning area, Gaeltacht service town and Irish language network must prepare a language plan for their own area so that it can be recognised under the Act.”
“To that end, a review of all existing language schemes is being finalised. An action plan for Irish-language public services was recently published, which sets out actions to be prescribed through the language standards as well as measures to support public bodies in their implementation. Consultation is to commence shortly through the mechanisms set out in the Act, starting with the advisory committee. I would also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the important role and function of Údarás na Gaeltachta as the regional authority with responsibility for the economic, linguistic, social and cultural development of the Gaeltacht.”
“This will allow for a robust assessment of development proposals and implementation of any conditions that require a standard level of language competency to be demonstrated through the development management process in order to protect the linguistic and cultural heritage of a Gaeltacht area. Additionally, in relation to language standards, there is a strong link between the national plan for Irish language public services, the work of the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee and the amended Official Languages Act, all of which my colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, oversees. A significant feature of the strengthened Official Languages Act is the replacement of language schemes with language standards across the public service.”