SIPTU welcomed the invitation to meet with members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, Gaeltacht and the Irish-speaking Community.
The Committee heard the views of this Union on the implementation of the Official Languages Amendment Act 2021 in the Public Service.
Representatives from both the Health and Public Administration and Community Divisions spoke on the matter.
In its submission, SIPTU outlined its support for promoting the Irish language in our public services.
However, the Union called for greater resources and proper engagement from the Departments and public bodies at all levels with all stakeholders on the application of the Act within the Public Service.
This engagement is fundamental to addressing several potential challenges outlined by the Union and to ascertaining how the Government intends to implement the 20% Irish language recruitment target within the Irish Public Service workforce by 2030.
“The Oireachtas Committee thanked the Union for the detailed submission and noted the legitimacy of the concerns being raised,” Damian Ginley, Sector Organiser, said. “The Committee noted our genuine concerns in relation to the potential impact on recruitment and service delivery arising from the implementation of the 20% target whilst recognising the rights afforded to workers under the Act.”
He added: “The Committee will bring our submission to the relevant departments for their review and considerations. They advised that they will keep us updated on developments with a view to re-engaging at the Committee at a future date.”