THERE WAS a significant increase in the number of complaints made to the Irish language commission last year on problems people had in dealing with State services through Irish.
A total of 687 complaints, an increase of 15 per cent on the previous year, were made to An Coimisinéir Teanga Seán Ó Cuirreáin about difficulties accessing services in 2009.
While most were dealt with by advice or informal negotiations, Mr Ó Cuirreáin’s office launched 17 investigations, to ascertain if a department, authority or agency was in contravention of the Official Languages Act.
One investigation showed that the office of then minister for education Batt O’Keeffe contravened the Act by replying in English to a letter sent to Mr O’Keeffe by the chairperson of a board of management of an Irish-language school.
A separate investigation found that the Department of Education also fell foul of the Act by not ensuring the prioritisation of Irish-speaking staff to the administrative section dealing with Gaeltacht schools and all-Irish schools.
“It also failed to increase the percentage of Irish material on its website to 30 per cent and to publish Irish versions of press releases announcing new schemes or policy changes. A commitment to provide a dedicated telephone number for queries in Irish was also not implemented,” states the report.
Mr Ó Cuirreáin said much progress had been made but emphasised the “significant gaps” between standards of service to Irish and English speakers.
He also stressed the perilous state of Irish in Gaeltacht regions, underlining the necessity of the State complying with the Act.
“The future of Irish as a living community language, even in the strongest Gaeltacht areas, is currently at its most vulnerable level – at crisis point according to some analysts – particularly among the younger generation,” he said.
He added: “While many will continue to speak Irish, a critical mass is required for its survival as a community language. Language preference is not a random issue for Gaeltacht parents and their choice is always in the best interests of their children. Every time State officials require Irish speakers to opt for English, it reinforces the negative message.”
The Revenue Commissioners had a practice of issuing the Irish version of press releases on its websites after a delay of between four and nine months after their initial publications in English. This was “deemed unacceptable”.
The National Museum of Ireland did not list competence in Irish as an essential requirement in the case of 103 vacancies since May 2005. Irish was indicated as “desirable” in 17 vacancies but there was no reference to Irish in the remaining 86, despite a requirement to recruit sufficient staff competent in Irish.
The coimisinéir also found a failure on the part of the HSE to provide signs or information in Irish on the swine flu epidemic.
Most of the complaints made originated in Dublin (38 per cent) with a quarter being made in Gaeltacht areas.
Other cases:
The Arts Council issue press releases in one language then publish them in the other language on a website three days later on average or indeed at any later date.
Fingal County Council: An information booklet was published only in English.
Iarnród Éireann: It distributed an information booklet that contained only English.