scéimCOMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, June 08, 2015
QUESTION NO.14
QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney
Chun ceist a chur ag an Príomhfheidmeannach, i gcómhthéacs an Dreachtscéim Teanga 2015-2018, an bhfuil tuairisc ar fáil faoin Scéim Teanga atá ann faoi láthair, agus an bhfuil na cuspóirí atá laistigh buailte; cén achmainní a mbeidh ag an Chomhairle Contae chun scéim nua a chur i bhfeidhm; an bhfuil statisticí ar fáil faoin uimhreacha foirne atá le Gaeilge; an bhfuil tuairisc ar fáil faoin próiséas an Dhreachtscéim; agus an bhfuil sé in ann ráitéas a thabhairt faoin Dreachtscéim Teanga?
To ask the Chief Executive in the context of the Draft Language scheme 2015 – 2018, the report and the objectives are available on the present language scheme, what resources will the County Council apply when the new scheme becomes available. The statistics are available on the numbers of Irish staff. The report is available under the Draft scheme and will he give a statement under the Draft scheme?
REPLY:
Leagtar amach in Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, 2003 na dualgais atá ar chomhlachtaí poiblí maidir le seirbhísí a sholáthar i nGaeilge agus na cearta atá ag an bpobal leas a bhaint as na seirbhísí sin. Tá an tAcht ar fáil ar www.coimisineir.ie
Is é cuspóir ginearálta an Achta úsáid na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn chun críoch oifigiúil sa stát agus na dualgais atá ar chomhlachtaí poiblí a leagan amach maidir le:
- Cumarsáid
- Foilseacháin
- Stáiseanóireacht
- Comharthaí
- Fógairtí Béil Taifeadta
- Logainmneacha
Tá dualgais shonracha ar Chomhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla agus ceanglaítear uirthi Scéim Teanga a fhoilsiú. Rachaidh an scéim reatha, an 2ú Scéim Teanga, in éag an 30ú Iúil, 2015. I mí na Bealtaine, 2015 d'fhoilsigh an Chomhairle fógra ag lorg aighneachtaí le haghaidh an ullmhúcháin don Dréacht-Scéim Teanga nua don tréimhse 2015 – 2018. De réir na dtreoirlínte déanfar athbhreithniú ar an dara scéim mar chuid den ullmhúchán don tríú scéim teanga. Ní mór an scéim nua a bheith curtha faoi bhráid Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga faoi mhí Lúnasa, 2015.
Beidh sé d'aidhm ag tríú scéim Chomhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas cur le prionsabail na Seirbhíse Ardchaighdeáin do Chustaiméirí agus chuige sin:
- leanfaidh sí uirthi á chinntiú go gcuirfear ar chumas na ndaoine ar mian leo a ngnó a dhéanamh leis an gComhairle i nGaeilge déanamh amhlaidh
- de réir a chéile, cuirfidh sí le leibhéil na seirbhíse atá ann cheana atá á soláthar i nGaeilge faoi láthair
- aithneoidh sí réimsí seirbhíse a bhféadfar iad a fheabhsú
Faoi láthair, tá 24 bhall foirne ar fáil chun freastal ar chustaiméirí ar mian leo feidhmiú trí Ghaeilge. Tá sé beartaithe go dtabharfaidh an Chomhairle tiomantas, faoin scéim nua, oiliúint a sholáthar do bhaill foirne ionas go bhfeabhsóidh siad a n-inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge.
Tuairisceoidh an tAonad Cumarsáide ar chomhlíonadh Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla ag Comhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas agus ar an dul chun cinn maidir leis an scéim a chur i bhfeidhm. A thúisce is a cheadófar an scéim nua ullmhófar plean forfheidhmithe ina leagfar amach spriocanna a bhféadfar an dul chun cinn a thomhas ina n-aghaidh agus tabharfar mionsonraí faoi seo i dTuarascáil Bhliantúil na Comhairle. Tá sé beartaithe an dréacht-scéim a bheith ar fáil do Chruinniú Comhairle mhí Iúil.
The Official Languages Act 2003 sets out the duties of public bodies regarding the provision of services in Irish and the rights of the public to avail of those services. The Act is available at www.coimisineir.ie
The general purpose of the Act is to promote the use of Irish for official purposes in the state and to set out the duties of public bodies in relation to:
- Communications
- Publications
- Stationery
- Signage
- Recorded Oral Announcements
- Placenames
South Dublin County Council has specific duties under the Official Languages Act and is required to produce an Irish Language Scheme. The current 2nd Irish Language Scheme will expire on the 30th July 2015. In May 2015, the Council published a notice inviting submissions for the Preparation of a new Draft Irish Language Scheme for the period 2015 – 2018. In accordance with the guidelines the second scheme will be reviewed as part of the preparation of the third Irish language scheme. The new scheme must be submitted to the Office of the An Coimisinéir Teanga by August 2015.
South Dublin County Council’s third scheme will aim to build on the principles of Quality Customer Service and will:
- continue to ensure that persons who wish to conduct their business in Irish with the council are facilitated
- build incrementally on the existing levels of service currently provided in the Irish Language
- identify areas of service that can be improved having regard to what is realistically achievable
At present 24 staff are available to accommodate customers who wish to engage through Irish. It is proposed that under the new scheme the council will commit to provide training to staff to improve their competency in the Irish Language.
The Communications Unit will report on South Dublin County Council’s compliance with the Official Languages Act and progress on the implementation of the scheme. Once the new scheme is approved an implementation plan will be prepared which will set targets against which progress can be measured and detailed in the Council’s Annual Report. It is proposed that the draft scheme will be available for the July Council Meeting.