Recognition of Irish Sign Language The State recognises the right of Irish Sign Language users to use Irish Sign Language as their native language and the corresponding duty on all public bodies to provide Irish Sign Language users with free interpretation when availing of or seeking to access statutory entitlements and services.The community of persons using Irish Sign Language shall have the right to use, […]
2003 Act The Official Languages Act 2003 seeks to formalise the position of the Irish language within the State. It seeks to promote the use of Irish for official purposes, to set out duties of governmental bodies in relation to the official languages. It establishes a Language Commissioner. The Act was to be commenced within three years of enactment. The Minister is to make an […]
Minister & Public Bodies The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht was established in 2011 after the re-organisation of departments and a change of government. The Department has responsibility for the conservation, preservation, protection and development of Ireland’s heritage and culture. This includes in particular, the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and Islands. The Official Languages Act lists public bodies to which it applies. The […]
Status of Language Article 8 of the Constitution provides that the Irish language as the national language is the first official language. The English language is recognised as the second official language. Provision may, however, be made by law for the exclusive use of either of the said languages for any one or more official purposes, either throughout the State or in any part of […]
Language Planning Areas The Gaeltacht Act 2012 provides for a statutory language planning process and amends the functions and constitution of Údarás na Gaeltachta. The existing Gaeltacht is designated as a number of Gaeltacht language planning areas. The areas are with reference to language planning criteria rather than geographical criteria as had formerly applied. This follows the recommendations of the comprehensive linguistic study of the […]
Legal Terms Advisory Committee The Irish Legal Terms Act 1945 provided for the purpose of law of standard equivalence in the Irish language for certain terms and to provide for the publication of legal forms and precedence in the Irish language. It established an Irish Legal Terms Advisory Committee. The Committee consisted of Judges of each of the principal Courts, a practising barrister nominated by […]