S.I. No. 357/2013 - Gaeltacht Act 2012 (Section 12) Regulations 2013.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in “Iris Oifigiúil” of 20th September, 2013.

I, DINNY McGINLEY, Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 3 and 12 of the Gaeltacht Act 2012 (No. 34 of 2012) and the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2013 ( S.I. No. 94 of 2013 ), hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Gaeltacht Act 2012 (Section 12) Regulations 2013.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations—

“Act of 1998” means the Education Act 1998 (No. 51 of 1998);

“Act of 2012” means the Gaeltacht Act 2012 (No. 34 of 2012);

“English-medium” in relation to the delivery, provision or operation of services, education or activities means the delivery, provision or operation of such services, education or activities through the English language;

“Irish-medium” in relation to the delivery, provision or operation of services, education or activities means the delivery, provision or operation of such services, education or activities through the Irish language;

“relevant area” means an area that is the subject of a notice under section 7(3) of the Act of 2012;

“relevant community” means a community which the Minister may by order designate to be an Irish Language Network under section 11(1) of the Act of 2012;

“relevant town” means a town that is the subject of a notice under section 9(2) of the Act of 2012.

Language Planning Criteria for Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas

3. The criteria specified in Part 1 of the Schedule are prescribed as language planning criteria to which the Minister shall have regard for the purpose of approving Irish language plans for Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas.

Language Planning Criteria for Gaeltacht Service Towns

4. The criteria specified in Part 2 of the Schedule are prescribed as language planning criteria to which the Minister shall have regard for the purpose of approving Irish language plans for Gaeltacht Service Towns.

Language Planning Criteria for Irish Language Networks

5. The criteria specified in Part 3 of the Schedule are prescribed as language planning criteria to which the Minister shall have regard for the purpose of approving Irish language plans for Irish Language Networks.

SCHEDULE

Part 1

Language Planning Criteria for Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas

1. The existence of an organisation, selected by Údarás na Gaeltachta under subsection (6), (10)(a) or (13)(a), as appropriate, of section 7 of the Act of 2012, to prepare and implement the language plan in the relevant area.

2. The proportion of the population for which Irish is the spoken language in the relevant area, having regard to the impact of demographic, economic and social factors on the relevant area.

3. The arrangements specified for the provision of Irish-medium services in the relevant area.

4. The provisions of the Act of 1998 being used, as appropriate, to support the Irish language in the relevant area, having regard in particular to paragraphs (i) and (j) of section 6 of that Act.

5. The availability of Irish-medium primary and post-primary education in the relevant area, in accordance with the policy of the Department of Education and Skills, including the availability of Irish-medium streams in English-medium schools and the teaching of a number of subjects through the Irish language in English-medium schools, as appropriate.

6. The existence of appropriate language policies within the school environment which support the use of the Irish language as a spoken language outside of the education system in the relevant area.

7. The availability of appropriate Irish-medium childcare, pre-school and family support services, including language support services, in the relevant area.

8. The existence of appropriate arrangements in the relevant area to support the use of the Irish language by children from families where Irish is not the spoken language of the home.

9. The existence of appropriate arrangements in the relevant area to support the learning of Irish by pre-school children, with a view to supporting enrolment in Irish-medium primary schools.

10. The availability of appropriate Irish-medium social activities for young people and for other age groups and the existence of appropriate language policies with regard to those activities in the relevant area.

11. The availability of appropriate opportunities in the relevant area to learn and use the Irish language outside of the education system.

12. The degree of usage of the Irish language socially and recreationally in the relevant area.

13. The existence of companies and businesses providing Irish-medium services to the community in the relevant area.

14. The existence of employment and recruitment policies being implemented by companies and businesses in the relevant area in a manner that ensures that they are capable of providing Irish-medium services.

15. The degree of usage of the Irish language by community organisations and co-operatives in the relevant area.

16. The degree of usage of the Irish language by local media in the relevant area.

17. The relevant provisions of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2013 being used to support the Irish language in the relevant area.

18. The availability of Irish-medium public services in the relevant area.

19. The degree of support from the public in general in the relevant area for the language plan.

Part 2

Language Planning Criteria for Gaeltacht Service Towns

1. The existence of an organisation, selected by Údarás na Gaeltachta or by Foras na Gaeilge, as the case may be, under subsection (5), (6), (10)(a) or (13)(a), as appropriate, of section 9 of the Act of 2012 to prepare and implement the language plan in the relevant town.

2. The proportion of the population for which Irish is the spoken language in the relevant town, having regard to the impact of demographic, economic and social factors on the relevant town.

3. The arrangements specified for the provision of Irish-medium services in the relevant town.

4. The provisions of the Act of 1998 being used, as appropriate, to support the Irish language in the relevant town, having regard in particular to paragraphs (i) and (j) of section 6 of that Act.

5. The availability of Irish-medium primary and post-primary education in the relevant town, in accordance with the policy of the Department of Education and Skills, including the availability of Irish-medium streams in English-medium schools and the teaching of a number of subjects through the Irish language in English-medium schools, as appropriate.

6. The existence of appropriate language policies within the school environment which support the use of the Irish language as a spoken language outside the education system in the relevant town.

7. The availability of appropriate Irish-medium childcare, pre-school and family support services, including language support services, in the relevant town.

8. The availability of appropriate Irish-medium social activities for young people and for other age groups and the existence of appropriate language policies with regard to those activities in the relevant town.

9. The availability of appropriate opportunities in the relevant town to learn and use the Irish language outside of the education system.

10. The degree of usage of the Irish language socially and recreationally in the relevant town.

11. The degree of usage of the Irish language in the business sector in the relevant town.

12. The degree of usage of the Irish language by local media in the relevant town.

13. The relevant provisions of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2013 being used to support the Irish language in the relevant town.

14. The availability of Irish-medium public services in the relevant town.

15. The degree of support from the public in general in the relevant town for the language plan.

Part 3

Language Planning Criteria for Irish Language Networks

1. The existence of an organisation, which Foras na Gaeilge considers to be representative of the community under section 11(3) of the Act of 2012, to prepare and implement the language plan in the relevant community.

2. The proportion of the population for which Irish is the spoken language in the relevant community, having regard to the impact of demographic, economic and social factors on the relevant community.

3. The arrangements specified for the provision of Irish-medium services in the relevant community.

4. The provisions of the Act of 1998 being used, as appropriate, to support the Irish language in the relevant community, having regard in particular to paragraphs (i) and (j) of section 6 of that Act.

5. The availability of Irish-medium primary and post-primary education in the relevant community, in accordance with the policy of the Department of Education and Skills, including the availability of Irish-medium streams in English-medium schools, and the teaching of a number of subjects through the Irish language in English-medium schools, as appropriate.

6. The existence of appropriate language policies within the school environment which support the use of Irish as a spoken language outside the education system in the relevant community.

7. The availability of appropriate Irish-medium childcare, pre-school and family support services, including language support services, in the relevant community.

8. The availability of appropriate Irish-medium social activities for young people and for other age groups and the existence of appropriate language policies with regard to those activities in the relevant community.

9. The availability of appropriate opportunities in the relevant community to learn and use the Irish language outside of the education system.

10. The degree of usage of the Irish language socially and recreationally in the relevant community.

11. The degree of usage of the Irish language in the business sector in the relevant community.

12. The degree of usage of the Irish language by local media in the relevant community.

13. The relevant provisions of the Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2013 being used to support the Irish language in the relevant community.

14. The availability of Irish-medium public services in the relevant community.

15. The degree of support from the public in general in the relevant community for the language plan.

GIVEN under my hand,

17 September 2013.

DINNY McGINLEY,

Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.