S.I. No. 175/2025 - Irish Language and the Gaeltacht (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 9th May, 2025.

The Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 6 (1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939 (No. 36 of 1939), hereby order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Irish Language and the Gaeltacht (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025.

(2) This Order comes into operation on 1 June 2025.

2. (1) The administration and business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any functions transferred by Article 3 are transferred to the Department of Rural and Community Development.

(2) References to the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media contained in any Act or any instrument made under such Act and relating to any administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of Rural and Community Development.

3. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media –

(a) by or under the Acts specified in Part 1 of the Schedule, and

(b) by or under the provisions of the Acts specified in Part 2 of the Schedule,

in so far as they relate to –

(i) supporting and promoting the Irish language, including the co-ordination of policy in that regard, and the development of the Gaeltacht,

(ii) promoting the cultural, social and economic welfare of the Gaeltacht,

(iii) supporting and promoting North/South co-operation in relation to the Irish language and Ulster-Scots heritage, culture and language, and

(iv) An Foras Teanga, An Coimisinéir Teanga and Údarás na Gaeltachta,

are transferred to the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

(2) The functions vested in the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media by or under the Acts and provisions of the Acts, and by the provisions of the Regulations, specified in Part 3 of the Schedule, are transferred to the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

(3) References to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media contained in any Act or instrument made under such Act and relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

4. Where, immediately before the commencement of this Order, any legal proceedings are pending to which the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media is a party and the proceedings have reference to any function transferred by this Order to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, the name of the Minister for Rural and Community Development shall, in so far as the proceedings relate to any function transferred by this Order, be substituted in the proceedings for that of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media or added in the proceedings, as may be appropriate, and the proceedings shall not abate by reason of such substitution.

5. Anything commenced before the commencement of this Order by or under the authority of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media may, in so far as it relates to any function transferred by this Order to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, be carried on or completed on or after such commencement by the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

6. Every document (including any certificate or licence) granted or made in the performance of a function transferred by this Order shall, if and in so far as it was operative immediately before the commencement of this Order, have effect from such commencement as if it had been granted or made by the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

7. References to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media contained in the constitution of any company and relating to any function transferred by this Order shall, from the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

8. (1) All property, rights and liabilities held, enjoyed or incurred before the commencement of this Order by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in connection with the functions transferred by this Order are transferred to the Minister for Rural and Community Development and, accordingly, without any further conveyance, transfer or assignment, on such commencement –

(a) that property, real and personal, vests in the Minister for Rural and Community Development,

(b) those rights shall be enjoyed by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, and

(c) those liabilities are liabilities of the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

(2) All moneys, stocks, shares and securities transferred to the Minister for Rural and Community Development by this Article which, on the commencement of this Order, are standing in the name of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media shall, on the request of the Minister for Rural and Community Development, be transferred into the name of the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

SCHEDULE

Part 1

Housing (Gaeltacht) Act 1929 (No. 41 of 1929)

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1956 (No. 21 of 1956)

Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act 1964 (No. 34 of 1964)

Údarás na Gaeltachta Act 1979 (No. 5 of 1979)

Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act 1979 (No. 29 of 1979)

Housing (Gaeltacht) (Amendment) Act 2001 (No. 10 of 2001)

Official Languages Act 2003 (No. 32 of 2003)

Part 2

Section 5 (in so far as it relates to the functions transferred by this Order specified in Part 1 and Part 2 of this Schedule) of the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Powers and Functions) Act 1998 (No. 7 of 1998)

Cuid VI and Part VIII (in so far as it relates to Cuid VI) of the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999 (No. 1 of 1999)

Section 2 (in so far as it relates to the functions referred to in paragraph (e), paragraph (f) (in so far as that paragraph relates to paragraph (e)) and paragraph (g) of subsection (1) of that section) of the Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2007 (No. 32 of 2007)

Part 3

Section 33 (3)(c) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (No. 30 of 2000)

Articles 13(d), 14(b), 15(d), 28(1)(o), 82(3)(o), 121(1)(o), 179(2)(p), 213(1)(r), and 295(1)(q)(i) of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 ( S.I. No. 600 of 2001 )

Gaeltacht Act 2012 (No. 34 of 2012)

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

6 May, 2025.

MICHEÁL MARTIN,

Taoiseach.