S.I. No. 221/1966 - Local Offices (Irish Language) Regulations, 1966.

S.I. No. 221 of 1966.

LOCAL OFFICES (IRISH LANGUAGE) REGULATIONS, 1966.

The Minister for Local Government, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Social Welfare, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and the Minister for Defence, in exercise of the powers conferred on each of them by section 13 and paragraphs (a) and (g) of section 19 of the Local Government Act, 1941 (No. 23 of 1941) hereby make the following Regulations:—

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Local Offices (Irish Language) Regulations, 1966.

2. The Local Offices (Gaeltacht) Orders 1928 to 1966 and the Local Officers (Irish Language) Regulations, 1944 to 1966 are hereby revoked.

3. In these Regulations—

"local authority" means a local authority for the purposes of Part II of the Local Government Act, 1941 ;

"the Gaeltacht" means the areas for the time being determined to be Gaeltacht areas under Section 2 of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act, 1956 (No. 21 of 1956);

"office" means any office under a local authority in relation to which the appropriate Minister for the purposes of Part II of the Local Government Act, 1941 is the Minister for Local Government, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Social Welfare, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries or the Minister for Defence.

4.—(1) When selecting, whether by competitive examination or otherwise, a person for appointment to any office, a local authority shall give, as far as is reasonably practicable having regard to the requirements of the office, preferences to candidates according to the knowledge of the Irish Language which such candidates possess and the ability of the said candidates to perform the duties of the said office through the medium of the said language.

(2) This article shall not apply to—

(a) the selection of persons for appointment where a knowledge of the Irish language has been declared under section 21 of the Local Government Act, 1941 , to be a qualification for the office,

(b) the selection of persons for appointment in a temporary capacity to any office where the selection is from persons who are holders of other offices or from persons who were, at any time previously employed by a local authority in a similar capacity,

(c) the selection of a person for appointment following a recommendation of the Local Appointments Commissioners.

5. A local authority may pay to the holder of any office the duties of which are performed mainly or entirely in any part of the Gaeltacht who satisfies the local authority that

(a) he possesses a knowledge of the Irish language sufficient to enable him to perform competently the duties of the said office through the medium of the said language and

(b) he uses the said language, as far as circumstances permit, in the performance of the duties of the said office

additional remuneration of such amount as may from time to time be assigned to him by the local authority, not exceeding seven and one half per cent. of the rate per annum of the annual basic salary of the said holder.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Local Government this 30th day of September, 1966.

NIALL BLÉINE,

Minister for Local Government.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Health, this 30th day of September, 1966.

SEÁN Ó FLANNÁAIN,

Minister for Health.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Social Welfare this 30th day of September, 1966.

CAOIMHGHIN Ó BEOLÁIN,

Minister for Social Welfare.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries this 30th day of September, 1966.

CATHAL Ó hEOCHAIDH,

Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for Defence this 30th day of September, 1966.

MICHEÁL HILLIARD,

Minister for Defence,

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations apply to offices under a local authority for which the appropriate Minister for the purposes of Part II of the Local Government Act, 1941 , is the Minister for Local Government, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Social Welfare, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries or the Minister for Defence.

The Regulations require a local authority selecting a person for appointment to give, as far as is reasonably practicable having regard to the requirements of the office, preferences to candidates according to their knowledge of Irish and their ability to perform the duties of the office through Irish. This requirement does not apply where—

(a) a knowledge of Irish is an essential qualification, or

(b) the selection is of a temporary officer and is made from existing officers or from persons previously employed in a similar capacity, or

(c) the selection is from persons recommended by the Local Appointments Commissioners.

The Regulations allow an officer working in the Gaeltacht to be paid extra salary if he has a competent knowledge of Irish and uses it in the performance of his duties.

The Regulations revoke the Local Offices (Gaeltacht) Order, 1928 to 1966 and the Local Officers (Irish Language) Regulations, 1944 to 1966.