Preasráiteas: Foilsíonn an tAire Calleary Plean Gníomhaíochta um Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2026-2028
Media Release
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Minister Calleary publishes Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028
- Action Plan for 2026-2028 launched in support of the National Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2024-2030
- Cross-Governmental actions set out under five strategic themes
- New initiatives focusing on capacity and awareness building, skills development, technology and a suite of supportive measures
- Important step towards a bilingual public service
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, today (Tuesday, 20 January 2026) announced that the Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028 has been approved by Government.
This Action Plan, which is published on the Department’s website, looks to take a holistic, measurable and practical approach to the implementation of the National Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2024-2030, which was published in October 2024.
Overall responsibility for the preparation of both plans fell on the Irish Language Services Advisory Committee, which was established in June 2022 under the Official Languages Acts 2003 and 2021, with a wide range of organisations from across the public sector represented at a senior level on it including Government Departments, the Local Government Management Agency, HSE, An Garda Síochána, and the recruitment provider publicjobs.
Preparation of this action plan involved extensive consultation and engagement across Government and beyond– particularly as it relates to core public services and Gaeltacht areas.
It also built on the invaluable research carried out for the National Plan itself, which demonstrated a clear interest in increasing Irish language competence among public sector staff and positivity towards the language in general.
Cross-cutting initiatives contained in the action plan look to enhance the provision of bilingual public services across the country – particularly in Gaeltacht areas, through a range of various measures. It focuses on developing the supportive structures and includes measures focused on capacity and awareness building, skills development and technology.
The plan places a particular emphasis on measures to be undertaken to achieve the overarching recruitment target that 20% of recruits to public sector bodies will be competent in Irish by the end of 2030.
Ultimately this will enable the normalisation of the Irish language as an integral part of the public service and will also empower speakers of the language to use it when accessing services.
Minister Calleary said:
“It is a great honour for me, as the first senior Minister with responsibility for the Irish language and the Gaeltacht in several years, to publish this Action Plan today.
“At a time when the level of good-will and positivity towards the language has never been higher, this ambitious plan sets out the clear and measurable steps to be taken across Government in the years ahead towards achieving a truly bilingual public service, and indeed bilingual society, in line with Programme for Government commitments.
“This plan puts support and innovation at the heart of developments to come and I look forward to forging ahead with my Government colleagues and other key stakeholder on this work, at this very exciting time for the Irish language. One example of this is FÍS ‘26 – a new conference supported by my Department, that’s to bring young people together during Seachtain na Gaeilge to show them how Irish is shaping the future.
“The actions of this plan will also be of great support to other work to come under the Act, including the introduction of the language standards system, and other duties relating to correctly recording names, titles and addresses in Irish and the availability of official forms in Irish or bilingually. I look forward to announcing more on all of this soon.
“This work also closely aligns with the language planning process, under which I published an independent review of the process to date yesterday. Many of the recommendations in that review relate to improving public services in the Gaeltacht. Having secured the largest ever increase for the Irish language and Gaeltacht sector in Budget 2026, an additional €3m will now be invested in the language planning process this year.
“Between that investment and the impact of the Action Plan published today, this process will also be accelerated in the coming period.”
A copy of the Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028 can be found here .
Preasráiteas
Máirt, 20 Eanáir 2026
Foilsíonn an tAire Calleary Plean Gníomhaíochta um Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2026-2028
- Plean Gníomhaíochta do 2026-2028 seolta faoin bPlean Náisiúnta um Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2024-2030
- Bearta tras-Rialtais leagtha amach faoi chúig mhór-théama straitéiseacha
- Tionscnaimh nua dírithe ar fhorbairt acmhainneachta, feasachta agus scileanna chomh maith le cúrsaí teicneolaíochta agus réimse leathan bearta tacúla
- Céim thábhachtach chun cinn i dtreo seirbhís phoiblí dhátheangach
D’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, inniu (Máirt, 20 Eanáir 2026) go bhfuil an Plean Gníomhaíochta do Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2026-2028 ceadaithe ag an Rialtas.
Féachann an Plean Gníomhaíochta seo, atá foilsithe ar shuíomh gréasáin na Roinne, le cur chuige iomlánaíoch, intomhaiste agus praiticiúil a ghlacadh maidir le cur i bhfeidhm an Phlean Náisiúnta um Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2024-2030, a foilsíodh i mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2024.
Thit an fhreagracht fhoriomlán as ullmhú an dá phlean ar an gCoiste Comhairleach um Sheirbhísí Gaeilge, a bunaíodh i mí an Mheithimh 2022 faoi Achtanna na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, 2003 agus 2021. Tá ionadaíocht ag leibhéal sinsearach ag raon leathan eagraíochtaí ó trasna na hearnála poiblí ar an gCoiste seo, lena n-áirítear Ranna Rialtais, an Ghníomhaireacht Bainistíochta Rialtais Áitiúil, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte, an Garda Síochána, agus an soláthraí earcaíochta poistphoiblí.
Tugadh faoi chomhairliúchán agus plé leathan tras-Rialtais agus eile – in ullmhú an Phlean seo – go háirithe mar a bhaineann le croí-sheirbhísí poiblí agus ceantair Ghaeltachta.
Tógadh é freisin ar an taighde luachmhar a rinneadh don Phlean Náisiúnta féin, a léirigh go bhfuil suim shoiléir ann i measc oibrithe san earnáil phoiblí inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge a fheabhsú agus go bhfuil dearcadh dearfach ann i leith na teanga go ginearálta.
Féachann na tionscnaimh crosghearrtha atá sa phlean gníomhaíochta seo le feabhas a chur ar sholáthar seirbhísí poiblí dátheangacha ar fud na tíre – go háirithe i gceantair Ghaeltachta, trí réimse beart éagsúil. Díríonn sé ar struchtúir thacúla a fhorbairt agus cuimsíonn sé bearta atá dírithe ar fhorbairt acmhainne, feasachta agus scileanna chomh maith le cúrsaí teicneolaíochta.
Cuirtear an-bhéim sa Phlean seo ar bhearta bainteach leis an oll-sprioc earcaíochta a bhaint amach, is é sin go mbeidh 20% d’earcaigh chuig comhlachtaí poiblí inniúil i nGaeilge faoi dheireadh 2030.
Mar thoradh ar an obair seo, déanfar normalú ar an nGaeilge agus cuirfear í ag croílár na seirbhíse poiblí, ag cumasú do chainteoirí na teanga í a úsáid agus iad ag déanamh éileamh ar sheirbhísí.
Dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Is mór an onóir dom é, mar an chéad Aire sinsearach le cúram den Ghaeilge agus den Ghaeltacht le roinnt blianta anuas, an Plean Gníomhaíochta seo a fhoilsiú inniu.
“Ag am nach raibh leibhéal báúlachta agus dearfachta i leith na teanga riamh chomh hard, leagan an plean uaillmhianach seo amach céimeanna soiléire agus intomhaiste tras-Rialtais a bheidh le glacadh sna blianta amach romhainn chun seirbhís phoiblí dhátheangacha, agus go deimhin sochaí dátheangach, iomlán a bhaint amach, i gcomhréir le gealltanais Chlár an Rialtais.
“Cuireann an plean seo tacaíocht agus nuálaíocht i gcroílár na bhforbairtí atá le teacht agus táim ag tnúth le dul chun cinn a dhéanamh ar an obair i gcomhar le mo chomhghleacaithe Rialtais agus páirtithe leasmhara tábhachtacha eile. Is am an-spreagúil é seo don Ghaeilge agus sampla amháin de seo is ea FÍS ’26 – comhdháil nua, atá á cur ar bun le tacaíocht ó mo Roinnse, chun daoine óga a thabhairt le chéile le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge chun cur amach a thabhairt dóibh ar na bealaí éagsúla a bhfuil an Ghaeilge ag múnlú na todhchaí.
“Tacóidh gníomhartha an phlean seo go mór le hobair eile atá le teacht faoin Acht chomh maith, lena n-áirítear córas na gcaighdeán teanga a thabhairt isteach, chomh maith le dualgais eile a bhaineann le hainmneacha, teidil agus seoltaí i nGaeilge a thaifeadadh i gceart agus foirmeacha oifigiúla a bheith ar fáil i nGaeilge nó go dátheangach. Táim ag tnúth le tuilleadh a fhógairt faoi seo go léir go luath.
“Tá an obair seo ag teacht go dlúth chomh maith leis an bpróiseas pleanála teanga, faoinar fhoilsigh mé athbhreithniú neamhspleách a rinneadh ar an bpróiseas go dtí seo inné. Baineann go leor de na moltaí san athbhreithniú sin le feabhas a chur ar sheirbhísí poiblí sa Ghaeltacht. Tar éis an méadú is mó riamh a bhaint amach d’earnáil na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta i mBuiséad 2026, infheisteofar €3m breise sa phróiseas pleanála teanga i mbliana.
“Idir an infheistíocht sin agus tionchar an Phlean Gníomhaíochta a foilsíodh inniu, cuirfear dlús leis an bpróiseas seo sa tréimhse amach romhainn freisin.”
Is féidir cóip den Phlean Gníomhaíochta do Sheirbhísí Poiblí Gaeilge 2026-2028 a fháil anseo .