NORTH TIPPERARY LOCAL AUTHORITIES & COUNTY TIPPERARY JOINT LIBRARIES COMMITTEE
Scheme 2007-2010
under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003
North Tipperary County Council www.tipperarynorth.ie Nenagh Town Council www.nenaghtc.ie Thurles Town Council www.thurlestc.ie Templemore Town Council www.templemoretc.ie County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee www.tipperarylibraries.ie
Aertel Page 622
“ag obair leis an bpobal”
“working with the community ”
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INDEX
Page
Chapter 1 Introduction and Background 3
Chapter 2 North Tipperary Local Authorities 5
Chapter 3 Summary of Services/Activities 9
Chapter 4 Assessment of Services and Demand 12
Chapter 5 Measures under Scheme – Communications 13
Chapter 6 Measures under Scheme – Services 17
Chapter 7 Measures under Scheme – Other 18
Chapter 8 Monitoring and Review 21
Chapter 9 Publicising of Agreed Scheme 21
Appendix 1 List of Submissions Received 22
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Chapter 1: Introduction and Background
1.1 Overview North Tipperary:
The size of County Tipperary led to it being split into two ‘Ridings’ in 1838. While many of the inhabitants of Tipperary do not readily differentiate between North and South Tipperary, as it is culturally identified as one county, they are two separate counties for the purpose of local government. All references to the ‘County’ in this Scheme will, therefore, be to North Tipperary except in relation to the County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee which covers both North and South Tipperary.
North Tipperary is an inland county in the mid-west/midlands of Ireland and covers an area of 22,430 ha or 500,000 acres. It is situated in the Southern and Eastern NUTS 2 Region. There are three Town Councils – Nenagh, Thurles and Templemore. The total population of the County as per the preliminary 2006 Census figures is 65,988. The County therefore accounts for 18.3% of the mid-west regional population and 1.56% of the national population. Over 60% of the population of the County live in rural areas.
North Tipperary does not have any Gaeltacht areas.
1.2 Introduction/Background:
This Scheme was prepared under Section 11 of the Official Languages Act 2003 by North Tipperary Local Authorities. Included in North Tipperary Local Authorities for the purpose of this Scheme are North Tipperary County Council, Nenagh Town Council, Thurles Town Council, Templemore Town Council and County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee. The Official Languages Act 2003 was signed into law on 14 July 2003. The Act is the first piece of legislation to provide a statutory framework for the delivery of services through the Irish Language.
The primary objective of the Act is to ensure better availability and a higher standard of public services through Irish.
Section 11 provides for the preparation by a public body of a statutory scheme specifying the services it proposes to provide:
Exclusively through the medium of Irish
3 Exclusively through the medium of English and Through the medium of both Irish and English
This Scheme sets out the measures to be adopted to ensure that any services that are not provided through the medium of Irish will be so provided within an agreed timeframe.
This Scheme was prepared having regard to the Guidelines under Section 12 of the Official Languages Act 2003 issued by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in September 2004.
1.3 Preparation of the Scheme:
North Tipperary County Council, in association with Nenagh, Thurles and Templemore Town Councils and County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee, published a notice in February 2006 under Section 13 of the Act inviting submissions regarding the preparation of a Scheme under Section 11, from any interested parties. A list of all parties who made submissions is included in Appendix 1. The Scheme was prepared taking all relevant submissions from interested parties into consideration. All submissions made are available on the website of North Tipperary County Council www.tipperarynorth.ie.
Those submissions and the views of the management, staff, Strategic Policy Committees, Workplace Partnership Committee and the elected members were taken into consideration in the preparation of the Scheme. The findings of the Customer Survey undertaken at the end of 2005 and an internal audit of competencies in Irish were also taken into consideration. The Local Authorities appreciate the valued input from all into the preparation of the Scheme.
1.4 Customer Action Plan:
The Scheme seeks to support and provide mechanisms for implementation of the Principle of Quality Customer Service contained in the Customer Action Plan of North Tipperary County Council 2005-2009:
“In our dealings with the public, we will implement the following principles:
Official Languages Equality – provide quality services through Irish and/or bilingually and inform customers of their right to choose to be dealt with through one or other of the official languages.”
4 The Customer Action Plan also contains the following Key Service Standards in relation to Service in Irish:
i. Wherever possible, we will make appropriate arrangements for any of our customers who wish to carry out their business in Irish. ii. We will endeavour to provide application forms and explanatory leaflets in Irish. iii. Correspondence received in Irish will be replied to in Irish.
1.5 On-going assessment of demand for services:
The Scheme includes a commitment to assess on an ongoing basis the level of demand for services through Irish and to ensure that the Local Authorities continue to meet this demand in a planned, coherent and accessible way. The Local Authorities will gauge the level of demand for their services in the Irish language by putting in place a system for systematically identifying and logging the level of queries/requests for services through Irish in a defined period.
1.6 Commencement Date of Scheme:
This scheme has been confirmed by the Minister for Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs. The scheme is commenced with effect from 1st June 2007 and shall remain in force for a period of 3 years from this date or until a new scheme has been confirmed by the Minister pursuant to Section 15 of the Act, whichever is the earlier .
Chapter 2: North Tipperary Local Authorities
2.1 Mission Statement:
The Mission Statement of North Tipperary County Council is as follows:
“We commit ourselves, in partnership with all our stakeholders, to improve the quality of the economic, social and cultural life of our communities.”
The Mission Statement of County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee is as follows:
“To ensure that everyone has equal opportunity access to a high quality Library and Information Service which is responsive to the changing needs of our communities and is fully supportive of the
5 process of life-long learning.”
2.2 Core Values:
The Core Values identified in our Corporate Plan for 2005-2009 are:
Democracy: We respect and uphold the democratic participation of our elected members and our citizens and value their role in the strengthening of our organisation.
Customer/Citizen Care: We acknowledge the need to provide good quality services in a professional, efficient, effective and impartial manner and to ensure that our policies and activities are based on the principle of good customer care.
Environmental Care: We are committed to ensuring that our values, our policies and our actions incorporate the principle of sustainable development, respecting and protecting our natural and built environment, our culture and our heritage.
Our Staff and Our Elected Members: We recognise that our human resources are our greatest asset and their training, development, safety and welfare are a primary objective.
Partnership: We appreciate the value of a positive working partnership involving our staff, our members and our citizens and acknowledge its importance in the future development of our organisation and in the management of change.
2.3 North Tipperary Local Authorities:
North Tipperary County Council is the Local Authority responsible for overall administration of local government in North Tipperary (excluding the areas which are the responsibility of the Town Councils). There are three Town Councils – Nenagh, Thurles and Templemore who are responsible for administration of local government in their respective areas. The County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee is responsible for the administration of library services in North and South Tipperary. All four local authorities are the responsibility of the North Tipperary County Manager.
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2.4 Functions:
The principal functions and services of the County Council are classified into eight Programme Groups as set out in the annual budget:
Housing and Building Road Transportation and Safety Water Services Development Incentives and Control Environmental Protection Recreation and Amenity Agriculture, Education, Health and Welfare Miscellaneous
Town Councils have direct responsibility for the provision of most services in their areas – housing, roads (other than national or regional), planning and development, environmental services, burial grounds, parks and amenities. Within these programmes there are a number of areas in respect of which North Tipperary County Council is the responsible authority for the full County (including the towns) e.g. water services, fire services, register of electors, etc. County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee have responsibility for library services.
2.5 Stakeholders:
The Stakeholders of North Tipperary Local Authorities are as follows:
The Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government Other Government Departments North Tipperary Local Authorities Customers and the general public Local Community and Voluntary Groups State Agencies Social Partners Other local and regional authorities Organisations of the European Union Local Development Agencies LEADER Groups Private sector Applicants for services County Development Board Strategic Policy Committee sectoral representatives Local and National Media
7 2.6 Sections and Locations:
The various Sections of North Tipperary County Council are as follows:
• Housing • Roads • Water Services • Planning • Environmental Services • Motor Taxation • Capital Schemes • Finance (including Accounts Payable & Cash Receipting) • Internal Audit • Arts • Heritage • Fire Services • Community & Enterprise • Corporate Support • Civil Defence • Human Resources • Information Systems • Machinery Yard & Stores • Revenue
There are four Area Offices, which are located in Borrisokane, Newport, Roscrea and Thurles. The main Headquarters of North Tipperary County Council are located at the Civic Offices, Limerick Road, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. Nenagh Town Council Offices are also located at the Civic Offices. Thurles Town Council Headquarters are at Slievenamon Road, Thurles and Templemore Town Council is based at the Town Hall, Main St., Templemore.
The County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee Headquarters are located at Castle Ave., Thurles. The following are details of Branch Libraries in County Tipperary:
1. Borrisokane Branch Library, Main St., Borrisokane 2. Cahir Branch Library, The Square, Cahir 3. Carrick on Suir Branch Library, Fair Green, Carrick on Suir 4. Cashel Branch Library, Friar St., Cashel 5. Clonmel Branch Library, Emmet St., Clonmel 6. Cloughjordan Branch Library, Main St., Cloughjordan 7. Fethard Branch Library, Main St., Fethard (currently closed) 8. Killenaule Branch Library, Bailey St., Killenaule 9. Nenagh Branch Library, O’ Rahilly St., Nenagh 10. Roscrea Branch Library, Birr Road, Roscrea
8 11. Templemore Branch Library, Old Mill Court, Templemore 12. Thurles Branch Library, The Source, Cathedral St., Thurles 13. Tipperary Branch Library, Dan Breen House, Tipperary Town
2.7 Implementation of the Scheme:
This Scheme has the full approval of the Council’s Management Team. The County Manager will be responsible for the overall implementation, monitoring and review of this Scheme. Directors of Services and Heads of Functions will be responsible for implementing the Scheme within their own Directorates/Sections through their functional teams and for reporting progress on implementation at 6 monthly intervals. Each Directorate/Section will be required to prepare an Action Plan detailing actions required to ensure implementation of the requirements of this Scheme, together with target dates and responsibilities. The Senior Executive Officer within the Corporate Support Section will be nominated to coordinate the corporate implementation of the Scheme for the organisation as a whole. Progress on implementation of the Scheme will be outlined in the Annual Report. The Town Managers, will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring and review of this Scheme in their respective Town Councils. The County Librarian will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring and review of this Scheme in the County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee.
This Scheme applies to all of the local authorities’ offices, services and service delivery centres – e.g. Civic Offices, Town Councils, Motor Tax, all Area Offices, Branch Libraries, Fire Stations, Machinery Yard etc.
Chapter 3: Summary of Services/Activities
This Chapter will give an overview of the principal activities in relation to services provided by North Tipperary Local Authorities. The principal activities are set out hereunder in Programme Group Format. Details of goals and strategies in relation to all our services are set out in the Corporate Plan. Commitments to Customer Service are contained in the Customer Action Plan. Specific measures are set out annually in the Business Action Plans which are aimed at achieving the targets of the Corporate Plan and the Customer Action Plan. This documentation is available on the County Council’s website www.tipperarynorth.ie.
3.1 PROGRAMME 1 - HOUSING AND BUILDING SERVICES
Local Authority Housing
9 Assistance to persons housing themselves Assistance to persons improving houses Traveller accommodation Social inclusion measures
3.2 PROGRAMME 2 - TRANSPORTATION AND ROAD SERVICES
Road and Footpath Improvement and Maintenance Traffic Management Road Safety Motor Taxation
3.3 PROGRAMME 3 - WATER AND WASTE WATER SERVICES
Public Water Supply Schemes Public Waste Water Schemes Group Water Schemes Private Installations
3.4 PROGRAMME 4 – PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Land use Planning Development and promotion Promotion of interests of the local community Twinning of Local Authority Areas
3.5 PROGRAMME 5 - ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Waste Management (including planning, enforcement, control, recycling, education and awareness) Burial Grounds Safety of Structures and Places/Derelict Sites Fire and Emergency Services Civil Defence Pollution Control/Water quality management Sustainable development
3.6 PROGRAMME 6 - RECREATION AND AMENITY
Swimming Pools Libraries Parks, Open Spaces and Play Grounds Amenities Arts Services Heritage Services
10 3.7 PROGRAMME 7 - AGRICULTURE, EDUCATION, HEALTH & WELFARE
Agriculture/veterinary services Land Drainage Education Grants Health/ Welfare
3.8 MISCELLANEOUS
Land Acquisition & Dev. Plant & Materials Markets, Fairs and Abattoirs Local Elections and the Register of Electors Admin. of Justice & Consumer Protection. Financial Management Human Resources Information Systems Corporate Services
3.9 Principle Means of Communication with the Public:
The following are the principle means of communication with the public:
Brochures & Information Leaflets Written correspondence Application Forms Publications Press Releases Website Aertel E-mail Telephone services Oral announcements Receptionists/switchboard operators One-to-one customer service Public meetings
11 Chapter 4: Assessment of Services and Demand
4.1 Assessment of extent to which services are already available through Irish:
There are currently very few facilities available to the public who wish to conduct their business with North Tipperary Local Authorities through Irish. Motor Tax applications forms are available in Irish – some bilingually within one cover and some on request. Customers using on-line services to renew their Motor Tax can avail of the Irish option. In accordance with Section 10 of the Official Languages Act 2003 any public policy proposals, the annual report and audited financial statements are published simultaneously in both official languages. Currently, individual staff members try, where possible, to facilitate members of the public who wish to speak with them in Irish. Any correspondence, written or electronic, which is received in Irish or bilingual will be responded to in the same language. There has been an increase in the use of Irish on new signage being erected throughout the County. North Tipperary Local Authorities do not have and have no proposals for appointment of an Irish Officer at this stage.
4.2 Demand for Irish Language Services:
While North Tipperary does not have a Gaeltacht area it is recognised that Irish would be the language of choice of a certain proportion of its citizens. There are a number of Gaelscoileanna/Gael Choláistí in the County. Nenagh were National Prizes Winners in the 1997 Glór na nGael Competition – as were Thurles in 1965 and 1966. The Tiobraid Árann ag Labhairt initiative has been instrumental in the promotion and development of the Irish language in the County and there are a number of active Irish language groups throughout the County.
In the 2002 Census of Population 28,324 persons out of a total of 57,338 (49.4%) in North Tipperary who responded to the question classified themselves as having the ability to speak Irish. 6,222 (22%) stated that they spoke Irish daily, 2,555 (9%) weekly, 10,604 (38%) less often, 8,373 (29%) never and 570 (2%) not stated.
As part of the process of preparation of this Scheme an internal audit of staff competencies in Irish was carried out. Out of the 141 staff who responded, 19 staff identified that they have had requests for service through Irish. The greater number of requests were in the Library Service and the Motor Tax Service. These numbers relate to numbers of staff rather than numbers of requests – some staff will have received more than one request and multiple requests may have been made by the same member of the public to different staff members.
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As part of a Customer Consultation process, a Customer Survey was forwarded to a random selection of customers of North Tipperary County Council at the end of 2005. A total of approximately 1,900 surveys was distributed. One of the questions was:
“Would you prefer to deal with us in Irish Yes/No?”
Of the 256 replies received 11 (4.3 %) said yes, 236 (92.2 %) said no and 9 (3.5%) did not respond to this question.
In the course of preparation of this Scheme, submissions were invited from the general public by advertisement in the three local newspapers (Nenagh Guardian, Tipperary Star and Midland Tribune), in the Irish language newspaper Lá and on our website. All submissions received were from Irish language groups – no submission from any individual was received.
While the level of demand for services through Irish has been low, it is recognised that this will have been affected by factors such as non- availability of services and lack of confidence in the ability of the local authorities to deliver comparable services through the medium of Irish. North Tipperary Local Authorities recognise that people have the right to choose which official language to use and that a person can express their needs and requirements most effectively in their chosen language.
Chapter 5 Measures under Scheme - Communications
5.1 Brochures, Information Leaflets and Application Forms
All new brochures, information leaflets and application forms produced by North Tipperary Local Authorities will be fully bilingual and will be produced within the one cover (except where it is not feasible because of the nature, size or layout of the material) – Timeframe: end 2007.
Generic forms used nationally will be requested in bilingual format - Timeframe: From commencement of the Scheme.
All existing brochures, information leaflets and application forms currently in use by North Tipperary Local Authorities will be reviewed and will be replaced with full bilingual versions produced within one cover (except where it is not feasible because of the nature, size or layout of the
13 material) – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme or on renewal of stock whichever is the earlier.
Brochures or information leaflets may be in English only if they relate to an initiative specific to the English language (e.g. English language drama/writers groups, etc.)
In the case of any brochures, information leaflets and application forms used by North Tipperary Local Authorities but issued by another body, bilingual versions will be requested – Timeframe: From commencement of the scheme.
5.2 Written Correspondence:
North Tipperary Local Authorities welcomes correspondence in either Irish or English. Correspondence received by the Council is responded to in the language of the original correspondence, in accordance with section 9(2) of the Official Languages Act 2003. Follow up correspondence will continue in the same language – Already in force.
Where an individual, group, school or organisation indicates that their preferred language is Irish this information will be shared with all sections of the local authority and correspondence addressed to them will be initiated in Irish. This commitment will not extend to documents of a technical or legal nature. – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme
5.3 Publications:
Documents prescribed in accordance with Section 10 of the Official Languages Act 2003 (public policy proposals, annual reports, audited financial statements and accounts) will be published within the same cover except where the size of the document prohibits this - Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme.
Documents of a technical nature will continue to be published in English only except where there is a wide interest to the public or local significance in which case a bilingual version or a summary in the Irish language will be made available – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme.
Publications of Arts activities countywide will continue to be published in English only. If information is supplied in Irish, it will be published in Irish.
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5.4 Media/Press Releases:
From the commencement of the Scheme all press releases and statements sent to the press or media which relate to the Irish Language will be bilingual. Furthermore, during the lifetime of this Scheme at least two bilingual Press Releases/Statements in relation to other matters will be issued per annum. This will be increased under future Schemes.
Members of staff will be identified, where available, to carry out interviews with the Irish language media – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme.
Each press release will contain a minimum of 10% bilingual content – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme.
5.5 Web Site:
The website will be modified to enable a customer to view content in Irish and English. It will also be modified to enable navigation around the web site to be in Irish and English – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this scheme or when the web site undergoes a major rewrite for Accessibility, whichever is the earlier.
General information on both Motor Tax and Planning pages of the website will be made available in Irish and English within the lifetime of this Scheme. The Irish content on the website will be gradually increased over future Schemes.
The website of County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee will be modified to enable a customer to view the homepage in Irish and English. In addition to the Home Page, bilingual pages for the About Us section which will include the Mission Statement and general information about the Library Service and the introduction pages for both the Branches Section and the Schools Section will be provided.– Timeframe: within the lifetime of this scheme.
The introduction page to the Local Studies Section will be made available bilingually as part of the next Scheme and the extension of this will be examined in future Schemes.
Other content on the County Tipperary Joint Libraries Committee’s website, e.g. local studies content, is geared to an international market as well as local and national market and mainly consists of material which is book-based, in manuscript form or electronic form where the original material is in English. There are no proposals to provide this material in
15 Irish during the lifetime of this scheme.
5.6 Aertel:
The use of Aertel is at a very preliminary stage in North Tipperary. There are severe space restrictions as to the amount of information that can be published. It is proposed to continue to publish information on Aertel in English over the lifetime of this scheme and to review this in subsequent schemes.
5.7 E-mail:
A generic Irish e-mail address will be established to which Irish queries can be sent by members of the public – Timeframe: From commencement of Scheme
The standard disclaimer message on e-mail correspondence will be made bilingual – Timeframe: From commencement of Scheme
5.8 Telephone Services/Receptionists/Switchboard operators:
Receptionists/switchboard operators are the first point of contact with the public. It shall be the policy of North Tipperary Local Authorities to ensure that standard Quality Customer Service practice applies in this area, which is that: 1. Reception/switchboard staff are able to give the name of the Local Authority in Irish 2. They will at least be familiar with the basic greetings in Irish 3. Suitable arrangements will be put in place so that they can put members of the public in touch, without delay, with the office or officer responsible for offering the service required through Irish, where available 4. Guidelines will be developed and circulated to all staff for dealing with such instances 5. If the Irish speaker able to deal with a specialised enquiry is not available, the caller will be given the choice of being called back in Irish or continuing the conversation in English 6. The main reception desks will display notices inviting the public to use Irish 7. A directory of the names of the staff who are able to provide services in Irish will be compiled and will be made available to Reception Staff. 8. All pre-recorded central telephone announcements will be bilingual 9. Individual staff members can leave messages on their individual telephones in the single language of their choice or bilingually
Timeframe: within the lifetime of the current scheme.
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5.9 Public Meetings:
Anyone wishing to speak in Irish at a public meeting will be facilitated. Where advance notice is given an interpreter will be provided if required. Elected members who wish to speak in Irish at Council Meetings will be encouraged to do so. The position will be kept under review and the need for other arrangements will be monitored . – Timeframe: within the lifetime of the current scheme.
Chapter 6 Measures under Scheme - Services
6.1 Services provided through the medium of English:
Currently all Sections of North Tipperary Local Authorities are providing services through the English language (other than items identified at 4.1 in this Scheme). The move towards provision of services bilingually will have to be made on a gradual basis over the course of a number of schemes taking into account training and staffing requirements and level of demand.
6.2 Services to be provided bilingually during the lifetime of this Scheme:
As already identified, the customer services areas where currently most demand exists for bilingual services are the Library Service and Motor Taxation. These are also services that are availed of by a high proportion of the population of North Tipperary and represent a wide geographical spread. In responses to our Customer Survey 213 of the 256 customers who responded stated that they availed of the Motor Tax Service (83.2%). Because the staffing levels of branches varies it is not possible to provide a bilingual service in all Branch Libraries from the outset.
North Tipperary Local Authorities will provide a bilingual one-to-one customer service in Motor Tax, Nenagh Branch Library and Cashel Branch Library and Housing Section within the lifetime of the Scheme.
North Tipperary Local Authorities are not in a position to provide a comprehensive service in Irish across the range of services in the other Sections and locations as set out in Chapter 2. The following are the steps which North Tipperary Local Authorities propose to take over the lifetime of this Scheme to improve the competencies to provide some level of service through Irish in these Sections and locations:
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1. Irish Language Training will be incorporated into the Annual Training Programme. 2. Initial training will focus on Language Awareness Training followed by tailored Language Training. 3. Irish language phrases will be used in the Staff Newsletter Éist. 4. Staff will be encouraged to attend external courses e.g. Gaeleagras Courses. 5. Staff who have identified their level of competency as “good” or better in the Staff Survey undertaken will be encouraged to participate in training programmes. 6. The intranet will be used to make available terminology and reference material. 7. Signs saying “Tá Beagán Gaeilge Agam” will be procured and made available to any staff who are willing to use them. 8. Informal measures and events such as Irish tea-breaks and Irish Table Quizzes will be used to encourage a gradual increase in the amount of Irish being used by staff. 9. Within the lifetime of this scheme preparatory work will be carried out within all Town Councils, the remaining Branch Libraries and Library Headquarters and other sections of the Council to begin the process of building a service through Irish. This preparatory work will be carried out with a view to addressing the issue of the provision of a quality one-to-one customer service from these offices/premises in the second and subsequent Language Schemes.
It is not envisaged that any services will be provided exclusively through Irish.
Chapter 7 Measures under Scheme - Other
7.1 General Policy:
North Tipperary Local Authorities are committed to securing an adequate number of staff competent to provide a service through Irish in all sections of the Authorities that deal regularly with the public.
The primary objective will be to create and foster an atmosphere of bilingualism within all sections of the authorities so that Irish speaking customers feel welcome and are encouraged to do their business in Irish and so that both customers and staff feel comfortable in conducting their business through the Irish language.
On the Web Site a list will be published within the lifetime of this Scheme of staff contact details for customers who wish to avail of an Irish language
18 service and identifying what services are available bilingually.
7.2 Information Technology
1. Any existing computer and interactive systems which were developed internally by the local authority will be made bilingual – Timeframe: Within the lifetime of this scheme or when the system undergoes a major rewrite whichever is the earliest.
2. Any future computer and interactive systems which are going to be developed internally by the local authority will be made bilingual – Timeframe: during the development process of the system.
3. Any existing computer and interactive systems provided by third parties will be made bilingual, subject to availability* – Timeframe: when ever the system undergoes a major rewrite, redeveloping it to be bilingual will be specified as a prerequisite.
4. Any new computer or interactive system procured from third parties will be made bilingual, subject to availability* – Timeframe: when ever the system is being purchased, bilingual functionality will be specified as a prerequisite.
*North Tipperary Local Authorities will make every effort to ensure that systems provided by third parties meet requirements in relation to being bilingual however, in some instances, this may be outside our immediate control.
Other:
Any new PCs and Printers being purchased will be capable of catering for the Irish language – On-going.
The Irish Language section of the Intranet will continue to be expanded as a support and resource for staff – On-going.
The potential for expanding the use of electronic Irish dictionaries within the organisation will be examined – Timeframe: Within the lifetime of this Scheme.
The Web Site and e-mail have already been dealt with in Chapter 5.
19 7.3 Recruitment/Placement:
The needs of sections in relation to being able to provide a high quality service through Irish will be taken into account when placing or moving staff with the authorities – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Scheme.
The Human Resources Department will review recruitment policy taking into account the need for proficiency in the Irish language (both written and oral) – this will be addressed in line with National Recruitment Policy – Timeframe: within the lifetime of this Sch eme.
7.4 Training & Development:
North Tipperary Local Authorities are committed to providing appropriate training and development for all staff. This is essential to efficient and effective delivery of service. Delivering on the commitments of this Scheme will involve provision of adequate and relevant training.
1. North Tipperary Local Authorities will ensure that all staff are given equal encouragement and opportunity to improve their Irish language skills through training and development courses.
2. Language awareness will be included in Induction and Customer Service training courses.
3. Irish language training will be incorporated into the Annual Training Programme.
4. Those who have identified their competency in Irish as “good” or better will be encouraged to participate in training courses.
5. Staff volunteering to provide services through Irish will be given all necessary assistance and support.
6. Specific tailored training will be provided for staff at Reception and Telephone Switchboards.
7. Staff will be encouraged to avail of relevant external Irish courses e.g. Gaeleagras courses.
7.5 Naming of Residential Developments
Within the lifetime of this scheme North Tipperary Local Authorities will refer the issue of the formulation of a policy in relation to the naming of
20 new residential developments to our Planning Strategic Policy Committee for consideration.
Chapter 8 Monitoring and Review
8.1 Arrangements for implementation of this Scheme, including preparation of Action Plans and arrangements for reporting, have already been set out at 2.7. The Management Team within North Tipperary Local Authorities will keep the effective operation of this Scheme under review.
The day-to-day monitoring function will be carried out primarily by line managers in each of the Sections (who are responsible for the implementation of the Scheme within their own areas) and reporting on a regular basis to their Director of Services, Head of Function or County Librarian as appropriate.
Chapter 9 Publicising of Agreed Scheme
9.1 The contents of this scheme will be publicised to the general public by means of:
Press Release Official Launch of the Scheme Circulation to appropriate agencies and public bodies Web Site Circulation to all those who made submissions Notice on Aertel
A copy of this scheme will also be forwarded to Oifig Choimisinéir na dTeangacha Oifigiúla.
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Appendix 1: List of submissions received
1. Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge
2. Eibhlín Úi Mhorónaigh, Conradh na Gaeilge, Lios an tSionnaigh, An t-Aonach
3. Conradh na Gaeilge, Durlas Éile
4. Tiobraid Árann ag Labhairt
5. Conradh na Gaeilge, Baile Átha Cliath
6. Seósamh Mac Ionnrachtaigh, Rúnaí Oinigh, Coiste Forbartha Ghlór na nGael
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