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The Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs, Sean Kyne T.D., today (Thursday 14th July) announced that he has secured the necessary approval to fill the post of Director of Irish in his Department.
Speaking today he said: “The Director of Irish post is a senior Civil Service position and filling posts at that level requires the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform . I have now secured that approval and my Department is putting arrangements in place immediately to fill the position on a competitive basis as soon as possible”.
The Director of Irish will be responsible for the Department’s Gaeltacht Division, which has a budget of over €45m in 2016. The new Director will be a member of the Department’s Management Board and will oversee programmes relating to the Gaeltacht and Irish language. The new Director will also work closely with An Foras Teanga, one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, in consultation with colleagues in Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities. Other responsibilities covered under the Director’s remit include the offshore islands, Waterways Ireland and North South Co-operation generally.
“I am pleased to be in a position to announce that immediate steps are now being taken to fill this important post. I am confident that the new Director, when appointed, will provide the administrative leadership that is required to drive the State’s policies and supports for the Irish language and for the Gaeltacht under my direction in the coming period”.