Official Languages Act

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.  This will be principally achieved by placing a statutory obligation on Departments of State and public bodies to make specific provision for delivery of such services in a coherent and agreed fashion through a statutory planning framework, known as a “scheme”, to be agreed on a three-year renewable basis between the head of the body concerned and the Minister.  Schemes remain in force for three years and thereafter fall to be renewed.  The intention is that this renewal process will be used to secure a significant improvement in the level of public services available through Irish over time.

The Letterkenny Institute of Technology published its first scheme document under the Act in 2007, its second scheme in 2012, its third scheme in 2015, and its fourth scheme under the Act has now been confirmed by the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.  The current scheme shall remain in force for a period of three years from 21 December 2020 or until a new scheme has been approved.

To view our language schemes click:

Further information regarding the Official Languages Act may be obtained at www.coimisineir.ie.

Our email address for Irish language enquiries is gaeilge@lyit.ie