The State's first "charter" for the Irish language is due to be published today as the deadline approaches for the full implementation of the Official Languages Act, which gives an unambiguous right to use Irish in all court proceedings.
The simultaneous publication of all Oireachtas legislation in both Irish and English, and the bilingual publication of mailshots are among the final provisions of the Act, which will come into force on July 14th, according to An Coimisinéir Teanga (the Irish language commissioner) Seán Ó Cuirreáin.
Government bodies had been allowed a three-year transition period for the legislation which expires next month.
The commissioner expects that a backlog of publications not translated from English into Irish will be dealt with over the summer.
The commissioner's office has drawn up the State's first language charter or "10 commandments", identifying responsibilities under the legislation.
The bilingual charter, published in Spiddal, Co Galway today, will outline the rights of Irish speakers in their dealings with State bodies and the services they are entitled to receive through Irish.
It will be distributed to all State organisations, schools, libraries and public buildings, and framed copies will be given to representatives of key public bodies and organisations, including the Garda.
Its publication coincides with a visit by representatives of the Oireachtas Joint Committee concerned with the Irish language issues to the commissioner's offices in Spiddal today.
