C12

Prospective affecting provision: section inserted by Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 (49/2021), s. 5, not commenced as of date of revision.

F13[9A. (1) For the purpose of ensuring the correct recording and use by a public body of a person’s name (including the patronymic or matronymic form of the name), address or title (including the option to use no title) in the Irish language, the Minister may, after consultation with such (if any) Minister of the Government as the Minister considers appropriate having regard to the functions of the public body, prescribe the body for the purposes of this section.

(2) The Minister may, in prescribing a public body under subsection (1), specify the services offered or provided by the body in respect of which it is so prescribed.

(3) A public body that is prescribed under subsection (1) shall ensure that the information and communications systems, and any other systems (whether electronic or otherwise), that are used by the body in its communications with the general public, or a class of the general public, as may be appropriate, are configured in a manner that—

(a) permits a person’s name (including the patronymic or matronymic form of the name), address or title (including the option to use no title), in the Irish language, to be correctly recorded and used by such systems in relation to the services offered or provided by the body in respect of which it is so prescribed, and

(b) facilitates the use of the length accent in Irish language text.

(4) (a) The Minister shall, not later than 3 months after the commencement of section 4 of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021 and following consultation with such (if any) other Minister of the Government as the Minister considers appropriate, prepare and issue guidelines to assist public bodies in complying with their obligations under this section and under sections 9B, 9C and 9D.

(b) A public body shall have regard to the guidelines, if any, issued under paragraph (a) in complying with its obligations under this section and under sections 9B, 9C and 9D.

(c) The Minister shall, as soon as practicable, publish on the website of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht guidelines issued under paragraph (a).

(d) The Minister shall, at such intervals as he or she considers appropriate, revise guidelines issued under paragraph (a) and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to the preparation, issuing and publication of such revised guidelines as they apply to the guidelines first issued.]