The Minister said also that the agreement secured recently at Council opens up the possibility of valuable career opportunities in EU institutions for Irish language speakers over the next few years and in order to facilitate the preparation of suitably qualified applicants for current and future competitions, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will continue to fund the provision of specialist Irish language courses through the Advanced Irish Language Skills Initiative.

The opportunities are listed below.

Irish Language Linguistic Assistants
EPSO, the European Personnel Selection Office, is inviting applications for the first of these competitions, Irish Language Linguistic Assistants until 31 May 2016. Linguistic Assistants in the EU with Irish as a first language, provide linguistic and administrative assistance for both the language and the lawyer-linguist services in Brussels and Luxembourg. A total of 14 positions will fall to be filled in 2016, most of which will be based in Luxembourg. The posts are open to applicants with either a third level qualification or a secondary level qualification plus three years appropriate administrative experience. An excellent command of Irish with either English, French or German as a second language is also required. The salary scale for these positions starts at €2,675 per month and rises to €3,027. Successful candidates may also qualify for additional allowances depending on their personal circumstances.

Irish Language Translators
Application for the second competition, Irish Language Translators, will be open from 9 June until 12 July 2016. Up to 62 positions based in Brussels and Luxembourg may be filled from this competition. This competition is open to university graduates (including those graduating before 31July 2016) with excellent language skills or a degree in translation. Candidates will be required to have an excellent command of Irish and a thorough knowledge of at least two other official EU languages (including English, French or German). The salary scale for these positions starts at €4,384 and rises to €4,960. Successful candidates may also qualify for additional allowances depending on their personal circumstances.

The Advanced Irish Language Skills Initiative was established by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in 2006 as a response to an identified need to increase the numbers of graduates with skills in specific areas in the context of the Official Languages Act 2003 and Irish becoming an official and working language of the EU. Following a review of the Initiative in 2015, it was decided to target resources at the training of graduates for employment in the EU institutions. The provision of qualified persons with Irish language skills to meet these recruitment needs is being achieved through this initiative, under which the Department provides funding for a range of specialised third-level Irish language courses in Ireland in areas such as translation, interpretation and law. The fund is administered by the Department in conjunction with the Higher Education Authority. 

For further information contact the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Tel: 087 6737338/ (01) 631 3807/ 3838/ 3848 (direct)