Irish and Ulster-Scots central translation hub for the public sector

The New Decade, New Approach agreement was agreed and published in January 2020. A key recommendation in the Agreement was the establishment of a central translation hub to provide language translation services for the 9 Executive Departments, Arm’s Length Bodies, Local Government and Public Bodies.
The Irish and Ulster-Scots central translation hub for the public sector launched on 19 April 2021 and aims to provide a high quality translation service with a fast turnaround time to over 150 public sector clients in Northern Ireland.

Translation hub services

The hub offers services including:

Written translation

The hub can provide written translations for a variety of document types from basic letters and leaflets on services provided by public bodies to more technical documentation containing medical, health or legal terminology.

The hub can accommodate more advanced typesettings such as promotion leaflets which include photographs. Producing documents in a print-ready state with finished artwork.

Proof reading

The hub will provide a full proofreading service including checking the target document after setting against the original document and source language. The areas reviewed include terminology, spelling, grammar, style, paragraph breaks, line spacing, page breaks, bullet points, headings, punctuation, placing of images and text.

Transcription

The hub can arrange for third party contractors to undertake this work.

About the translators

For Irish language translations the hub uses professional trained translators who hold either a current Séala an Aistriúchán or Séal d’Eagarathóirí, Foras Na Gaeilge’s accreditation for translators and editors; or an equivalent postgraduate degree in Irish translation.

All Ulster-Scots translators used by the hub have significant experience translating documents into Ulster-Scots.

How to request a translation

The translation hub service operating times are 8am-8pm Monday - Friday

To request a translation, contact the hub by email translationhub@communities-ni.gov.uk or telephone:

8.00am - 5.00pm - 028 9051 5114
5.00pm - 8.00pm - 07977 115416 (This number should only be used when a document is less than 100 words and needs to be translated within two hours)

Please supply the following detail when logging your initial request:

organisation’s details including: name, telephone number and email address of key contract in your organisation seeking the translation
nature of translation (correspondence, business plan, technical guidance)
size of the document to be translated
date and time you require the translated document to be returned by
any other special requirements

Production time for the translation will usually depend on the number of words in the document. The exact time taken to complete a translation will be agreed with the hub before a translation is commissioned.