Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

He understands the issues it has. If you are on Toraigh or Árainn Mhór, you are treated, effectively, like the rest of County Donegal. That is the issue. The unique nature and characteristics of that area are not taken into account. I want to make sure there are specific plans for those areas for the first time. There is a lot of potential in that because you are working with the local authority and communities around a normal, open process that would effectively create a development plan for a Gaeltacht area and an island, covering assessment of housing need - all of those things - and what needs to be done. We talked about economic development; I will not back over that. I do not believe it is for this debate to determine affording prioritisation for Irish-language speakers in certain areas. I put it to the Deputy that one would have to go back and redefine what the fíor-Ghaeltacht is now. Do we want to contract it further?

Right outside Galway city, Moycullen, Baile Chláir and places like that are working hard to increase the use of the language. There have been questions within the Irish language community as to the validity of some areas that are still designated as Gaeltachtaí, so there is a complexity around that that I think we all understand. I believe it is a matter of having a focus, taking into account the particular characteristics and the priority of these being Gaeltacht areas, on how we can develop this, tied into the development plan process in such a way that it is not just decided to put Carrowroe into the rest of Galway and whatever general objectives of the development plan apply there. That is the basis on which I will move forward and that is what I will come back with on Report Stage. Sin an méid.