Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leis na haíonna as ucht an méid a chur siad os ár gcomhair inniu. B'fhéidir go bhfuil sé ait go bhfuil tuiscint ar leith agam maidir le scoileanna Gaeltachta cé go dtagaim ó mBaile Átha Cliath.

Tá tuiscint ar leith agam maidir le scoileanna Gaeltachta. D'fhreastail mé ar thrí cinn acu ar feadh tréimhse difriúla, Scoil Dhún Chaoin ar feadh tréimshe cuibheasach fada nuair a bhí raic ann agus sinn ar lorg aitheantais don scoil sin ach go háirithe. D'fhreastail mé ar an Muiríoch agus Baile an Fheirtéaraigh mar chuid de chúrsa trí mhí sa Ghaeltacht ag Gael Linn, rud a bhí an-mhaith ag an am.

Tuigim féin ach b'fhéidir nach dtuigeann a lán daoine eile na deacrachtaí ar leith atá i gceist. Tá roinnt de na deacrachtaí sin ag gach uile scoil bheag. Tá deacrachtaí ar leith maidir le scoileanna Gaeltachta. Tá siad leagtha amach go maith ag an eagraíocht. An dualgas breise go háirithe, áfach, ní raibh a fhios agam fiú gur ann dóibh agus is fiú a chraobhscaoileadh níos mó. Aontaím gur drochlá a bhí ann nuair a glacadh an cinneadh is déanaí maidir le ciorruithe. Tá sé go maith go bhfuil na finnéithe os ár gcomhair, is trua nár éirigh linn iad a thabhairt os comhair an choiste roimh seo chun díriú isteach air seo.

D'fhreagair an tUas Loftus roinnt de na ceisteanna a bhí agam maidir le líon na múinteoirí agus cén méid a chaill post. B'fhéidir go mbeidh a fhios acu trí amharc ar na figiúirí cén méid a chaillfidh post sa bhliain atá romhainn. Dúirt an tUas Loftus go bhfuil sé phost caillte cheana féin agus glacaim go mbeidh níos mó agus i roinnt cásanna, beidh scoileanna á ndúnadh dá thairbhe sin.

He said that everybody is being asked to do more for less. That would be fine if the playing field were level but it is not because there is a specific statutory responsibility, which was outlined today, for Gaeltacht schools. It is not a level playing field and that is not just because these are small, isolated schools but because other supports are required. As a parent whose children go to a Gaelscoil in the city I can see the need for text books at primary and secondary level at the same time as the English medium books are published. Often the Irish language textbooks appear two or three years after the curriculum has changed or even later. There are schools which are still working with photocopies. They are the additional challenges that face Irish language schools, whether Gaelscoileanna or Gaeltacht schools. Go raibh maith agaibh as an méid a dúirt sibh go dtí seo. Tá súil agam go mbeidh éisteacht ceart ón Aire agus ó na hoifigigh.

Mr. Loftus mentioned a review. I cannot see the logic of this review happening after the fact rather than before it. It is in the nature of this and previous Governments to cut first and then examine the consequences or problems. If the review was carried out and the Department could stand over a cut we could argue on a different level. It seems illogical that the Department studies it after the fact and might end up having to row back on it.