Mr. Stiofán Ó Cúláin:

We thank the committee for this opportunity to appear before it to discuss Údarás na Gaeltachta’s audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2013. Accompanying me are two members of our management team, Gearóid Breathnach, the financial controller, and Séamus Mac Eochaidh, the enterprise and employment manager. I will give the committee an overview of the work of Údarás na Gaeltachta as well as a brief synopsis of the possibilities and the challenges facing us in the future.

It has been recognised for some time that stabilisation of the economic base through the creation of employment is the best way to preserve the population in the Gaeltacht and that this, in turn, is the foundation for achieving the preservation and extension of the language, which is central to the 20-year strategy for the Irish language. Údarás na Gaeltachta client companies created 611 new full-time jobs last year. At year end, total employment in Údarás client companies stood at 7,650, of which 6,969 were full-time jobs and 680 were part-time jobs. Significantly, 2013 saw the lowest rate of job losses in 30 years in Gaeltacht client companies.

The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General has audited the financial statements of Údarás na Gaeltachta for the year ended 31 December 2013 under paragraph 18 of the Údarás na Gaeltachta Act 1979. The Comptroller and Auditor General has expressed the opinion that the financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with applicable law. There was nothing to report in regard to those matters upon which reporting is required by exception.

Údarás continued in 2014, and will continue in 2015, to fund a range of enterprise development and employment creation initiatives, with particular focus on aquaculture, fish processing, life sciences, food, tourism and creative enterprises, including media, arts, and language and culture-based sectors. The language planning process will continue, and a range of community and local development programmes will be supported, which have the objective of upskilling and building capacity at community level in a range of enterprise and language planning initiatives.

Particular emphasis has been placed on the development of our natural resources, which are found in abundance along the Gaeltacht coastline. To develop the seaweed industry, for example, significant new investment and the acquisition of new scientific expertise and marketing ability is required. This was the primary driver of the decision to sell our seaweed processing subsidiary company, Arramara Teoranta, to an investing company which has the resources and the expertise to develop the sector properly and create value added products and new employment in the Gaeltacht.

The Údarás board and staff have the capability and motivation to create more employment and to initiate a language planning process in the Gaeltacht if the appropriate resources are available to us for this purpose. Specifically, it is possible to create up to 1,000 additional jobs over a period of five years and to increase the use of Irish as a vernacular language by 25% over a period of 20 years with the appropriate budget and the necessary infrastructure being provided, especially high-speed broadband at affordable cost and ready-to-occupy enterprise accommodation, and having an appropriate staff structure in place from 2015 onwards.

I acknowledge the continuing support of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, IDA Ireland, SOLAS and the Department of Social Protection in implementing our enterprise development programme in the Gaeltacht during 2013.