Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy McHugh has already covered some of this but Foras na Gaeilge is only one aspect of Irish language funding. We also fund Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Gaeltachtaí and Gaeilge directly. A provision of €13.989 million was also funded in the 2017 Revised Estimates of the Department to fund the work of An Foras Teanga.

I accept what the Chairman says about the importance of blueways. The graving docks site at Grand Canal Docks is designated within city block 19 of the North Lotts and Grand Canal Dock SDZ. There are three graving docks on the site, two of which were excavated by Waterways Ireland in 2002 while the third remains infilled. These have not been used for ship building and repair for almost a century. There is also the extension of the Longford branch of the Royal Canal where Waterways Ireland published a feasibility study. The Chairman is correct that blueways are important and that funding should go to those waterways.