Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuil me fíor-bhródúil bheith mar Éireannach tar éis dom éisteacht leis an gcur i láthair a rinne Cormac Ó Donnchú, Michael Dowling, Marcella Nic Niallaigh agus Carmel de Grae. Fair play dóibh agus nár laga Dia iad. Bíonn siad ag plé le cúrsaí cultúrtha, forbartha, teangan agus oideachais. Tá an tír seo ag rith go maith, le cúnamh Dé, ach tá imní mhór orm mar gheall ar an mhéid atá cloiste agus léite agam. Deirim le Ann Graham agus Hugh Creegan ón NTA go gcaithfear athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an bplean seo. Tá cúpla ceist agam. Mholfainn go ndéanfar athbhreithniú ar plean B, plean C agus plean D. Tá cúpla rud anseo mar gheall ar unintended consequences, cause and effect agus measure twice, three times, four times. Tá an obair atá á dhéanamh ag an dream seo mar eiseamláir den sórt tír - an sórt comhluadar agus an sórt daoine óga - go bhfuilimid ag iarraidh a fhorbairt anseo.

Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil an fhadhb seo ag cur as go mór dóibh siúd atá bainteach leis. Tá seans mhaith ann go ndúnfaidh sé scoileanna, club Na Fianna nó club Home Farm. I heard of Home Farm a long time ago because many lads and girls who grew up playing for the club represented the country and went on to play for clubs like Manchester United. Home Farm is even known in Connemara for what it does, agus nár laga Dia iad. My background is very much in the GAA space.

Ms Meehan made the very good suggestion that the public consultation process be extended because many believe they did not have a proper chance to engage. Will the delegates confirm that it is possible to extend the consultation process to give people a reasonable amount of time to engage? I plead with them not to go ahead with plan A in its current format.

I looked up statistics from the Central Statistics Office on the population in the Glasnevin-Drumcondra-Mobhi Road, general Phibsboro and Ballymun area, that Na Fianna club covers. One is talking of the region of 200,000 people. That is more than the population of County Mayo, and there is only one football pitch. Imagine that for the whole population of Mayo. The biggest challenge in Dublin is that there are not enough facilities for young people to go out and enjoy themselves. Only for the volunteerism of those people, our education system would break down, and I am say that with huge respect for our teachers. I was a teacher myself. The greatest impact on my life was not entrepreneurship or anything like that but the classroom. I would say to not only listen but to enable those communities that are here and are fully engaged.

I suggest that the Chair, on behalf of the committee, takes up the offer to visit the facilities and meet the people there. I propose also, if it is acceptable to the committee, that we invite these people back over the coming months in regard to plans B, C and D and get feedback so this is not just a one trick pony, or just one meeting.

Ná laga Dia sibh, go raibh maith agaibh agus leanaigí ar aghaidh leis an dea-obair.