Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Táim an-sásta bheith anseo inniu chun labhairt faoi thosaíochtaí straitéiseacha na Roinne, maidir leis an spórt, leis an Ghaeilge agus leis an Ghaeltacht. At the outset I echo the comments of my colleague, the Minister in recognising the ongoing impact that the global Covid-19 pandemic and associated public health measures are having on the sports sector and on our Gaeltacht communities. Due to level 5 restrictions, there has been a long period in which we have experienced the effective cessation of all sporting activity. That was until yesterday when the return of more high-performance sports and training for adult inter-county GAA teams was announced. This is first of many positive changes we hope to see this year for the sports sector. From 26 April, our young people will be able to return to outdoor non-contact sports and dance training and outdoor sports facilities like golf courses and tennis courts will also reopen. This easing of restrictions will allow people to re-engage in sporting activities of these types once again, and they are an important support for our physical and mental well-being.

Across the Gaeltacht, businesses and communities alike have suffered a significant reduction in economic activity, job losses and a lack of tourist and educational visitors, all as a consequence of Covid-19. The Irish summer colleges sector, worth €50 million annually to the Gaeltacht economies, was unable to go ahead last year. In 2020, Údarás reported a net job reduction of 6% in full-time jobs in the Gaeltacht, the majority of which relate to tourism and related sectors. My Department is working with Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Irish summer colleges and other stakeholders to mitigate the risks to these communities and the language. I am very conscious of the need to protect employment in Gaeltacht regions in order to encourage native speakers to continue living and working in those regions.

Leanfaidh mo Roinn le tosaíocht a thabhairt d’fhorbairt fostaíochta inbhuanaithe i gceantair Ghaeltachta, rud a sholáthraíonn cosaint do phobail agus stór sábháilte dár dteanga dhúchais. Chuige sin, i mbuiséad 2021, tá leithdháileadh breise suntasach curtha ar fáil againn don Ghaeltacht agus don Ghaeilge, agus leithdháileadh os cionn €79 milliún d’earnáil na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge. Áirítear leis seo €31.8 milliún san iomlán chun cur ar chumas Údarás na Gaeltachta infheistíocht a dhéanamh i bpobail Ghaeltachta, agus laistigh de sin beidh €4.454 milliún breise i maoiniú caipitil a chuirfidh leithdháileadh caipitil iomlán de €14.45 milliún ar fáil don eagraíocht, ar méadú 45% é ar leithdháileadh 2020. Beidh an méadú 45% seo i gcaipiteal Údarás na Gaeltachta ina chuidiú leis an Údarás a chuideachtaí cliaint a chosaint ó thionchar iomlán Brexit agus na paindéime Covid-19.

Mar a luaigh mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire, an Teachta Martin, chomh maith le déileáil leis an ngéarchéim reatha seo, ní mór dúinn féachaint freisin ar an téarnamh ar fud ár n-earnálacha go léir. Maidir liomsa, tá mé tiomanta an t-am seo sa Rialtas a úsáid chun cur i bhfeidhm foriomlán na straitéise 20 bliain don Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn trí na gníomhartha atá sa phlean gníomhaíochta cúig bliana don teanga.

Mar chuid dár dtacaíocht leanúnach don Ghaeilge i 2021, rinneamar €1.3 milliún breise a leithdháileadh i maoiniú méadaithe don phróiseas pleanála teanga d’fhonn taca breise a chur faoi fhorbairt agus cur i bhfeidhm na bpleananna teanga, laistigh de na réigiúin Ghaeltachta agus go náisiúnta araon. Fágann sin gur €5 milliún é an leithdháileadh iomlán don bhliain 2021.

Maidir leis an teanga lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht, d’fhógair mé leithdháileadh breise €1 milliún chun scéimeanna tacaíochta teanga na Roinne a leathnú, chomh maith le hinfheistíocht €2 milliún i gcaipiteal chun ionaid Ghaeilge agus chultúir a fhorbairt ar fud na tíre.

Ba chóir dom a rá freisin, i dteannta an €79 milliún a leithdháiltear faoi chláir Ghaeltachta agus Ghaeilge na Roinne, go bhfaighidh TG4 méadú €3.5 milliún faoi chlár meán na Roinne, rud a fhágfaidh go mbeidh beagnach €41 milliún ina leithdháileadh don bhliain 2021. Léiríonn sé seo aitheantas ar rannchuidiú suntasach TG4 maidir le cur i bhfeidhm na straitéise 20 bliain don Ghaeilge.

Ó thaobh na reachtaíochta de, i 2021, déanfaimid an Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019, a chur chun cinn trí Thithe an Oireachtais chun úsáid na teanga laistigh dár n-earnáil phoiblí a fheabhsú tuilleadh.

B’fhorbairt dhearfach í atosú Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas, agus tugtar deis leis sin oibriú le comhghleacaithe i dTuaisceart Éireann agus sa chomhlacht teanga d’fhonn a gcláir oibre a sheachadadh amach anseo. Áiríodh i mbuiséad 2021 gealltanais maidir le maoiniú méadaithe €1.8 milliún do thionscnaimh Thuaidh-Theas, lena n-áirítear maoiniú do ghealltanais a thug an Rialtas faoin gcomhaontú Deich mBliana Nua, Cur Chuige Nua.

In terms of sport, our immediate priority will be to support sporting organisations and athletes in getting back to training and competing. The Department will continue to prioritise engagement with the sport sector, which over recent months has highlighted the significant adverse impact of Covid-19 at all levels of the Irish sporting landscape. A Covid-19 sports monitoring group, chaired at ministerial level, has been established to engage directly with the sporting bodies. An expert group on the return to sport, chaired by an official of my Department, has also been established to provide advice and guidance to sporting bodies. Sport Ireland is also directly engaging with sporting bodies on an ongoing basis.

As we recover from the current crisis, the Department will be working diligently with stakeholders across the sector to work out ways of meeting our target of 60% of the population participating in sport by 2027 and focusing on areas of gender diversity and inclusion. We are also committed to developing a high-performance strategy which will support and enhance Ireland’s position internationally. A third strand of our work for the future is to enhance the governance capacity of the sector in partnership with the national governing bodies and other stakeholders. We will also continue to improve the facilities available for everybody who wants to participate in sport through new rounds of the sports capital and equipment programme and progressing projects under the large-scale sports infrastructure fund.