Ms Cathy Ní Ghoill:

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an gceist. Tiocfaidh mé isteach go sciobtha ar sustainability agus na hoifigigh forbartha. The Senator asked about whether there were development officers. There are on the majority of the islands. I am one and Ms Moran is another. In Gaeilge-speaking areas, this is funded through Údarás na Gaeltachta, the semi-State body for employment and job creation in Gaeilge-speaking areas, both islands and the mainland. However, Údarás na Gaeltachta is underfunded. It does an excellent job, but it needs funding from the Government to implement its plans. It has supported the islands' development officers and comhar cumanns since the 1970s. Without it, we would be in major trouble. It makes a significant difference. Without development officers and that lobbying group on the islands, we would be in an even bigger dilemma than we are.

We have been firefighting for the past ten years. All we need is the hat and the hose. We have been battling to keep services when we could have been putting our time and resources into new projects and developments. While we have done that as well, we should not have had to spend so much of our time trying to save services that should not have to be saved. They should be taken as a given.