Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh gach cainteoir, go háirithe roimh fhoireann Mhaigh Eo: Kevin Kelly, Catherine McConnell agus Tomás Ó Giollagáin. Feicim go bhfuil Danny O'Toole ar an nguthán freisin. Part of our role involves ensuring services are delivered in Irish to both Gaeltacht communities and Irish-speaking communities. In each of the local authorities, is there someone in the planning department who could manage an application as Gaeilge? Would I, as a resident or potential resident in a Gaeltacht area, or as someone who uses Irish as my primary language of day-to-day work, be able to complete a planning application with any of the councils entirely trí Ghaeilge?

Tá sé suimiúil nach bhfuil Gaeilge ag a lán de na daoine ar an gcomhrá anseo, seachas oifigigh na Gaeilge. Ní sheasann sé sin go maith i gcomhthéacs na n-aidhmeanna atá ag na hudaráis áitiúla an Ghaeilge a spreagadh. It is interesting that it was the Irish language officers who were in some cases giving the presentations today. All of the county development plans have aspirations about promoting Irish and there is certainly a fantastic programme in Mayo County Council on Irish and on using Irish education. I did something back in 2018.

How useful is that in terms of delivering the services? That is also part of our remit.

Mr. Kelly referred to how the Mayo Gaeltacht does not really come under areas under severe urban pressure. Obviously, it is an issue in Galway and probably less so in Donegal. What kind of consideration is given by the seven local authorities in which there are strong Gaeltacht areas? Do these authorities ever meet collectively or cohesively to discuss what they can do as a unit to promote Irish language services and planning within an area?

In that context, what about an area in the Gaeltacht that is under severe pressure to maintain Gaeilge as a living language and a language of day-to-day use? A planning application may tip the pressure in a negative direction, were it to proceed. What kind of collective action is taken? It is the flip side of being under severe urban pressure. Is any consideration given to a Gaeltacht area under severe pressure, where a planning application might change that?