Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 25:

In page 22, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “(1A) The chairperson and at least one other member of the Commission will be competent in the use of the Irish language.”.

The intention of this amendment is to ensure that some of those who are on the coimisiún have competency in the Irish language, given that coimisiún na meánwill not just be dealing with the English-speaking media, but also with Irish language media. As the Minister has stated, there is an increase in Irish language media, particularly in light of the increased investment in TG4. I have hopes for Raidió Rí-Rá in this regard. I also hope that more work will be done by RTÉ to fulfil its duties and responsibilities. It would be a sad day if we set up Coimisiún na Meán without ensuring that its chairperson and at least one other member of its board - I hope that there would be more than one such member - were competent in the use of Irish. Ensuring competence would reflect some of the intention of the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, under which there is a duty on the State to encourage various boards to promote the Irish language. In this case, it would be more than just encouragement. There should be a duty to ensure that an coimisiún can hear and take evidence and examine matters raised with it in Irish, which would prevent it from ending up like other State bodies where there have been delays because complaints, reports and communications were made in Irish.

Sin an fáth gur chóir glacadh leis na leasuithe seo. Níl sé i gceist againn go mbeadh cáilíocht ó thaobh na Gaeilge de nó inniúlacht sa Ghaeilge mar dhualgas ar chuile dhuine de na coimisinéirí nó chuile dhuine ar an bhfoireann. Cheana féin, de thairbhe Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla, beidh ar 20% d’fhoireann an choimisiúin, nó dóibh siúd a bheidh á n-earcú amach anseo, a bheith líofa sa Ghaeilge. Tá muidne den tuairim gur chóir go mbeadh sé sin ann ó thús, seachas fanacht ar an gcoiste comhairliúcháin atá ag an Aire agus an dáta deiridh atá ann sula dtarlóidh sé sin in 2030. Tá na trí leasú seo gaolta lena chéile. Ní hamháin an cathaoirleach agus baill an choimisiúin ach an fhoireann atá i gceist chomh maith.