Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Céad fáilte roimh uilig. Meascfaidh mé mo chuid ráitís idir Bhéarla agus Gaeilge mar gurb í an Ghaeilge is nádúrthaí dom.

Ó thaobh Údarás na Gaeltachta de, deineadh roinnt líomhaintí an-tromchúiseacha ar ball maidir leis an ról a bhí ag an údarás ó thaobh díol Arramara Teoranta. Dúradh nár deineadh fógraíocht poiblí ar an díolachán. Dúradh nár iarr an t-údarás ach ar dhá chomhlucht tairiscint a chur isteach. Dúradh go raibh rud éigin neamhghnách a bhain leis an gcomhlucht as an bhFrainc, ó thaobh cúrsaí eitice de, a bhí go poiblí, go raibh fógraíocht neamheiticiúil déanta ag Acadian Seaplants maidir le comhluchtaí Éireannacha, nár scaoileadh comhluchtaí áirithe isteach sa bpróiséas díolacháin ach go dtí deireadh an phróisis agus go raibh bliain tugtha do Acadian agus don chomhlucht as an bhFrainc iarratas a réiteach ach nár tugadh don chomhlucht Éireannach ach 12 lá le hiarratas a réiteach. Dúradh gur iarradh airgead €2 mhilliún suas chun tosaigh. Má bhítear ag iarradh tairiscint a dhéanamh, caifear teacht chuig an mbord le €2 mhilliún agus ní raibh sé soiléir cé mhéad a chuir na comhluchtaí éagsúla ar an mbord. Dúradh, tar éis dos na chéad iarratais a bheith curtha isteach gur athraigh Údarás na Gaeltachta an córas marcála a bhain leis na hiarratais agus dúradh, mar a deirtear i mBéarla, that the lack of transparency was frightening.

Ba mhaith liomsa deis a thabhairt don údarás freagra a thabhairt air sin. Tá sé fíor-thromchúiseach mar líomhain. An bhfuil bunús ar bith leis? An bhfuil sé fíor? An mbeadh an t-údarás sásta na cáipéisí a bhain leis an bpróiseas tairisceana a chur os comhair an choiste seo? Tuigim go mb'fhéidir go raibh roinnt dintiúir a bhí faoi rún agus a bhain le cúrsaí iomaíochta, ach ó thaobh an phróisis scórála agus marcála, an próiseas a lean an t-údarás agus na céimeanna a thóg sé, an mbeifear sásta níos mó eolais cruinn a chur ar fáil don choiste le gur féidir freagra cuimsitheach a thabhairt ar na líomhaintí sin? Tá sé fíor-thábhachtach go ndéanfaí a leithéid.

B'fhéidir go bhfuil an t-údarás in ann soiléiriú a thabhairt ar céard go díreach atá díolta aige. Tuigtear dom gur leis an údarás go fóill na foirgintí i gCill Chiaráin. Dá bhrí sin, céard a cheannaigh Acadian? Cén seasamh atá ag an mbarántas atá sínithe ag Acadian le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta ó thaobh na soláthraithe eile muna bhfuil aon bhaint ag an údarás leis an gcomhlucht níos mó? Cén brú atá an t-údarás in ann a chur ar Acadian le haon rud a sholáthar do na comhluchtaí eile a bhí os ár gcomhair níos luaithe? Nach bhfuil Acadian in ann siúl ón tuiscint sin mar nach bhfuil aon smacht ar an údarás ar Acadian níos mó?

Ó thaobh ceadúnais de, an bhfuil an t-údarás mar eagraíocht ag smaoineamh ar iarratas a dhéanamh ar cheadúnas bainte feamainne do na ceantair éagsúla? De réir mar a thuigim, tá sé de chumhacht ag an údarás, mar eagraíocht Stáit, iarratas a dhéanamh, da mba mhian leis, ar an Roinn Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Aitiúil. An bhfuil aon machnamh nó aon phlé déanta ag an údarás leis an Roinn faoi sin? Dá mbeadh comharchumann áitiúil san iarthar ag smaoineamh ar iarratas a dhéanamh ó thaobh baint feamainne de, an mbeadh an t-údarás sásta tacaíocht a thabhairt do smaoineamh den chineál sin? Mar shampla, dá mbeadh na leads atá anseo ag bunú chomharchumann, an mbeadh ról ag an údarás i dtacaíocht a thabhairt? Dá mbeadh, cén tacaíocht a mbeadh sé sásta a thabhairt?

Cad iad na coinníolacha a bhí leis an gconradh a bhí ag an údarás le Acadian ó thaobh díol na comhluchta? Tá sé ráite go raibh barántas do na comhluchtaí eile. An bhfuil aon coinníolacha eile curtha leis an díolachán atá déanta ag an údarás?

Cén brabús glan a bhí ag an údarás as an díolachán seo? An bhfuil sé mar chuid den socrú atá déanta le Acadian go bhfuil an t-údarás ag cur deontaisí ar fáil ó thaobh forbairt ar ionaid i gCill Chiaráin nó in áiteanna eile, nó deontaisí fostaíochta nó eile? An bhfuil aon socrú déanta ar an gcaoi sin? Glacaim leis go mb'fhéidir nach n-inseofar dom cé mhéad a fuair an t-údarás ar an gcomhlucht ach an bhfuiltear in ann insint dom céard é an difríocht idir an méid atá an t-údarás ag fáil ó Acadian agus an méid a fhaightear má íoctar tada ar ais leo? An bhfuil aon brabús glan ag an údarás as seo?

I will just focus on Acadian, agus déanfaidh mé sin i mBéarla ó thaobh ómóis de. I welcome Acadian. As somebody who lives within three miles of Arramara Teoranta and whose family and friends have worked there for a very long time, I welcome any development in Arramara and I do not have any issue with the private company purchasing Arramara. I have said publicly that in my view the rights to harvest should be held by the harvesters and that there should be some mechanism whereby the private companies and all the players in the field should be able to negotiate with the harvesters, almost like a fair trade scenario. I have made that view clear from day one.

From what I have heard today there seems to be a sense that the witnesses are like the big bad wolf, that they belong to a very big multinational company coming in to squeeze the other players out of the market and that we should not expect anything else. We are told initially that the company will play ball with everybody but, bit by bit, the players will be squeezed and pushed out of the market, one way or another. The witnesses deserve an opportunity to counter that argument but that is the argument being put forward.

In a scenario where a co-operative or another entity were to be set up to represent the harvesters and it were to apply for a licence and be successful, would the company be willing to interact with it and to negotiate with it in collective bargaining? That is what they are considering.

We have heard that Garth Brooks has pulled out of five concerts in Croke Park because he did not get the licence he was looking for. Will Acadian Seaplants pull out of Cill Chiaráin if it does not get the licence it is looking for? This is a very serious question, believe it or not. Is it conditional on the licence being granted or will the company pull out if the licence is not made available?

Why has the company bothered buying Arramara because it is my understanding that it did not buy the actual facility, rather it just bought the shares in the company. Would it not have made more sense for the company to set up a different plant without any of the hassle with the history of Arramara and start afresh to tackle the competition in that way? What is the logic behind buying Arramara? I have asked údarás and I ask the witnesses what deal was done. What is the net profit for údarás from the deal?

Over the past year or two have there been negotiations on the licensing issue between the company or any of its agents with any Ministers? Has the company had negotiations with Ministers or talked to them about the regime in Canada and suggested it would be a good idea to have that type of regime here in Ireland? Mr. Deveau mentioned that a lack of regulation, if it is allowed to continue, would lead to the industry shutting down. I find that hard to take because the industry has not shut down in the past 73 years nor has it been regulated. I do not buy that argument, quite frankly. I would like to see a situation where Acadian can do well, can bring development to the whole industry, all along the west coast, but I also want to see the other players in the industry being given fair play. I have said from day one that my primary interest is that the right of the seaweed cutters and the individuals in the industry to cut seaweed in the traditional way must be the number one priority for us as legislators, and I will fight to ensure that happens. If it needs a process of negotiation whereby all the players sit down together and that needs to be done, I am happy to play any part I can in that process.