Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 9 October 2014

Public Accounts Committee

2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
2013 Annual Accounts of Údarás na Gaeltachta

11:35 am

Mr. Stiofán Ó Cúláin:

We have a very small but thriving Gaeltacht in Ring and Old Parish, as the Deputy said. I am very familiar with the area. As I worked out of our office in Dingle for seven years and also covered Waterford, I am familiar with the companies operating in it. That Gaeltacht area is very strong. The Irish language is very strong among the young people there, which is very encouraging. We have 130 people employed in our client companies there. The companies in question are very small. I am sure the Deputy is aware that the major employer is NemetonTV, originally a one person start-up company which is now doing very well. There have been four or five other start-up companies in the past few years and they hold their own when it comes to board meetings. They are well represented by the one full-time board member, Fiachra Ó Céilleachair. The Ring and Old Parish Gaeltacht is well looked after. At least once a month an officer from our Dingle office visits the Ring area. Our office in Cork also covers An tSean Phobail and An Rinn.