Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Gabhaim míle buíochas as ucht na gcáipéisí uilig a bheith ar fáil i nGaeilge. Is é an chéad uair a bhfuair mé cáipéisí i nGaeilge d'aon choiste. Tá siad léite agam. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis na finnéithe as sin. Tá a fhios agam go raibh an t-uafás oibre i gceist chun an méid sin a chur os ár gcomhair. Sin deireadh le na niceties. Tá cúpla ceist crua le cur agam. Bhí mé tógtha leis an méid imeachtaí atá faoin Roinn. Tá réimse leathan de thograí íontacha ann. Téann siad ó Údarás na Gaeltachta go dtí cúrsaí cultúir. Ba mhaith liom obair as lámh a chéile ach, ag an bpointe seo, tá ceisteanna le cur. Tosóidh mé le Solas - tógra gan solas maidir leis an gcúlra faraor géar. Is as Gaillimh mé féin agus táim taobh thiar de fhoirgnimh phoiblí, ach ní foirgneamh poiblí é seo anois. Is foirgneamh príobháideach é. Sin an fhadhb. Ní féidir smaoineamh ar aon ainm atá chomh mí-fheiliúnach ná Solas i gcomhthéacs an méid atá tarlaithe. I cannot think of a more inappropriate name in light of the history of this. I have to declare that I was on the council for a period of time and this is a difficult topic. Despite the word "Solas", there was an absence of light in the way this was handled. I will ask a few quick questions on it. As a councillor, I, along with a number of other councillors, struggled to ask questions about this. I will be coming back to this later in regard to Foras na Gaeilge and other projects. This is a small country, with small cities. Very often asking questions is not rewarded, which is what we have seen here at the Committee of Public Accounts. However, it is extremely important to ask questions.

In regard to art, which I will come back to, there is a perception that one is a philistine if one questions it. As somebody who has promoted the arts at all levels in my different roles, let me get that perception out of the way. The auditor of Solas finally gave up the ghost in 2016 or 2017, did he not?