Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh na finnéithe. Is iontach an rud é go bhfuil cothromaíocht inscne i gceist inniu. Gabhaim comhghairdeas leis an tseirbhís sa chomhthéacs sin. Is rud neamhghnách é dúinn bheith ag cur ceisteanna ar oifigigh Thithe an Oireachtas agus ag éisteacht le freagraí uathu. The witnesses are very welcome and I thank them for making an effort with the Irish language. Go raibh míle maith acu. B'fhéidir go mbeidh tuilleadh Gaeilge le cloisteáil sa ráiteas tosaigh an chéad uair eile.

Ag fanacht le sin, I turn to the Coimisinéir Teanga's report that was published today. I accept that Mr. Finnegan will not have had a chance to read it, nor have I. Nevertheless, the headline figures are extraordinary. Of 21,000 members of staff, 3% have a competency in Irish. I do not know whether Mr. Finnegan had a chance to hear that but they are the headline figures. Some 550 of 21,000 have a competency in Irish. I, too, have yet to read the report but the figure is 3% or less.