Mr. David Leahy:

Trí Bhéarla, más é do thoil é, to clarify, I did send a statement in trí Ghaeilge. I did not know that I would be able to use headphones and thought I would have to speak trí Ghaeilge freisin. Níl mé líofa and therefore I would not be able to express all my thoughts trí Ghaeilge and so I am availing of the opportunity I was told about to use a translation service. The Deputy has met me before and she knows that I am not líofa but that I do have a suim mór sa Ghaeilge. What our ETB does vis-à-vis the Irish language compares very favourably with other ETBs. Could there be more done? Of course there could be. There always could be and I accept that too.

I have never spoken about the person who was appointed. Others have, but I never have. The person has not taken up their position yet and will not do so until the end of the first week in August. I will speak about the person then. The person, like me, has their leaving certificate in Irish. I also have my ceard teastas from teaching and I did the agallamh I had to do to be appointed as chief executive. I have a certain standard but I do not have the standard I would wish to have. Therefore-----