Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Ós rud é nach bhfuil ach trí nóiméad agam, ní féidir liom ach sciuird ghasta a thabhairt ar na Meastacháin, i leith na Gaeilge agus chúrsaí dlí agus cirt ach go háirithe. Is trua nach bhfuil níos mó ama agam.

Tá sé scannalach nach bhfuil ach ardú 1% ag dul d'Fhoras na Gaeilge, eagras ar oibir mé dó roimhe seo. Is ardú suntasach ar chóir dúinn a thabhairt don eagras sin, ach go háirithe mar gheall ar an obair mhór atá roimhe. Ba cheart dúinn smaoineamh go raibh sé geallta ag Rialtas Shasana go mbeadh Acht Gaeilge ann do na Sé Chontae amach anseo agus an obair bhreise a thiocfadh don Fhoras dá réir. Is é píonós do na heagrais phobail a oibríonn leis an Ghaeilge a bheadh i gceist leis an ghearradh siar seo, mar tá ardú 1% cosúil le gearradh siar mar gheall ar an ráta boilscithe, atá ag rith ag breis is 4%. Tarlaíonn sé seo in ainneoin na ngealltanas a tugadh do na heagrais Ghaeilge nuair a d'aistrigh an Dáil deontais chuig an Fhoras.

Fáiltím roimh an ardú suntasach sa deontas do TG4, ach feictear dom nach leor é nuair a fhéachaim ar an sórt sceidil atá á chur ar fáil aige agus ar mhaith leis a chur ar fáil amach anseo.

The Tánaiste's right-wing priorities and disdain for justice and human rights are crystal clear in the Estimates for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The so-called Independent Monitoring Commission, a politically biased body established outside and in breach of the Good Friday Agreement, is to receive another €1.5 million in funding next year, which shows the Government's faith in the St. Andrews Agreement, whereas the Human Rights Commission, a body established on foot of the Good Friday Agreement and tasked with advocating respect for human rights of 4.2 million people in this State, is to receive just €2 million. The Human Rights Commission needs significantly greater resources if it is to carry out its large remit.

We were promised that the Garda Ombudsman Commission would also be fully operational in January 2007. However, the Estimates contradict that promise. The completely ineffective and unacceptable Garda Complaints Board, which should be winding down next year, is being given an increase. If the Garda Ombudsman Commission is to be properly funded next year, why is it receiving virtually the same amount of money that it received last year, when it was inoperative? This does not instil confidence that the target of 1 January 2007 will be met. That is a great pity because the commission is obviously needed. Furthermore, if the Garda Ombudsman Commission is to have any opportunity of being effective and realising its potential, the €10 million provided will not be adequate. The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland receives an additional €500,000 over and above that amount but the Garda Ombudsman Commission will be responsible for overseeing a force which is almost twice the size of the PSNI, which is responsible for a geographical area that is nearly three times the size of that of the North of Ireland and which must deal with a population that is three times the size of that which obtains in the North.

Where are the additional funds for the civilianisation of An Garda Síochána, its operations and its stations? Priority is being given to doubling the number of fully trained crime fighters who are being deployed on traffic duties.

I again wish to raise questions with regard to the Secret Service Vote, which, for the fifth successive year and despite it having a significant surplus annually, will increase. The Minister must indicate why some of these bizarre funding decisions continue to appear in the Estimates, with no one being held accountable for them.

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