Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

I am sorry I do not have more time to develop this point. Ultimately, we need to consider everything we are spending on the Irish language and ask ourselves whether this is the best way to spend it and whether it could be better spent another way. Where we are spending money - I have my own views on this, as the Minister knows - and the objective is not being achieved, we should stop spending that money and put it somewhere else.

I welcome the report and compliment the sub-committee on it. I have discussed a small number of the recommendations. I believe it is important to drive the strategy. The recommendation that the Coimisinéir Teanga should have a role in monitoring and reporting on developments is important. The role of estimating how much we are spending on the language and how successful it is could be given in the first instance to the ESRI, perhaps in conjunction with the Coimisinéir Teanga.

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