Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)

Níl aon recipes agam ach leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh ar aon nós. Tá an áthas orm seans chun labhairt ar an mBille. Is mór an trua é nach bhfuil mé chomh líofa is a bhí mé nuair a bhí mé ag freastal ar an mheánscoil. Throughout the debate, it has been said that when people leave school, they no longer feel the same onus is on them to speak the language. Bhí mé ag freastal ar ollscoil na Gaillimhe agus bhí seans agam an díoplóma sa Ghaeilge a dhéanamh. It stopped there I am afraid. Is mór an trua é, ach leanfaidh mé ar aghaidh ar aon nós.

We need to look back and remember where we were. Under the Fianna Fáil-led Administration, there was prolonged speculation as to what would happen with Údarás na Gaeltachta. There was talk of abolition or, if not abolition, serious, if not radical, dilution. The McCarthy report recommended the transfer of the agency's enterprise development remit within the Gaeltacht to Enterprise Ireland. In any event, the former Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, had overseen an 80% reduction in the capital budget of Údarás na Gaeltachta by comparison with the 14% reduction in the case of Enterprise Ireland. It is worth remembering the position we were in.

The remit of Údarás na Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta, as it was to become under Deputy Ó Cuív's interpretation of the 20-year strategy for the Irish language, was to cover the whole country, a proposal that did not bode well for small Gaeltacht communities, such as An Rinn agus An Sean Phobal i bPort Láirge. The election of a new board for Údarás na Gaeltachta, due in 2010, was postponed indefinitely and the filling of the agency's CEO position was also put on hold. The current Government acted decisively to secure the agency's role as an economic and social development agency in the Gaeltacht areas of seven counties, including An Rinn and An Sean Phobal. The Minister of State is to be commended on his work.

Beginning with the Government's decision on 31 May 2011 and supplemented by recent developments, the Minister of State has been able to confirm that Údarás na Gaeltachta will, in addition to its important and enhanced cultural and social roles, continue as a business support and enterprise promotion agency in An Rinn, An Seana Phobal and designated parts of six other counties. It is right that Údarás na Gaeltachta will do this in co-operation with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. That a new CEO has been appointed at Údarás na Gaeltachta is welcome and arrangements are proceeding to constitute a new, reduced board.

The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Foras na Gaeilge will co-ordinate the promotion of the language in non-Gaeltacht areas, allowing for the possibility of service towns near Gaeltacht areas, for example, Dungarvan, to acquire special designation and support. This should be broadly welcomed. For a town like Dungarvan, which is both close and apart from the Gaeltacht, the proposed reforms will do much to encourage the language and the beautiful tapestry presented by Gaeilge na Mumhan and Gaeltacht na nDeise. It is an important move for all of the citizens of Port Láirge.

The definition of Gaeltacht areas will be based on local language planning, a relevant practice that is already ongoing in many communities like An Rinn agus An Seana Phobal. Opportunities will exist for areas or language networks outside of the Gaeltacht so that the language can broaden. As Deputy Nolan mentioned, there are pockets of enriched areas where Gaeilge is the first language, but we need to do more to broaden it. Many of those who have been following the debate told me of their reluctance to speak the language because of the embarrassment of getting it wrong. Everyone needs to try and to use the cúpla focal and everyday terminology, which is something I try to do with my daughter at home. She is a great advocate for the language, long may it continue. Her mother stopped after her leaving certificate oral examination.

Small Gaeltacht areas like An Rinn agus An Seana Phobal have been important in the stimulation of employment. Compared with other areas, we have boxed above our weight. This is no more so than in the case of Nemeton Teo, a television production company that is going from strength to strength. It brings the old and the new together, namely, our Irish language and digital communication. The Setanta Sports channel is produced and broadcasted from our Gaeltacht. The company is a major source of employment and has been able to work in partnership with Waterford Institute of Technology in delivering an educational diploma in television and radio communications, thereby bringing a new generation of people to the language in their everyday work. This is commendable. I hope that the Minister of State will remember this example, as small Gaeltacht areas have a large role to play. In light of the David and Goliath position in which such areas find themselves, they often do more than others through the use of creative approaches towards promoting the language, creating employment opportunities, etc.

The Minister of State will visit our area this summer to open Coláiste na Mumhan, which has a long tradition of being the Gaeltacht for adults. Perhaps I should check into it to improve my language skills during the coming months. When the Minister of State visited An Rinn a few months ago, he saw the level of interest in the language, in job creation and in bringing together the new and the old.

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