Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

Ar dtúis, tugaim buíochas dos na Teachtaí go léir a tháinig isteach anseo inné agus inniu agus a labhair maidir leis an mBille. Aithním an dúthracht agus an dáiríreacht a bhí ins an méid a dúirt siad. Níl mé ag déanamh difir idir thaobh amháin den Teach agus an taobh eile de nó idir pháirtithe. Tháinig Teachtaí isteach agus dúirt siad amach ona gcroíthe, chomh soiléir agus chomh hionraic agus is féidir leo, an rud a shíleann siad féin ba chóir a dhéanamh. Cé acu a labhair siad i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla ní chuireann sé isteach ormsa ar chor ar bith. Tuigim go bhfuil daoine nach bhfuil cumas Gaeilge acu. Chuir an Teachta Buttimer a mhéar ar rud éigin an-thábhachtach, agus is fear é a bhfuil oideachas air agus Gaeilge aige ach, mar a dúirt sé féin, d'fhéadfadh sé a bheith níos fearr. Tá daoine eile a chuaigh tríd an chóras oideachais agus nach féidir leo Gaeilge a labhairt. Is comhartha é sin ar an teip atá ins an choras athbheochana ó bunaíodh an Stát. Dá n-éireofaí leis an chóras athbheochana ó bunaíodh an Stát ní bheinnse istigh anseo inniu mar Aire Stáit ag iarraidh Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge a chur i bhfeidhm fá choinne an bheagán cainteoirí dúchais atá ins an Ghaeltacht a choinneáil ansin agus cur leo. Ach cuirim fáilte roimh gach duine a labhair. Tháinig 20 Teachta ar fad, idir inné agus inniu, chun labhartha. Tá Teachtaí anseo a d'fhéadfadh a bheith sa bhaile i gContae na Mí, i gContae Chiarraí, i gContae Chorcaí ag amharc i ndiaidh a ndáilcheantair ach tá siad sásta fanacht anseo mar go bhfuil suim acu ins an ábhar seo agus ins an Ghaeilge agus go bhfuil rud éigin le rá acu. Mar sin, tugaim míle buíochas dóibh. Bhí an méid a bhí le rá siosmaideach agus ní raibh éinne ag iarraidh an cluiche polaitíochta a imirt. Bhí gach duine ag imirt an chluiche teanga.

Since I was appointed Minister of State I have travelled the country. Chuaigh mé go dtí na ceantair Gaeltachta ar fad agus chuaigh mé go dtí na ceantair nach bhfuil ins an Ghaeltacht. An rud a chuaigh ina luí orm níos mó ná aon rud eile, and I am not talking about the Gaeltacht as such, is the great sense of goodwill, support, sympathy and understanding that is in these areas for the Irish language.

Moreover, I have been around here for long enough to realise this was not the case 20 or 30 years ago but that things have changed. Perhaps it is because we now are members of the European Union, in which people hear other languages. I believe there now exists a recognition that we have something special that we wish to maintain and hand on to the next generation. Were I to introduce a Bill in this Chamber to abolish Irish altogether, I am unsure what would be the response. It might be more positive than the response I will receive on foot of this strategy. As I mentioned previously, I visited Clondalkin last Tuesday week, to name but one area. Similarly, I visited County Clare some weeks ago and Bantry some weeks before that. These are places which lie outside the Gaeltacht and I was really encouraged to see what is going on in such areas. There is a community in Clondalkin, encompassing Áras Chronáin, to which hundreds come every day and in which everything is done through the medium of Irish. No one ordered them to do it and no Government edict asked them to do it but it simply has come from the people themselves. In addition, there are a number of schools there, both primary and post-primary, in which the medium is Irish. It is highly encouraging for someone like me, who comes from a Gaeltacht area, to see 1,200 pupils in an area outside the Gaeltacht pursuing their primary and post-primary education through the medium of Irish. I met one such person today who works for a newspaper and who conducted an interview through the medium of Irish although he was not from the Gaeltacht. This is what one wishes for and that is the kind of enthusiasm and support I wish to harness when implementing this 20-year strategy. It is not directed towards the Gaeltacht alone but also towards the non-Gaeltacht areas. As I stated earlier, I visited Bantry a number of weeks ago, where I had the honour and privilege of gaelscoil a oscailt go hoifigiúil. Ní baile Gaeltachta é Bantry ach tá scoil an-deas ann. It is a state-of-the-art school with approximately 200 pupils from the age of four up to 12 and the Irish language is natural to them. Although they do not live in the Gaeltacht, their parents decided this was the way their children should be taught, namely, through the medium of Irish. Moreover, having gone through that educational system, which only encompasses the primary sector, they will be fluent in Irish. This is going on in many parts of the country. I mentioned one school in Bantry but there is not a city or county in Ireland that has not one gaelscoil or more. I see great signs of encouragement outside Gaeltacht areas.

An príomh rud a bhí sa straitéis 20 bliain don Ghaeilge ná go gcaithfimid pleanáil teanga a chur i bhfeidhm. We can talk about rudaí atá ag teacht isteach ach is é an príomh rud atá sa straitéis, chomh fada agus a bhaineann sé leis an Ghaeltacht, ná ceantair pleanála teanga a chur ar bun. Is é an príomh rud atá sa Bhille go mbeidh 19 gceantar pleanála teanga ar fud na Gaeltachta agus go mbeidh sé de fhreagracht ar Údarás na Gaeltachta cuidiú leis na pobail ansin plean teanga a ullmhú agus spriocanna, cuspóirí agus aidhmeanna a leagan síos. Caithfidh siad a bheith inghlactha ag an Roinn. Beidh comhairle agus cuidiú agus tacaíocht le fáil ó Údarás na Gaeltachta, a bhfuil eolas 30 bliain aige ar chúrsaí Gaeltachta. Beidh cuidiú agus tacaíocht le fáil ón Roinn agus ó oifigigh na Roinne, atá ag déileáil le cúrsaí Gaeltachta le 57 bliana. Beimid ag iarraidh ar an phobal ceannaireacht agus úinéireacht a ghlacadh ar na pleananna.

The plans will be theirs, and the Government will give them every assistance and help. I acknowledge the situation is critical, in that between 96,000 and 97,000 people live in Gaeltacht areas, of whom 23,000 or one in four speak Irish every day. If this is allowed to continue, we will be in serious trouble, as the suirbhé teanga or linguistic survey has indicated, within 15 to 20 years. When I came into office, I told myself this problem must be addressed.

I acknowledge the work of the officials in my Department and Údarás na Gaeltachta and of everyone else who has been of assistance in bringing this Bill before the House. The Bill is crucial and will have serious implications for the language in the Gaeltacht areas and the country in the years ahead.

Mention has been made of acmhainní, or resources. Tá acmhainní teoranta againn. Luaigh Teachtaí James Healy, Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, Clare Daly, Dara Calleary, Éamon Ó Cuív, Joe Higgins, Peadar Tóibín agus eile na hacmhainní. Tá acmhainní an-thábhachtach. Dúirt mise an rud céanna nuair a bhí mé ar an taobh eile den Teach. Tá géarchéim eacnamaíochta ins an tír agus caithfimid gníomhú taobh istigh des na hacmhainní atá againn. I mbliana, tá €60 milliún curtha ar fáil ar mhaithe le cur chun cinn na Gaeilge. I reiterate that €60 million has been made available this year for the promotion of Irish, both within and outside the Gaeltacht. Moreover, this excludes €500 million I understand is provided by the Department of Education and Skills to promote Irish in the education system.

Tá TG4, teilifís na Gaeilge, agus na tréimhseachán againn. Sin an-chuid airgid. Bhí comhráití agamsa le príomhfheidhmeannach Údarás na Gaeltachta inniu. Tá an t-údarás ag glacadh an dúshláin.

The údarás is delighted it now has a challenge to go out among the people and communities of the Gaeltacht. It considers that with the limited resources available, it will be able to make a significant impact with these schemes. I have been assured and reassured that with the limited resources available, as long as they are spent in the right way, there will be a return on these resources that will be of benefit to the language in the Gaeltacht areas.

An dara rud ná Údarás na Gaeltachta agus daonlathas.

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