Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

Whether it was Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla nó ag leibhéal na hEorpa, thug muid i gcónaí tacaíocht don Rialtas, cé go raibh muid thall ansin. Ní dhearna sé aon difríocht, thug muid an tacaíocht i gcónaí ón taobh sin den Teach. Mheas muid i gcónaí go raibh an teanga ró-thábhachtach le scoilteadh uirthi. Cuireann sé isteach orm mar dhuine a bhfuil meas agam ar an teanga, mar dhuine de bhunadh na Gaeltachta agus mar dhuine atá anseo le tamall fada ag troid an chatha, cé acu ar an taobh seo nó an taobh eile den Teach, ar son na Gaeltachta agus ar son na Gaeilge. Tá a fhios agam go dtuigeann na heagraíochta Gaeilge sin. Na moltaí a bhí ag heagraíochtaí na Gaeilge, bhí siad ag dul i gcoinne rationale an Bhille ar fad. Bhí cinneadh déanta ag an Rialtas faoi dhó, agus na moltaí a bhí déanta, bhí siad ag dul in éadan spiorad an Bhille mar atá. Sin an t-aon ábhar nár scoilt muid i riamh uirthi agus mé istigh anseo, an Ghaeilge.

The second matter, as far as I recall, on which we never divided the House is the national question. When things got hot and heavy in this country, when democracy was under sustained pressure as never before and when politicians were attacked - some were killed - while doing their duty and working on behalf of democracy, it would have been easy to split the House on the national question but we never did so. We always put the national question ahead of mere political posturing. I hope that what happened here this morning is not simply something as base as political posturing. We had the opportunity to discuss this Bill on Friday last but while the Government managed to keep the debate going for a few hours, it eventually collapsed because no speakers were put forward by the Opposition. I find it difficult to understand the strategy of walking out which the Opposition has adopted today.

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