Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Mar Aire Stáit do ghnóthaí Gaeltachta, cuirim fáilte roimh an cháinaisnéis a fograíodh inné agus roimh an leithdháileadh atá beartaithe do ghnóthaí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta agus oileán as an Roinn Ealaíon, Oidhreachta, Gnóthaí Réigúnacha, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta don bhliain 2017. Tá €46.736 milliún ar fáil don Roinn sa bhliain 2017 do ghnóthaí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta agus oileán agus chomh maith le sin cuirfear €13.239 milliún ar fáil don Fhoras Teanga. Ó thaobh an chláir sonrach sa Roinn, tá mé ag leathdháileadh €440,000 breise do scéimeanna tacaíochta Gaeltachta chun an Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht a chaomhnú agus a chur chun cinn agus ciste i measc tionscnaimh eile, do scéim na gcúntóirí teanga Gaeilge agus scéim na gcampaí samhraidh chomh maith leis na céadta eagraíochtaí pobail Gaeltachta.

Tá €250,000 breise ar fáil do scéimeanna tacaíochta Gaeilge a chuireann an Ghaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht chun cinn, ag maoiniú tionscadail teanga, cúrsaí ard-oideachais in Éirinn agus thar lear agus eagraíochtaí ar nós Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, Gaillimh le Gaeilge, Gnó Mhaigh Eo, etc.

Tá €250,000 breise ar fáil do Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge. Ina iomlán, €1.25 milliún atá ag maoiniú tionscnaimh ar nós pleananna teanga do bhreis is fiche pobail agus tionscnaimh chun Gaeilge a chur chun cinn i dteicneolaíocht, san áireamh meaisín aistriúcháin teicneolaíochta, plean teanga gníomhachta RTÉ, réamhscolaíocht Gaeltachta agus seirbhísí iarscoile. Tá €60,000 breise ann do oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga. Tá €1 milliún breise i maoiniú caipitil d'Údarás na Gaeltachta agus i rith 2016, rinne mé leithdháileadh freisin de €2.4 milliún do mhaoiniú caipitil breise d'Údarás na Gaeltachta. Tá €9.275 ann milliún le cabhrú le pobail oileán. Is éard atá sa leithdháileadh sin ná €6.631 milliún i gcaiteachas reatha agus €2.644 milliún i gcaiteachas caipitil.

I compliment the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, on his plans for the housing sector because that is the main challenge the Government has, not only in our cities but in many of our smaller towns and rural areas. I have every faith that the plans he has put in place can be delivered not only in terms of the social housing targets for local authorities but to kick-start private developers into building houses. The incentives will stimulate the necessary level of housing for first-time buyers.

On taxation, I welcome the incremental lowering of the USC, which follows recent budgets and is designed to put money back in people's pockets. On social protection, I commend the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, on his work on pensions and the first increase in carers allowance since 2009 and in other disability payments, invalidity pensions and the provision of optical and dental benefits, as well as the increase in back to education allowances and the 85% Christmas bonus. I also commend him on fully restoring farm assist and on the provision of extra places on the rural social scheme, something I spoke to him about.

In education, I welcome the extra 2,400 teachers who have been recruited, the 900 resource teachers and the 115 SNAs nationally in 2017. There has been a €36 million investment in third level education, which is part of €160 million invested in higher education. Hopefully, my local universities, NUIG and GMIT, will be able to benefit from that.

In agriculture, I commend Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, on the sheep scheme which is very important for the west, and his innovative loan scheme which will help farmers with cashflow and short-term challenges faced particularly in the harshest of winters. I commend both Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Noonan on the budget.

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