Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will take this question in English because I want the senior Minister to answer, if possible. Irish is a massive part of our heritage. It is rich in vibrant history, literature and thought, and it is as rich as the language of any country in Europe. It is a key part of the diversity of this planet. Language is a structure of thought and if we lose those structures of thought, the world is a poorer place as a result. Irish can be part of our future. Thousands of families are struggling to raise their families through Irish but they are meeting a State that enforces compulsory English on them. In other words, it does not allow them to fulfil their everyday lives in their chosen language. That language, Irish, and the Gaeltacht are key elements of the Minister's political responsibility in her Department. To date, as I understand it from a reply to a parliamentary question to the Department, the Minister has met just two Gaeltacht organisations, one of them at a drop-in event in Buswells Hotel, which was a half-hour meeting. Unless the senior Minister responsible for an issue is fully enveloped in all of the complexities of the issue, it is impossible for that senior Minister to make those arguments at the Cabinet table and to fight for the funding that is necessary - the funding that the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, and I have discussed. What steps will the Minister take to envelop herself in the work of those community organisations, which are just waiting to engage with her?

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