Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleagues for supporting the proposal that I put to them last night and today. None of us should be in thrall to any lobby group on any issue and I am not speaking here on behalf of any particular group. I wish to get this exactly right.

The lobby groups in this case have said to us that they see difficulties in the drafting of the Minister's amendment that might have unexpected consequences. The consequences they outlined to us relate to a small number of schools, the principal of one of which I met yesterday, which a high number of native Irish speakers attend. It would be possible under the Minister's proposal that there would be so many children who would fulfil this criteria that some children, whose families speak Irish exclusively at home, could lose out. There is one school on the south side of this city where this is certainly a real worry.

We do not want to make Gaelscoileanna exclusive but it is reasonable that somebody who speaks Irish in the home would deserve priority. Frankly, that is easy to judge. A ten-minute interview would not be needed. It would probably be known straight away on meeting the family and hearing them talking to each other. One or two sentences would usually be enough. While the Minister's amendment is well intentioned and serves a great good that we try to make this as inclusive as possible, it could have an unintended effect of excluding certain Irish-speakers.

Táim anseo agus táim ag tacú leis seo, go háirithe le mo leasú féin, Uimh. 77, mar go gclúdaíonn an leasú sin na meánscoileanna agus na gaelcholáistí, rud atá tábhachtach freisin, chomh maith leis na bunscoileanna.

Níl mise anseo chun aon jab a dhéanamh ar son aon ghrúpa áirithe. Tá muidne go léir anseo chun jab a dhéanamh ar son na bpáistí atá sna scoileanna seo agus atá ag iarraidh freastail ar na scoileanna seo agus a bhfuil Gaeilge acu, agus go háirithe acu siúd atá Gaeilge acu sa bhaile. Tá sé sin an-tábhachtach gur féidir le scoileanna, más mian leo, tús áite a thabhairt do na páistí a bhfuil Gaeilge acu sa bhaile, agus Gaeilge líofa á labhairt acu sa bhaile ó lá go lá. Táim ag déanamh achainí ar an Aire gan dul ar aghaidh lena leasú féin, agus má dhéanann an tAire é sin, ní rachaimidne ar aghaidh lenár leasuithe agus is féidir linn cainteanna a bheith againn idir na hoifigigh, na grúpaí, agus muintir an fhreasúra anseo, chun go mbeidh leasú níos fearr, agus leasú gur féidir le gach duine aontú leis, agus gur féidir leis an Aire é sin a chur faoi bhráid an tSeanaid agus go mbeadh gach duine sásta leis. Ní dhéanfaí liathróid pholaitíochta as an ábhar tábhachtach seo dá bharr.

An t-aon rud atá muidne ag iarraidh a dhéanamh anseo ná go mbeadh an dlí ceart againn, an dlí is cothroime agus an dlí is cruinne againn. Níl aon dabht ach gurb í sin aidhm an Aire freisin. Mura bhfuil an tAire ag iarraidh aontú leis an togra a bhfuil mise ag cur os comhair na Dála, bheadh mise ag rá go mbeidh mise ag vótáil in aghaidh leasú Uimh. 75 agus ar son mo leasú féin, go háirithe leasú Uimh. 77. Measaim gurb é an rud is fearr ná go seasfaimid go léir siar agus go ndéanfaimid machnamh ar an ábhar seo roimh dul go dtí an Seanad leis, chun an jab is fearr a dhéanamh.

Níl mé ag déanamh aon cháineadh ar an Aire, ar na hoifigigh, ná ar an Roinn maidir leis seo, ach measaim go bhfuil pointe déanta ag grúpaí atá bainteach leis seo, agus go háirithe go bhfuil pointe an-tábhachtach déanta an ag bpríomh-Oide, i scoil i dtoghcheantar, Deputy Boyd Barrett. The principal of the school in Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett's constituency has made a very good point that there are some children who would go to that school who are fluent in Irish at home and who could possibly lose out because of this provision. That point is so important that it deserves further consideration.

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