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

Tá maoiniú iomlán de bheagnach €58 milliún don Ghaeilge, don Ghaeltacht agus do na hoileáin, suas ó €55.5 milliún anuraidh. Is méadú de 4% é sin. Táim buíoch don Aire, an Teachta Madigan, as ucht na tacaíochta sin. Gheobhaidh Údarás na Gaeltachta leithdháileadh caipitil bhreise de €1 milliún, rud a thabharfaidh a bhunleithdháileadh caipitil go €10 milliún. Is méadú os cionn 11% ar 2019 é sin agus is é an bunchiste is airde le deich mbliana. Gheobhaidh Údarás na Gaeltachta €200,000 breise i maoiniú reatha do chomharchumainn Ghaeltachta freisin, rud a thabharfaidh le breis agus €1 milliún na méaduithe a cuireadh ar fáil don earnáil thábhachtach seo le trí bliana anuas. Táim sásta go raibh muid in ann é sin a dhéanamh ar feadh cúpla bliain anuas. Déanann an t-údarás obair fhíorthábhachtach trasna na nGaeltachtaí agus na n-oileán, agus táim fíorshásta go raibh muid in ann breis airgid a chur ar fáil dó. Beidh fáil ag Údarás na Gaeltachta ar mhaoiniú breise freisin má tharlaíonn Breatimeacht mí-ordúil. Gabhaim buíochas leis na hAirí, na Teachtaí Donohoe, Madigan, agus Humphreys, as sin. Beidh Údarás na Gaeltachta in ann tacaíocht a fháil ó dhá chiste de chuid na Roinne Gnó, Fiontar agus Nuálaíochta. Beidh comhpháirtíocht thábhachtach idir Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Fíontraíocht Éireann.

Rachaidh €500,000 breise i dtreo an phróisis pleanála teanga in 2020. Leanann sé seo na bearta a fógraíodh níos luaithe chun tacú leis an bpróiseas, lena n-áirítear infheistíocht shuntasach breise chun tacú le hearnáil na luathbhlianta, teaghlaigh, agus na healaíona traidisiúnta. Cinnteoidh leithdháileadh breise de €275,000 do 2020 soláthar leanúnach seirbhísí iompair riachtanacha do na hoileáin. Leanann an leithdháileadh breise go dlúth le bunú an choiste idirranna um fhorbairt oileán le déanaí.

Baineann an buiséad seo le bainistiú inbhuanaithe a dhéanamh ar an ngeilleagar agus ar an airgeadas poiblí, an geilleagar a ullmhú do dhúshláin an Breatimeacht, infheistiú i ngeilleagar ísealcharbóin agus cosaint a dhéanamh ar na daoine is laige inár bpobal. Beidh pacáiste caiteachais iomlán de €70 billiún sa bhliain 2020 trasna an Rialtais, an séú bliain as a chéile ina bhfuil méadú ar chaiteachas. Cuireann bearta an lae inniu an leibhéal is airde maoinithe ar fáil don fheabhsú leanúnach ar ár seirbhísí poiblí. Cuireann sé infheistíocht ar fáil dár n-aistriú go geilleagar ísealcharbóin agus déanann sé cosaint freisin ar na daoine is laige ó thionchar na cánach carbóin. Is é an Breatimeacht an baol is práinne agus is géire dár ngeilleagar. Tá pacáiste de bhreis agus €1.2 billiún curtha i bhfeidhm againn chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar an mBreatimeacht. Beidh suas le €650 milliún i gcaiteachas teagmhais ar fáil chun tacú leis na hearnálacha talmhaíochta, fiontair agus turasóireachta agus chun cuidiú leis na saoránaigh agus na réigiúin is gnóthaí a bhfuil tionchar ag an mBreatimeacht orthu. Beidh €365 milliún caiteachas breise coimirce sóisialta chun déileáil le bagairt na dífhostaíochta mar gheall ar an mBreatimeacht.

It is clear that the budget is focused on the possible disaster of a no-deal Brexit. Contingency funds have been put in place across those sectors that are most at risk, including agriculture, marine, tourism and business. Included in that is funding made available through the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation for IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. I have had a great deal of discussion in recent times about funding for Údarás na Gaeltachta with the Minister, Deputy Madigan, the Secretary General and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe. Údarás na Gaeltachta has an important role to play, so it is good news that it will be treated the same as IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland in terms of accessing emergency funds in the event of a no-deal Brexit to ensure that those jobs at particular risk in Border areas and companies with a high level of exposure due to their level of exports to the UK are catered for.

The budget provides for a 10% increase in investment in schools, houses, hospitals, roads and public transport. In education, the budget provides for 150 new mainstream teachers. I welcome the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh's reversal of changes that were made during the recession in respect of smaller schools. It is important that those changes are being reversed now that we can do so. The reversal will play an important role in the viability of schools in rural Ireland. The budget provides for more than 400 additional teaching posts to support those with special educational needs and more than 1,000 additional special needs assistants, SNAs.

The budget will support families of different types and ages across Galway and the west more widely through measures such as the increase in the living alone allowance. Widowed pensioners who are living alone and face proportionally larger bills will benefit from this particular increase. There will be an increase of €2 per week in the fuel allowance. The household benefits package will be broadened, the home care tax credit will increase, free GP care will be extended to children under eight years of age from next September and free dental care will be extended to children under six years of age. The medical card income threshold in respect of over 70s will increase and there will be a reduction in the monthly threshold for the drugs payment scheme. These are all positive changes that will benefit our citizens up and down the country.

I acknowledge the work done by my Department and across the Government on this budget. The overriding principle has been to prepare the country for the threat of a no-deal Brexit. That has been achieved. I commend the budget.

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