Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Údarás na Gaeltachta has had record years with regard to the employment it has created. I can provide, in tabular form, the progress the Department has made in reversing some of the financial difficulties that there were for the medium of the Irish language. One thing that is really important, which I take from Deputy Tully's question, is that somebody who has an interest in the Irish language is not afraid to raise it in the medium of English. As somebody who has had to relearn it on three different occasions, including when I went to college and now again, I think it is as important for people who have an interest in the Irish language in this House to feel that they can raise it through the medium of English. They currently feel that they have to be able to raise it through the medium of Irish. It is refreshing to hear a Deputy come in and give her experiences in her own constituency and maybe challenge me and some of the factual inaccuracies, which I will reply to with a written answer, about the funding this year. It is refreshing to hear that because I think if more Deputies did that, it would give heart to an awful lot of people who feel that they cannot raise the issue of their native language because they have that easpa muiníne.

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