Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

Is é "lá na n-úitseach" an Ghaeilge i gcomhair Groundhog Day nó d'fhéadfaí an nath Fraincise déjà vu a úsáid maidir leis an méid atá foghlamtha againn ó thaobh an teanga sa bhuiséad seo. In ainneoin gur fógraíodh ardú i mbuiséad na Gaeilge, is léir go bhfuil roinnt cur i gcéill ar siúl ag Airí Fhianna Fáil agus Fhine Gael. Arís i mbliana, níl an t-airgead atá de dhíth á chur ar fáil do leithéidí Údarás na Gaeltachta, agus gan ach €2.5 milliún dó agus €2 milliún d'Fhoras na Gaeilge á chur ar fáil - sop in áit na scuaibe tar éis na mblianta d'easpa maoinithe agus géarchéim tithíochta agus theanga sa Ghaeltacht. In ainneoin go bhfuil an Rialtas ag rá gur chuala sé an teachtaireacht ón 25,000 duine a ghlac páirt san agóid CEARTA ar shráideanna na cathrach seo le déanaí, is léir nár chuala mar níl an maoiniú cuí á chur ar fáil chun cosaint cheart a dhéanamh ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus ar ár dteanga náisiúnta. Ní raibh tagairt ar bith do ghéarchéim tithíochta na Gaeilge sa bhuiséad seo in ainneoin agóidí BÁNÚ. Ní raibh tagairt ar bith don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais, don ghanntanas mór spáis, don ghanntanas múinteoirí ná don easpa Gaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí timpeall na tíre. Ní raibh tagairt ar bith do scéim labhairt na Gaeilge a thabhairt ar ais ná do phacáistí tarrthála do choláistí samhraidh atá i mbaol agus do na mná tí atá ar an ngannchuid ina lán ceantar anois, rudaí a chuir muid béim orthu i mbuiséad malartach Shinn Féin.

Ar an iomlán, ní raibh ach beartas nua de luach €11 milliún luaite don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht sa bhuiséad sin. Is ionann sin agus an méid airgid a bhí le caitheamh ar phone pouches anuraidh. Cén fáth go bhfuil an Rialtas ag maíomh go bhfuil sé ag caitheamh €30 milliún nua ar an teanga i mbliana? Déjà vu atá ann toisc go bhfuil an Rialtas ag déanamh athfhógartha ar mhaoiniú a bhí geallta aige cheana féin. Is in 2021 a fógraíodh an t-airgead chun lárionad Gaeilge a athchóiriú ar Shráid Fhearchair sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta, plean atá fógartha arís i mbliana. Fógraíodh €10 milliún chun Coláiste Lurgan i gConamara a athfhorbairt in 2023, plean eile atá fógartha an athuair i mbliana. Fógraíodh athfhorbairt ar Ché Inis Oírr i mí Lúnasa na bliana seo tar éis na mblianta agóide ag muintir na hoileáin agus ag an Teachta Dála áitiúil, Mairéad Farrell. Athfhógraíodh an togra sin agus an t-airgead a ghabhann leis arís sa bhuiséad seo. Dar ndóigh, fáiltímid roimh na gealltanais seo an athuair agus go mbeidh na tograí seo maoinithe i gceart cé gur fháiltíomar rompu roimhe seo, ach tá sé in am don Rialtas gníomhú dá réir agus iad sin a thógáil gan tuilleadh moille.

Fáiltímid roimh an ardú de €5 milliún do TG4 ach ba chóir go mbeadh i bhfad Éireann níos mó ná sin curtha ina threo mar tá muidne agus é féin tar éis a léiriú go bhfuil gá le i bhfad Éireann níos mó chun gur féidir le TG4 cur leis an méid atá ann cheana féin agus seirbhís nuachta neamhspleách ó RTÉ a chur ar fáil. Dar ndóigh, ní luaitear sa bhuiséad seo aon rud maidir le stáisiún raidió Gaeilge don óige. Cúig oiread níos mó i mbeartais bhreise ná mar atá fógartha ag an Rialtas, €74 milliún, a bheadh á fhógairt ag muidne i Sinn Féin dá mbeadh muidne sa rialtas. Leag muid amach conas é sin a dhéanamh. Is anuas ar na gealltanais a bhí sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta é sin. Bheadh i bhfad Éireann níos mó fógartha againn maidir leis na healaíona agus cultúr na hÉireann chomh maith.

At at time when artists are struggling with the cost of living, the Arts Council cannot meet the demand for schemes and most artists do not yet benefit from the basic income for artists scheme, it is incredibly disappointing to the see the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, in his first budget as culture Minister, cut the budget for the arts by €2 million. By contrast, Sinn Féin would have provided an additional €21 million to ensure that the arts thrive into the future, including almost €7 million to reach out to artists the Arts Council has not succeeded in getting to and €7 million additional funding for Screen Ireland in order that we might continue to build on the success of our film industry.

All the artists have been given is a promise by the Minister the basic income will continue in some form or other at some stage in the future. No clarity has been forthcoming on what form that basic income will take. Will it continue to be a random lottery or will it be based on merit or financial need? Will pilot scheme participants be able to reapply or will it be open to new applicants? Will there be an extension of the scheme or an expansion of the numbers taking part, or will it be another 2,000 different artists? Crucially, we need to know if disabled artists will once again be discouraged from participating by a Sophie’s choice between getting the basic income or keeping the disability allowance and medical card, particularly as, despite pleas from the Opposition and disability campaigners, the then Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, refused to allow disabled artists to take part without it being counted against them in the means test. This put them at an immediate disadvantage compared with their peers who do not have disabilities and who faced no such punishment. We cannot allow the ableism and injustice Heather Humphreys perpetrated as Minister to continue in any new long-term scheme.

We should also seek to undo the threat the former Minister unleashed on our historical heritage to allow the demolition of the 1916 battlefield at Moore Street, which Sinn Féin is still trying to save from the wrecking ball. The relatives of the leaders of 1916, whose last stand was fought on that hallowed ground, are also trying to save it. We would have put an initial €10 million into saving those buildings, with a view to developing a cultural quarter there, and a further €3 million investment in the Heritage Council and the employment of county and city archaeologists. Unfortunately, this Government is hell-bent on shrinking the overall heritage budget by 6%, thereby continuing the austerity approach championed by the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, who it now wants to ensconce in the Áras.

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