Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 7: To ask the Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad iad na hiarrachtaí atá á ndéanamh le fostaíocht a chruthú i gceantar na Gaeltachta Láir agus i gceantar Chloich Chionnaola; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [26510/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Dírím aird an Teachta ar an bhfreagra a thug mé ar Cheist Dála Uimh. 41 ar 24 Aibreán 2007.

Mar is eol don Teachta, tá iarrachtaí leanúnacha á ndéanamh ag Údarás na Gaeltachta chun fostaíocht a ghiniúint sna ceantair Ghaeltachta, Cloich Chionnaola agus an Ghaeltacht Láir ina measc.

Déantar é seo trí thacaíocht d'fhiontraithe áitiúla agus trí infheisteoirí sheachtracha a mhealladh isteach iontu. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil athscrúdú á dhéanamh ag an Údarás ar an gcur chuige maidir le forbairt agus cruthú fostaíochta sna ceantair thearcfhorbartha i gcoitinne agus go mbeidh beartas fócasaithe ina leith sin á chur os comhair Bhord an Údaráis go luath.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Tá sé suntasach go bhfuil an dá cheantar atá luaite agam, Cloch Cheannfhaola agus an Ghaeltacht Láir, luaite freisin sa tuairisc a chur an Aire ar fáil i gCathair na Mart aréir, mar cheanntair i nGaeltacht Dhún na nGall ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge láidir. Tá siad i rann "A" ó thaobh labhairt na Gaeilge, 66% nó níos mó. Ina measc tá na ceanntair thart ar Ghort an Choirce, an Fhálcarrach agus Gleann Fhinne. An aontaíonn an Aire liom go gcaithfimid tosaíocht a thabhairt do cheantair mar sin ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge níos láidre ná an meán? Dá bhrí sin, an gcuirfidh sé in iúl do na húdaráis gur cóir dóibh gach iarracht a dhéanamh sna háiteanna ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge láidir tacaíocht eacnamaíochta agus fostaíocht a thabhairt chuig na ceantair sin sa dóigh go mairfidh an cás mar atá agus nach rachfaidh sé ar cúl mar a tharla i gceantair "B" agus "C"? Ar an droch uair, tá níos mó díobh sin sna Gaeltachtaí ná mar atá sna ceantair atá i ngrúpa "A".

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Beidh muid ag plé an staidéir teangeolaíochta amach anseo, ach is ceist achrannach í. An ceart a rá gan cúnamh tionsclaíochta a thabhairt ach sna ceantair láidir Gaeltachta?

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Níl mé ag rá gan cuidiú leo, ach gur cóir tosaíocht áirithe a thabhairt do na ceantair ina bhfuil an teanga láidir.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Táim ag teacht chuige sin. An fhadhb atá le sin ná go bhfuil ceantair taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht ag fáil cúnaimh tionsclaíochta go hiomlán. Caithfimid bheith réasúnta cothrom. Mar is eol don Teachta, táim ag rá leis an údarás le fada gur ceart, i gceantair láidre Gaeltachta — is ceantair i bhfad siar go leor acu siúd — cúnamh breise a thabhairt ar dhá chúis, uimhir a haon, mar gur ceantair tearcfhorbartha iad agus uimhir a dó mar go bhfuil féidireachtaí iontacha sna ceantair seo ó thaobh thionscail an teanga mar go bhfuil rud acu nach bhfuil ag aon cheantar eile. Bhí mé ag iarraidh an t-údaras a bhrú i dtreo níos mó infheistíochta a dhéanamh sna féidireachtaí iomlána a bhaineann leis an teanga agus an t-éileamh atá ar sheirbhísí. Feicim ceantair ag baint úsáide agus leasa as sin. Buíochas le Dia, tá rath iontach ar na coláisti Gaeilge fé láthair agus méadú mór ar an líon scoláirí. Tá ceantair áirithe, mar shampla, ag baint leas mhór as na deiseannaí aistriúchán atá ann. Tá láidreachtaí i ngach ceantar, go speisialta anois agus seasamh láidir ag an Rialtas i leith na Gaeilge. Tá láidreachtaí ó thaobh ghnó de ag na ceantair láidir Gaeltachta, ach níl mé sásta go bhfuil leas iomlán bainte as sin go fóill.

An argóint a bhíonn agam i gcónaí ná, gur féidir le dream sa tSín nó sa Pholainn nó áit ar bith eile mar sin dul in iomaíocht linn i dtionscail, ach níl iomaíocht ann más tionscal i nGaeilge atá i gceist. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil an Teachta bodhar den chur chuige sin. Cinnte, beidh mé ag cur brú go ndéanfear gach is féidir le cinntiú go dtiocfaidh na ceantair seo slán. Luíonn sé le réasún gur ceart go ndíreoidh muid ar na láidreachtaí sna ceantair seo, mar ní féidir iachall a chur ar thionscail ón iasacht teacht go dtí na ceantair seo nuair nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 8: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the grants available to a community to refurbish its community halls and meeting centres in view of the importance such establishments play in community life and the need to keep such centres up to a proper standard. [26519/07]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 25: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the grants available through aspects of his Department towards the refurbishment of old buildings in rural areas that would be of benefit to such communities as community centres and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26508/07]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 25 together.

My Department provides funding for a wide range of community projects, through various schemes and programmes. Each of the schemes and grant programmes operated by my Department is governed by rules and eligibility criteria, which projects have to meet to qualify for funding.

With regard to the specific refurbishment projects referred to by the Deputies, elements of such projects may be eligible for funding under my Department's programme of grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations, the young people's facilities and services fund, the CLÁR programme and the Leader programmes. Funding may also be available through the dormant accounts fund.

In the case of projects located in a Gaeltacht area, grants are also available under my Department's Gaeltacht improvement schemes to provide or improve facilities such as community centres for the purpose of enhancing the linguistic, cultural and social development of the Gaeltacht. Detailed information in respect of these programmes and schemes can be found on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie. I hope the website is working because, unfortunately, there was a problem with it last night.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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I will be parochial this time. Several organisations in my area see what the sports capital programme has achieved and say they must fight to create their own funding. While the web is a wonderful addition to modern technology, it is hard to beat the piece of paper in rural areas. Is there a mechanism to drive forward this kind of grant? Rural life and volunteerism are diminishing. There is, however, a resurgence of the local hall in some areas. Can the Minister regenerate interest through local media and create a new impetus to ensure the continuation in some instances, and regrowth in others, of community halls which can provide so much entertainment for the community and visitors?

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I will synopsise the menu that is available to someone such as the Deputy who seeks advice. The programme of grants for locally based community and voluntary organisations is the tops where a refurbishment job up to €40,000 is in question. One can apply at any time. The percentage grant is clear-cut but depending on the level of disadvantage in the area, it is either 90% or 60%. That is all cut and dried which is not much use for a big job.

Leader companies have recently become big players in rural areas. In certain circumstances they have been able to give up to €100,000 and that will increase to €200,000. In the CLÁR areas, subject to the 50% rule, we double the money, rather like the show on RTE on Saturday. If a group raises €100,000, CLÁR gives it another €100,000. That has been useful for many halls in the CLÁR areas. There will soon be a new rural development programme under which that money will increase to €200,000. I hope to continue with the matching funds which will provide a total of €400,000, a serious sum. I am examining the percentage. Until now, owing to EU rules, it was 50% but I might be able to deal with that one.

There is also the young people's facilities and services fund which forms part of the drugs policy money with which my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, deals. That is focused on areas at risk from drugs and the local vocational education committees have an input into it. There is a flagship under the dormant accounts fund which tries to attract people who have made large sums of money recently by saying, for example, if they put up €1 million, we will match that.

Committees find it frustrating to try to pick and match within the rules, especially those near the Border which have access to peace money and the International Fund for Ireland and so on. They might get five funders who walk away if the committee is short €20,000. This has frustrated me for years and it needs to be re-examined.

Deputy McGinley will agree that the situation in the Gaeltacht is very handy because there are only three funders there, Údarás na Gaeltachta for enterprise, my Department for community activity and a separate fund for child care. The committees there are not allowed to go to any other funders. They find this handy because they are told the amount of the grant and if they are going for the Taj Mahal, we tell them to cut it down. They do not have to apply by a certain date and it is not rejected if they get it wrong. It is an interactive system which works well. It is difficult to change structures because when one goes to change them, everyone says the old one was great. There is a point in this about considering communities, however.

I hope this type of issue will be thrashed out in committees during this Dáil and that people are willing to make the hard decision and consider what is simplest and fairest from the community applicant's point of view. I do not believe it is a good idea for them to have to match six or seven funds. It is impossible to get them together. The sports capital programme is a great example of a simple approach. What is the simplest and fairest way for them? I do not think that trying to match up six or seven funds is a great idea. It is impossible to get it together. The capital sports grant is a great example of a simple approach, as the Deputy pointed out.