Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

Tá an tAire sásta bualadh le comhairleoirí i gCiarraí ar an 17 mí Shamhna agus cuirim fáilte roimhe sin. Tá súil agam go mbeidh sé in ann cúrsaí logainmneacha a réiteach mar tá conspóid ann faoi láthair. Bhí an tAire ar an raidió cúpla lá ó shin agus cuireadh ceist air faoin logainm cheart — Dingle nó Daingean Uí Chúis. Dúirt sé ar an chlár sin go scríobhfadh sé le bainisteoir Comhairle Chondae Chiarraí agus tá sin déanta aige agus tá an cruinniú socraithe.

Senator Coghlan made the point about Daingean in County Offaly as if it is the only Daingean in Ireland. There is a CD available entitled "Daingean Uí Chúis Abú". Níl an CD ag moladh an Aire, tá sé ag caint faoi turasóirí a bhí ag iarraidh dul go dtí Ciarraí ach shroich siad Uíbh Fhaillí. If it was as simple as that, there might be a resolution but there are many places called Daingean, such as the place near Tuam in County Galway and Daingean Heights in Galway city. It is a popular placename, it is not as simple as Senator Coghlan makes out.

Is cuimhin liom an t-ordú a rinne Bobby Molloy nuair a bhí sé mar Aire sa Roinn Rialtas Áitiúil, go mbeadh Gaeilge amháin ar gach comhartha bóthair le logainm Gaeltachta air. Bhí an-fhadhb ag an am, le gluaiseacht cearta sibhialta i gConamara ag iarraidh go mbeadh an logainm amháin ar na bailte agus scrios siad comharthaí ansin. Tá muintir na Gaeltachta sásta leis an tslí go bhfuil an tAire ag iarraidh an fhadhb seo a shocrú. Is breá liom a chloisteáil ón Aire go bhfuil sé ag dul go Condae Chiarraí agus ag éisteacht leis na comhairleoirí ansin.

There is a difficulty that we have so many towns and townlands with the same name — how many Gorteens and Caltras are there in each county? I have noticed this travelling around the country and I would not be happy with a coimisiún that states that Irish for Gort in Galway is An Gort, because we always refer to it as Gort Inse Ghuaire, in honour of King Guaire. My own village of Castleblakeney is named An Gallach but locally it is known as Gallach Uí Cheallaigh on account of the Kelly family, one of the most hospitable peoples ever in Galway. They ruled Hy-Many, an area known for hospitality. The coimisiún must look at other issues. We are discussing the idea of Dingle, Daingean Uí Chúis or An Daingean but there are other towns throughout Ireland where placenames have been changed or shortened and that is wrong. The old names say more about the history of a town and changing them is a backward step.

Tá súil agam go mbeidh an tAire ag an chruinniú ar an 17 mí Shamhna leis an fhadhb seo a phlé agus go mbeidh réiteach ar an scéal chomh luath agus is féidir.