Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I re-echo the point made by Senator Fitzgerald. I confirm that the Leader's office is co-operating with the various groups to agree a motion. I hope the Leader will confirm that a motion acceptable to all is close to being agreed.

Dúirt an Seanadóir Fitzgerald gur cóir don Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta theacht isteach chugainn le gnéithe áirithe oideachais a phlé. Tá rud amháin eile gur cóir di a phlé linn chomh maith, an t-achrann atá ar siúl faoi láthair idir Ghaelscoileanna agus an Aire féin maidir le múineadh na Gaeilge sna scoileanna sin. An modh atá in úsáid faoi láthair ná tumoideachas, an immersion method of teaching. Is modh múinte é atá in úsáid ar fud an domhain — there is nothing different about it. Even groups like Linguaphone for example, uses this method to put forward its point of view. It is a perfectlly sustainable and correct method. Ar an dtaobh eile den scéal, tá an tAire ag rá gur cóir go mbeadh Béarla ar am-chlár na scoileanna chomh maith. Her worry is that if it is just complete immersion in Gaeluinn without any formal teaching of English, that does not reflect the timetable. Tá mise ar thaobh na nGaelscoileanna san argóint seo, cé go dtuigim go bhfuil argóint láidir ag an Aire. Ba bhreá liom go bpléifeadh sí é anseo linn. It should not be something on which we take sides. I would like to hear the views offered from both sides. The Minister is in a perfectly understandable position. I do not fully agree with her on it, but I accept the strength of her arguments. We could have a situation where a child might be immersed in Gaeluinn for two or three years and the idea in the Gaelscoil method is that they would then pick up on the English from there on in. That is very understandable, but you could have a situation where a child could have left before being exposed to the teaching of english. I see that from the point of view of the Department and the Minister.

Ba chóir go mbeidh díospóireacht againn ar an ábhar seo agus tuiscint againn ar cad tá ar siúl. Ní hé go bhfuil aon duine mícheart ach caithfimid teacht ar an seift is fearr do dhaltaí na scoileanna sin.

There is one other issue I wish to consider.

The Cathaoirleach knows that I have raised this time and again. It is something that always bothers me and it started again yesterday. My two colleagues from Donegal raised Donegal issues. However, the problem is that we need to discuss the entire west of Ireland, from Malin to Schull. What always happens here is that people are focused on their own constituencies, and we lose the big picture. It is hard to believe but for years it was difficult to get co-ordinated support for the western rail corridor. People conveniently forget this but it is the truth. People did not see the value of the rail corridor because they were not looking at the whole issue. As an Independent who will never stand for the Dáil, with no vested interests, I have a serious concern that the voice of the west will be lost when constituency reviews take TDs from the west and move them to the east, chasing the population. Logically, that is what will happen.

The only way to deal with this is to look at it from a different point of view. I will be shot on sight by the media for saying this but even if it means increasing the number of TDs, we must ensure the voice of the regions of the west is fully articulated and heard. I wish to have a debate on this issue in the House, without any vested interests. This process is happening already. There was a time when there were six TDs in Cavan-Monaghan. There are six in Kerry at the moment, but it will be reduced to five. This is happening all along the west coast. From a disinterested point of view — it makes no difference to me personally or to anyone in this House from any party — I think this is wrong and we need to consider and focus on this issue.