Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I have two amendments in this grouping, Nos. 36b and 36c. Similar issues arise in the next grouping of amendments. An rud atá i gceist agam anseo ná go mbeadh tacaíocht agus tuiscint ann do mhuintir na nGaeltachtaí agus do Ghaeilgeoirí. Níl sé ar intinn agam aon strus nó stró a chur ar RTE nó ar aon ghrúpa a bheadh ag craobhscaoileadh tríd na meáin. An rud atá i gceist ná go mbeadh seans ag gnáth muintir na nGaeltachtaí a saol a chaitheamh trí Ghaelainn, maireachtaint trí Ghaelainn agus gnáth rudaí a dhéanamh trí Ghaelainn agus go mbeadh an Ghaelainn ar fáil dóibh ar bhonn réasúnta agus praiticiúil. Nílim ag iarraidh aon rud nua a chur chun cinn. Níl aon rud sa mholadh seo a cuireann deacrachtaí roimh an Aire. Níl i gceist agam ach go mbeadh seans ag muintir na nGaeltachtaí agus ag Gaeilgeoirí a gcuid gnó a dhéanamh trí Ghaelainn. Mar shampla, séard atá ar siúl leis na leasuithe os ár gcomhair sa ghrúpa seo ná go mbeadh rudaí mar teletext agus subtitling ar fáil i nGaelainn. That is not difficult to do. The technology exists. Úsáideann TG4 an teicneolaíocht sin i gconaí. Watching a programme on TG4 it is very easy to press the button. When we passed the legislation several years ago for the establishment of TG4 we knew it was possible to get an Irish language translation.

Cad atá i gceist agam anseo? Tá sé i gceist agam go mbeadh tuiscint againn ar cad atá ar fáil. Ar thaobh an oideachais de, mar shampla do rang scoile, múinteoirí, scoileanna nó lucht féachana na teilifíse, is é atá i gceist ná go mbeadh áiseanna ar fáil dóibh i nGaelinn agus go mbeadh siad ar fáil dóibh ar fad. Ní haon rud mór é seo. Ní dóigh liom go gcuirfeadh an rud atá a mholadh agam an iomad struis ar an Aire. What stress will it put on the Minister to provide subtitles in Irish for people from the Gaeltacht if they press the button? I hope the Minister will be open to this. Later today or this week one of the committees will deal with the requirements of the Acht Teanga and the requirement to have things ar fáil i nGaelinn. Tá an moladh atá á dhéanamh agam anseo i bhfad níos simplí ná seo. Tá an teicneolaíocht ann agus ba chóir go mbeadh sé ar fáil.

In the next group tá leasuithe molta agam i dtaobh daoine atá ag cur insteach gearáin, complaints, to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. Má chuireann siad isteach gearáin trí Ghaelinn, ba chóir go dtiocfadh na freagraí ar ais chucu i nGaelinn. I feel very strongly about this. When I was at school, half my class were Gaeltacht people. When people deal with new language and technology they are not in the habit of making complaints every day and will revert to the language in which they are most comfortable. Má tharlaíonn sé go bhfuil siad i bhfad níos compordaí ag úsáid na Gaeilge, ba chóir go mbeadh aon tacaíocht atá ann ar fáil dóibh chun é sin a dhéanamh. It is not too much to ask.

I am very clear about this and I have tabled an amendment that the annual report be available in Irish. I want to short-circuit all the arguments against this. That is already covered by a regulation under one of the Schedules of the Acht Teanga so there is nothing new here. I do not want people coming to me and saying I am putting forward a proposal that will cause great problems and time delays. Having it here means when people set out the annual report on day one, they will know it will have to be ar fáil i nGaelinn, so the print design can allow for it to be easily produced in Irish or English. I do not need to have hard copies printed in Irish, but I want it translated and available at least as a Web publication in order that all the work and design goes into it and is there. I am not asking that we publish thousands of copies that will never be opened or read, although where there is a demand it should be made available. In the first case, I will be satisfied with Web publication if that is required. What is killing Irish language policy is that ordinary people who do their work and live their lives through Irish hit a full stop when they deal with aspects of the State.

I do not wish to come across as some kind of zealot. I have very little sympathy with some of the fascistic aproaches to the Irish language. That is not where I come from. I do not go along with the view of using a language as some kind of ammunition against other people. Táim sáite sa chultúr Gaelach. Rugadh agus tógadh mé i measc daoine a raibh Gailege acu ón gcliabhán agus bhí mo chuid oideachais ar fad trí Ghaeilge. Do dhaoine mar mé féin, gur bhreá leo anois is arís a gcuid oibre a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge, ba chóir go mbeadh an seans ann é sin a dheanamh. Ní rud mór é sin.

I regularly spoke to the Minister's father in the Irish language and he was a great lover of it. In his memory, as a man who also shook the chalk dust from his hair at 3 o'clock of an evening, taught the Irish language in the midlands and spread the good word, I expect the Minister to at least be open minded on this matter. Deirim leis an Aire go bhfuil sé seo tábhachtach. I do not want the Minister to see this as something he can deal with, examine the cost involved and get rid of it or not. This is very important to a small number of people who are important in this country. Gaeltacht people are always watching this and asking whether anybody really cares about them. They do not ask for much. Táimíd ag caint anseo faoi chéad theanga oifigiúil an Stáit agus is cóir mar sin go mbeadh Gaelgeoirí in ann a gcuid oibre a dhéanamh, a shaol a chaitheamh agus maireachtaint trí Ghaelainn más mian leo é sin a dhéanamh. It is not too much to ask.

I am working hard to get the Minister to nod his head somewhere along the way. I am not getting any positive vibes. I am feeling negative and discouraged. Next week we are to discuss the new set of regulations on the Irish language. If the Minister cannot accept this today, can he guarantee that somebody from his Department will raise this with the Irish language commissioner and ask his view on this and how it ties into the Acht Teanga? I am the greatest supporter and critic of the Acht Teanga. People have had to listen to me here over the past five years talking about what is wrong with it and what it tried to do to my home town of Dingle and I have very clear views on it. I also take a practical view. An rud atá a mholadh anseo agam ná go mbeidh an seans ag gnáth muintir agus saoránaigh na tíre seo, Gaelgeoirí nó muintir na nGaeltachtaí, gur mhaith leo a gcuid oibre a dhéanamh — gearáin a chur isteach nó féachaint ar teletext nó subtitles — go mbeadh sin ar fáil doibh as Gaeilge. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an tAire oscailte don mhéid sin.