Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

Ba mhaith liom tacaíocht a thabhairt dos na leasaithe ata molta ag an Seanadóir Doherty. Tá sé an-thábhachtach don Teach seo cabhair agus tacaíocht a thabhairt go rialta d'fhorbairt agus labhairt na teanga. Tá ár gcultúr agus ár dteanga an-bhunúsach dúinn go léir sa Teach seo. Tá mé lán-sásta tacú leis na leasaithe atá os comhair an Tí.

The amendments put forward by Senator Doherty should be accepted. The Minister of State will recall that on Second Stage I spoke about these issues. I tabled amendments related to programming in the Irish language and our culture which, regrettably, were not accepted. The objection of the Minister of State's Department was that they suggested a mandatory amount of programming, which was problematic. This proposal might be more practical as it suggests arranging the number of hours and putting it in writing, which I support.

I also support the concept of having somebody with an interest in language and broad Irish culture on the audience council. I accept that relevance to sports and cultural Ireland should be among the criteria for membership of the board.

The amendments are broadly positive and would enhance the commitment of the legislation to the Irish language, culture and heritage. That is not an issue on which the House should divide as it is a basic component. It is important that we always remain conscious of our national identity and the richness and preservation of our heritage. Without being over the top, in the words of Senator O'Toole earlier, we do not want to go down the road of fascism with regard to language or culture. That is neither progressive nor successful and would not be recommended by any sane person.

At the same time we should have a vigilance in maintaining the culture and the place of language. I support the amendments of Senator Doherty and congratulate him on bringing them forward. They would enhance the Bill and I commend them to the Minister of State.