Joe O'Toole (Independent)

After that little bit of fun, táim ag caint anseo leis na blianta faoin sórt polasaithe atá ag an Stát i leith na Gaeilge. Appalling decisions have been taken in recent times. Go dtí seo, bhí deontas tuairim agus €1.5 milliún in aghaidh na bliana do na coláistí samhraidh atá bunaithe sna Gaeltachtaí. Tá na coláistí sin thar a bheith tábhachtach. The Government says go bhfuil sé ag méadú an airgid atá á chur aige chun tacaíochta a thabhairt don Ghaelainn. While it says it supports that, ar an dtaobh eile den scéal, tá se ag baint €1.5 milliún ó gheilleagar na nGaeltachtaí, ag cur brú ar fhostaíocht sna Gaeltachtaí, ag cur brú ar thuismitheoirí atá ag cur leanaí go dtí na nGaeltachtaí ionas go mbeidh orthu costais breise a chur ar fáil. Is fuath liom an cinneadh seo atá déanta ag an Rialtas. Ní creidim é, ach táim ag rá le fiche bliain — aon uair a bhíonn seans ag an Rialtas rud éigin a chur go dtí an Galltacht seachas an Ghaeltacht, sin a dhéanann sé. This was the time to retain the funding, nuair a bhí rudaí ar siúl sna Gaeltachtaí. It had the added advantage not just of children going to the Gaeltacht and experiencing the value of that, it also created an input into the economy of the Gaeltacht areas where there is no employment. It also allowed the Irish languge to gain from that. What does the Government do? Baineann sé €1.5 milliún uathu with extraordinary negative impact on that area of the country. I know Governments do not care much about the far western coast of Ireland. There are not many votes there.