Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I refer to issues raised regarding funding for the Irish language. Ar feadh mo shaol, rinne mé gach iarracht a chinntiú go mbeadh ardú ar chiste na Gaeilge. Chabhraigh mé le gach eagras sa tír seo, ar nós Chonradh na Gaeilge, Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge agus na coláistí samhraidh. Tuigeann Seanadóirí gur labhair mé ar an mbonn sin, gach seans a bhí agam. Bhí díomá orm aon uair ina raibh gearradh siar d'aon tsórt ar aon cheann de na heagrais. Níl aon amhras faoi ná go bhfuil sár-obair ar siúl acu. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin, dar ndóigh, go mbeadh tacaíocht an Stáit ar fáil chomh maith. Is í an Ghaeilge príomhtheanga an náisiúin. Ba chóir dúinn tacaíocht a thabhairt di.

Throughout my life, I have felt I was a good candidate for the Poor Clares, God bless them, because I spent more than 40 years going around with a begging bowl looking for a few pence here and there to support some Irish cultural cause. If additional money has been provided by the Government to help Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, that is greatly satisfying. I thank those who made kind comments about Comhaltas, which is very much appreciated. I have always seen Comhaltas as a non-political movement and I have always tried to bring all politics into it. I have said exactly the same regarding the Irish language in the House. It belongs to the people of Ireland, not one political party, and I have always worked on that basis. It should never be any different.

Comhaltas always succeeded in embracing both traditions in the North of Ireland. I met loyalist leaders in Dublin and leaders of the Orange Order who visited the Republic to discuss their culture and how we might be able to promote that. I have not discussed this publicly but it is something I always wanted to do. Likewise, with regard to the diaspora, Comhaltas is organised in 15 countries on four continents and we provide services to 3 million people annually. The Irish language is central to our work and one of our main aims is to promote it. Education has been a particular part of our work. We run 1,000 classes each week, a summer college for young people and a diploma course for teachers, and we provide performance certification and so on. Senator O'Toole will be glad to know education, especially in Irish, is very much part of our work.

If the organisation has received a little money over recent years to assist our work, it has not only helped our culture but has also helped our cultural tourism. I give credit to Senator Buttimer for his comments at an Oireachtas committee when tourism officials appeared before it because, as he said, our heritage and culture are central to the tourism industry. Above all else, I refer to the number of young people who become involved in cultural activities. To show we are not elitist, this year Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann attracted 250,000 people and more than 10,000 performers and generated €30 million for the region in which it was held. We do not boast about these statistics but it gives a context to this issue. I will give every support I can to the coláistí samhraidh and to every language body but I hope no one will begrudge Comhaltas being successful in delivering an attractive programme for which the Government provided investment.