Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an díospóireacht tráthúil seo agus sinn i lár seachtain na Gaeilge. Is bua mór é an deis atá againn Éire agus a cultúr a chur i láthair. Is bua fé leith í an Ghaeilge a chaithfimid a chothú. Is tábhachtach an beart é mar sin ár ndíogras i leith na Gaeilge a athnuachán. Ní foláir dúinn é seo a dhéanamh, ní hamháin toisc go n-ainmnítear í sa Bhunreacht mar chéad teanga na tíre ach toisc gur siombail láidir na hÉireannachais í leis. Is gnéithe tábhachtacha den Éireannachais iad ár gcultúr, ár n-oidhreacht agus ár dteanga. Is ag eascairt as an mbród atá againn dár dtír, a fhaigheann muid leis an mbainne cíche, a thagann chugainn caomhnú teanga ársa na Gaeilge. I very much welcome the Minister's cradle to the grave approach. It is important for young people to be immersed in Irish from an early age.

Cé gur maítear in áiteanna gur ag meath atá an Ghaeilge agus lucht a labhartha, léiríonn na figiúirí daonáirimh is déanaí gur i méad atá lucht labhartha na Gaeilge ag dul. Is féidir linn a bheith buíoch leis do ghluaiseacht na gaelscoilíochta as cuid mhaith den athbheochan seo. Tá sé tábhachtach go n-aithnítear dea-obair ár múinteoirí, a saothraíonn go dian ar son an óige agus ar son na teanga, agus tá sé tábhachtach leis go dtréaslaímid lena gcuid iarrachtaí. Caithfimid leanúint leis an tacaíocht a thugtar do mhúinteoirí sna scoileanna. Ón uair go foilsíodh curaclam 1999, tá béim an-láidir á chur ar chumarsáid le Gaeilge sna seomraí ranga. Tá tacaíocht churaclaim nach beag á thabhairt ag an tSeirbhís um Fhorbairt Ghairmiúil do Bhunscoileanna nó an Primary Professional Development Service. Ní foláir do bheathú na teanga go gcloífear leis an dea-obair seo a bhfuil difríocht an mhór á dhéanamh aici ar dhul chun cinn na Gaeilge inár scoileanna.

I am concerned that the Minister's namesake, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, through his imposition of an embargo on professional development in schools, would do a disservice to the work the Minister present has been doing in promoting the Irish language. There is a cross-party consensus on the need to improve the use of Irish but I am concerned the approach of the Minister for Education and Science is regressive in terms of primary development services, which has become a great instrument of the Irish language in bunscoileanna.

Cé go raibh an Ghaeilge in íseal bhrí tráth, tá borradh agus fás nua ag teacht uirthi. Sé sin le rá go bhfuil sé ag éírí níos faiseanta anois an Ghaeilge a labhairt, a bhuíochas san do leithéid Des Bishop agus do chláracha de chuid TG4 ar nós "Faisean Paisean". The Minister referred to the new Irish radio stations and to TG4. It is important to pay tribute to the role of TG4 and to Dublin city's Irish language radio station, both of which help to promote the Irish language. Tá sé de dhualgas ar Rialtas na hÉireann áit lárnach laethúii a chruthú don Ghaeilge, i ghnáth saol an duine.

The Minister referred to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, of which Senator Ó Murchú and I are members. I visited the Gaeltacht recently, and will meet today with Údarás na Gaeltachta which plays an important role in the development of policy for the Irish language. In the modern world, it is incumbent to bring change to the manner in which the Irish language is used. As I stated previously, I studied Irish at honours leaving certificate level but subsequently lost some of my command of the language, which I am trying to reclaim at present. As such a person, I consider it important to bring Irish to the level of the people. While I do not wish to give an advertising plug to Meteor, it has launched a new innovative Irish voicemail service. It was launched with the gaeilgeoir, Síle Seoige, and the new messaging service allows Meteor customers to use the cúpla focal gach lá. This is to be praised and welcomed and there should be more such developments. Perhaps this can be used in schools, where many students have mobile telephones, as a way to help promulgate the use of Irish in a simple and practical way. Such a simple methodology allows people to become more comfortable with the use of Irish.

Maidir le Fine Gael, léirigh Enda Kenny, sa bhliain 2006, an fís atá aige don Ghaeilge sa fíche haonú aois agus faoi conas a mhúintear an Ghaeilge. Is furasta fís Fhine Gael a mhíniú. Ba cheart dúinn ár muintir, agus ár leanaí ach go háirithe, a mhúineadh conas cumarsáid a dhéanamh i nGaeiIge. Caithfimid cur chuige na Gaeilge a athrú ó na fréamhacha aníos, sa chóras oideachais agus i measc an phobail araon. Tá dúshláin ar leith curtha os comhair comhlachtaí Gaeltachta agus tá roinnt pobail Ghaeltachta ag strácáil leo ar a ndícheall chun teacht amach as an ngéárcheim eacnamaíochta. Tá gear ghá ann go gcruthóidh an Rialtas postanna sna ceantair sin. Tá cuid mhór de mhuintir na Gaeltachta faoi bhrú. The Minister's speech referred to the importance of the Gaeltacht communities in the creation of employment. Ireland is privileged to have Gaeltacht regions which stand as proud symbols of Irishness and we must never allow the Gaeltacht to die. It is important to create and bring industry to Gaeltacht areas and I am concerned about the future role for Údarás na Gaeltachta. It is important to listen to the Gaeltacht communities which have a genuine concern regarding the development of their localities. It is important to have a vibrant and proud Gaeltacht community. That said, were the Minister to accept a cross-party approach to this view, he would secure support from this side of the House.

Is iad seo a leanas mo chuid tuairimí faoi conas forbairt a dhéanamh ar úsáid na Gaeilge; béim a chur ar an teanga labhartha ó aois an-óg; naíonraí a mhaoiniú agus a fhorbairt i gceart; agus cúrsaí i labhairt na Gaeilge a bhunú do thuismitheoirí. The development of the naíonra and the support for the Irish language among parents through the model of immersion, tumoideachais, is very important. I know from my involvement in Cumann Lúthchleas Gael, whereby my club at Baile an Easpaig has hosted a naíonra for a long time, from seeing the growth of the Gaelscoil movement and of having a sister who teaches trí Gaeilge in Gaelcholáiste Choilm, Corcaigh, that it is important to bring parents and children with us.

Maidir le aithint a thabhairt d'ionaid Ghaeilge inár mbailte agus ár gcathracha, the recognition of new Irish language centres in our towns and cities should be considered. In the city of Cork, the docklands could be an area in which such a centre could be located. It could act as a centre of excellence or a centre of usage. The Minister also made reference to the Internet. Caithfear níos mó béime a chur ar an Ghaeilge sna meáin cumarsáide agus sna hilmheáin. Ba mhaith liom dá mbeadh an teanga a úsáid lasmuigh den churaclam féin, mar shampla, cócáireacht, spórt, corpoideachas agus na hamharcealaíona ins na bunscoileanna. For example, my nieces, Sinead and Éabha, attend Gaelscoil, at which they use arts and crafts and play sports through Irish. They even have the ability to correct my grammar when I speak as Gaeilge to them in my broken, bad Irish. Moreover, I encountered in the corridor today a group from a school in Dublin, who were enthused to learn that Members were having a debate today as Gaeilge. Even though they were in sixth class, they were disappointed that they could not be here for the debate.

Ba mhaith liom dá ndéanfaí forleathnú leanúnach ar sheirbhísí TG4 agus Radio na Gaeltachta. Ba mhaith liom freisin dá n-úsáidfaí an Ghaeilge láimh leis an bhfiontraíocht don turasóireacht. Mar fhocal scoir, mar a dúirt an tAire ina oráid, is léir go bhfuil go leor rudaí tábhachta bainte amach i dtaobh na Gaeilge le blianta beaga anuas. Mar sin féin, tá fadhbanna ann. Tá fadhbanna ag muintir na Gaeltachta maidir le dífhostáiocht de bharr cúrsaí eacnamaíochta agus maidir le Gaeilge a labhairt sna Gaeltachtaí.

In conclusion, I would have liked to have unable to speak go léir trí Gaeilge ar an díospóireacht seo. As Senator Ó Murchú knows well, I am an example of where the Irish language has a willing advocate. Tá an Seanadóir O'Reilly in aice liom agus tá an Ghaeilge go flúirseach aige freisin. It is important to use the Irish language as a means to communicate our pride in being Irish. The language constitutes a great symbol of what it means to be Irish and we should never lose that. Mar a dúirt mé, tá an díospóireacht seo tráthúil agus cuirim fáilte roimpi. Ba chóir dúinn an Ghaeilge a úsáid ní amháín le linn na díospóireachta seo i Seachtain na Gaeilge, ach le linn na bliana. Molaim an díospóireacht agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a oráid.