Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá beagán díomá orm nach bhfuil an tAire ó hÓgáin anseo leis an gceist seo a fhreagairt mar is ceist fíor-thábhachtachí i gcomhthéacs na Gaeltachta í agus sílim go bhfuil ceist le freagairt aige.

Táim ag caint faoi Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, MFG. Go minic nuair a bhíonn jabanna á chailliúint ar fud na tíre, feiceann muid Airí agus Airí Stáit ag léimneach suas agus anuas agus ag déanamh scéal chailleach an uafáis os comhair na ceamaraí teilifíse agus raidío, ach is beag caint atá déanta faoi MFG. Tá 130 jabanna sna ceantair Gaeltachta ag imeacht mar gheall ar an teip atá ar an gcomhlacht seo agus tá ceisteanna tromchúiseacha le freagairt faoi sin. Tá sé curtha in iúl go rí-mhinic agam féin agus ag daoine eile go raibh deacrachtaí le Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta le roinnt blianta anuas. Go deimhin, d'ordaigh an t-iar Aire go ndéanfaí cúpla iniúchtaí ar an gcomhlacht ó thaobh chleachtais bainistíochta an bord stiúrtha agus iad a chomhlíonadh, na dualgais, cúrsaí airgeadais agus mar sin de.

Chonaic muid an tseachtain seo caite go bfhuil an comhlacht le scor, go bhfuil na jabanna le n-imeacht, go bhfuil cuid de na cláir le cur in áit éiginnte agus nach bhfuil sé soiléir cén todchaí a bheidh ag an chuid eile. Tá imní orainn ó thaobh na daoine atá fostaithe sna comhlachtaí, ach imní orainn freisin i dtaobh na daoine ar a bhfuil na cláir seo ag freastal. Le coicís anuas, táim ag iarraidh soiléirithe a fhail ó Phobal, ón Roinn agus ón gcomhlacht féin faoi céard atá ag tarlú. Tá faitíos orm go bhfuil daoine ag dul ar chúl sceiche le cuid den scéal seo.

I will revert to English to make this point. I believe there is significant buck passing happening in the Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta scenario. We have the Department funding programmes through Pobal to the independent company, Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta which operates State-funded programmes. When one asks MFG what is going on, one is told it is a question for Pobal. When one asks Pobal, it says it cannot say anything until it talks to the Department and when one talks to the Department, one is told it is an issue for the independent company, Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta. This is completely unacceptable. There are 130 jobs in the balance but this has not made the media headlines it should have and when I have asked for answers, they have not been forthcoming.

We have been raising serious governance issues about this company for quite a long time. As far back as three years ago, the directors of the company were written to by certain parties warning them of their responsibilities as directors with regard to the governance of the programmes they administer. These are all State sponsored programmes. Three of these programmes were audited approximately a year and a half ago by Pobal, but the report has not been published despite our calls for its publication. I have seen a copy of the report and it raises massive issues regarding the governance of the company. Why did the Department and the Minister not step in sooner? Why has Pobal not acted and why was the board of directors of Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta not held to task before we ended up in a scenario where the company is to close down - I believe there is talk of it being liquidated - and 130 jobs are to go? It is an incredibly serious issue and the people of the Gaeltacht are dismayed and angry that the reaction to the news has been so slow and muted.

Sin í mo cheist agus sin an fáth gur chuir mé an cheist. Cuirfidh mé fáilte roimh an freagra ón Aire Stáit.