Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

I dtosach báire, ba mhaith liom ceist a ardú leis an Ceannaire. Tá iarratas déanta le tamall anuas maidir le díospóireacht faoi chúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Tacaím leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Ó Murchú maidir leis an gCoimisinéir Teanga. Ní dóigh liom go dtuigeann an Rialtas na himpleachtaí ar fad a bhaineann leis an cinneadh a fógraíodh an tseachtain seo caite. Ardóidh mé é sin leis an Aire Stáit níos déanaí. Baineann an cheist seo le comhthéacs níos leithne maidir le cúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta. Tá sé fíor-thábhachtach go mbeadh díospóireacht againn maidir leis an straitéis 20 bliain, todhchaí Foras na Gaeilge, an tsamhail nua mhaoinithe do na heagrais Gaeilge, todhchaí Údarás na Gaeltachta agus mar sin de. Bheadh mé fíor-buíoch dá mbeadh an Ceannaire in ann soiléiriú a thabhairt dom faoi cén uair a bheidh an díospóireacht sin againn agus cén uair a bheidh an Aire Stáit istigh linn.

Ba mhaith liom tacú leis an leasú ar Riar na hOibre atá molta ag mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Cullinane. I would like to second the amendment to the Order of Business that has been proposed by my colleague, Senator Cullinane. A number of comments have been made about the order of the House last week. What happened was regrettable. There will be two debates at the end of this week about the role of the Seanad. I would like to confirm that Sinn Féin and its members want to play a constructive role in this House. We want to subject Government policy, and the policies of parties that have gone before us, to constructive criticism. We do not believe we are being afforded an opportunity to do that. We will use the democratic means that are available to us in this House, just as the Government parties did when they were in opposition.