Sean Barrett (Independent)

I share the concerns of Senator Ó Clochartaigh in regard to expenses. They arise in two ways in respect of the savings alleged under the Bill. The claim is that there will be €100,000 per year savings in expenses by cutting the size of the board from 20 to 12 people, that is, a total of €8,500 per head. Is there any evidence that the existing elected board members of Údarás na Gaeltachta were involved in excessive use of expense accounts? Was the matter ever referred to the Comptroller and Auditor General? Will the replacement county councillors be less onerous when it comes to expenses? Many county councillors do not have a reputation for going easy on expenses. How was this figure comprised? If it was a matter of concern, why was it not examined before now?

The claim is to save €2 million over ten years. This is made up of €100,000 in running expenses plus two elections costing €500,000 each. However, the elections have never cost €500,000. I examined the Estimates for the Department. The last election cost €300,000 and that was five years ago. Inflation might be at a rate of approximately 10%. I am unsure where the 66% increase in the cost of running Gaeltacht elections has occurred since the last time they were held. If the Department was concerned about the high cost of elections for the údarás, did it ever seek to run them in conjunctions with other elections? These numbers should have been scrutinised elsewhere in the Houses to ensure they stand up.

I am concerned that travel expenses within the Department are rising rapidly. There is a danger that whatever we save by abolishing or reducing the number of elected people on that board from 20 to 12 people would be offset by the rapidly increasing travel and subsistence budget of the bureaucracy in the Department. I understand it has increased by 23% this year. Would the savings ever have accrued to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, or the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, under this section?

The high cost of language studies arises under this section. Senator Ó Domhnaill referred to figures of €25,000 and €650,000 for implementation. If people are already speaking Irish spontaneously in return for some voting rights, then let us accept that as a gift and a bargain and continue to promote and encourage the spoken language. The economics of this legislation need some scrutiny.