Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Is breá an rud Gaeilgeoir a bheith linn gur féidir linn beagán Gaeilge a úsáid. Ba mhaith liom cuidiú leis an leasú atá á chur chun cinn. I second the amendment.

Aithním, ach an oiread le mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Cullinane, an dea-mhéin atá leis an rún seo agus an iarracht atá ar bun maidir le comhoibriú a fháil trasna an Tí ar an gceist. Bhíomar istigh, ag am lóin, ag cur i láthair a rinne grúpaí óige, as An Chabrach, Fionnghlas agus Baile Munna i mBaile Átha Cliath mar a tharlaíonn sé, atá ag oibriu san earnáil dheonach. Ní fhéadfainnse seasamh anseo gan na pointí breise seo agus gan an leasú seo a bhrú chun cinn i bhfianaise an méid a chuala mé inniu.

Bhí na grúpaí sin ag caint ar chomh deacair is atá sé acu maireachtáil i gceantair atá faoi bhrú agus ag daoine óga atá faoi bhrú. Bhí an seomra AV lán le daoine óga inniu, agus iad ag caint faoin tábhacht atá leis na seirbhísí óige. Tá cuid des na seirbhísí sin tar éis gearrthaí siar 30% a fheiceáil ina gcuid maoiniú le riar blianta anuas. Tá cuid acu a raibh seisear fostaithe acu dhá bhliain ó shin nach bhfuil acu ach beirt anois. Tá cuid acu a bhí ábalta tósta agus cupán tae a chur ar fáil bliain ó shin nach bhfuil in ann a leithéid a dhéanamh anois. Céim an-mhór ar gcúl é sin.

An pointe mór a bhíodar a dhéanamh, agus ní miste an pointe seo a dhéanamh, go mbeidh costas ollmhór ag an ngearradh siar, atá beag sa ghearrthéarma, ag an Stát amach anseo. Bhíodar ag caint linn faoi na deacrachtaí atá ag ardú ó thaobh daoine óga ag ól, daoine óga ar na sráideanna agus a bheith i dtrioblóid leis an Gharda mar gheall nach bhfuil aon áit acu le dul agus nach bhfuil na seirbhísí ar fáil. Is iad na daoine óga iad féin ata á rá seo.

Sin an fáth a bhfuil mé ag brú leasaithe ar an rún tábhachtach seo, cé go n-aithnímid an ról atá déanta ag eagraíochtaí ar nós Atlantic Philanthropies agus an One Foundation. Bhí mé anseo agus thréaslaigh mé leis an cur i láthair a rinneadar anseo sna Tithe. Bhí sé iontach maith agus tá sé feicthe agam trí chuid de na comhlachtaí páirtíochta an maoiniú atá déanta acu ar scéimeanna éagsúla le blianta fada anuas. Tá an-tábhacht agus an-fhiúntas leis an infheistíocht a dhéanann siad ach ní cóir go dtógfaidís ról an Stáit san infheistíocht seo.

The amendment seeks to add to the motion by committing the Government to specific actions. Dar linne, ní théann an rún sách fada mar níl sé ag cur brú ar an Rialtas aon cheo faoi leith a dhéanamh. Sinn Féin calls on the Government to take concrete steps to reverse the cuts to the community and voluntary sector and protect it from further decline. While we recognise current budgetary difficulties, we identified in our pre-budget submissions and elsewhere from where the required funding would come. As Senator Cullinane stated, we must target wealth. Sinn Féin calls on the Minister to ring-fence ¤50 million per annum from the dormant accounts fund and ring-fence the moneys seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, for community development and community drugs-based projects. This proposal is important in the context of a presentation we heard today. Money seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, should be used in areas where drugs are having a devastating effect, for example, Finglas, Cabra and Ballymun. This would be a positive move.

Sinn Féin calls on the Government to reconceptualise the community employment scheme and broaden its application. This is a key time to have strong community employment schemes in place. Many people are out of work and we often hear members of the Government parties speak of the need for job activation to get people back to work. Community employment is the ideal model for achieving this objective. More places must be provided on community employment schemes and greater recognition must be given to the work they do.

Sinn Féin also calls on the Government to establish an all-Ireland consultative civic forum and thereby fulfil one of the outstanding commitments made in the Good Friday Agreement. As the motion notes, such a forum would enable communities to engage with others across civic society.

What is the position in respect of the percentage for arts scheme for large capital infrastructure projects? Is the programme still in place or in use? I ask the Minister to provide an update on how the moneys in the scheme are being used. Opinion on the benefits of scheme was mixed as some people thought the art was not appropriate to some of the settings in which it was placed. I note the Minister is indicating the scheme is under review.

Notwithstanding the economic downturn, we must continue to invest in the arts as they are an important part of our culture and society. I note the President's call - the Glaoch - for all of us to embrace our arts, culture, language and music. Our culture provides a wonderful stimulus for tourism but the arts, of themselves, are also important to the nation. Initiatives such as the percentage for arts scheme can play an important role if used properly and must not be abolished.

I commend the ingenuity of groups in the arts and community and voluntary sectors in using various means to pre-fund their projects. If they can get a sufficient number of people to invest in an arts, theatre or music project through an online forum, it will cover most of the costs of the project. The arts community is doing a great deal of its own volition and raising substantial funds through sponsorship of programmes. With much of these funds drying up, there is an onus on the Government not to baulk at its responsibility in this area.

Sin an fáth go bhuil mé ag cuidiú leis an leasú ar an rún. Níl mé ag caitheamh droch-mheas ar mo chomhghleacaithe Neamhspleácha, ach a mhalairt ar fad. Ní bheadh sé ceart nó cuí agamsa seasamh anseo inniu muna sheasfainn suas don dream a bhí ag labhairt liom inniu agus don dream a bhí ag plé le cúrsaí ealaíona thiar i nGaillimh nuair a bhí mé ag déileáil leo. Sin an fáth go bhfuilimid ag tairgeadh na leasaithe seo. Tá súil againn go dtógfaidh an tAire agus an Rialtas ar bord é agus go dtiocfaidís ar ais le freagraí ar chuid de na ceisteanna atá ardaithe againn.