Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I echo the comments made by colleagues on the extension of the deadline for slurry spreading. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine dealt with this in recent weeks. It is a major issue for the farming community and this is a practical way farmers can be assisted through the difficult times they face.

The substantive issue I want to raise today is na cúntóirí teanga. Will the Leader raise this with the Minister of State with responsibility for the Gaeltacht, Deputy Seán Kyne? This is announced around this time every year and in Donegal Muintearas Teo. delivers the programme for 26 weeks across a wide range of schools, mostly in the Gaeltacht. It has approximately €42,000 less this year but initially it was asked to deal with 13 more schools. It has advised all of the public representatives in the county it cannot do this. When we consider the struggle the language faces, particularly in the Gaeltacht, this needs to be addressed. There is a real problem and we are asking for a resolution. Will the Leader raise this with the Minister of State and ask him to get back to me directly on the matter?