Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As has been noted in an aside, maybe the real budget is the Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael budget next Tuesday week. I hope that a number of the positive elements of Sinn Féin's pre-budget submission, which have been fully costed, will be taken on board.

Ar maidin, bhí cur i láthair ag Conradh na Gaeilge maidir le cúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta i gcomhthéacs an bhuiséid. Tá sé léirithe go soiléir ansin céard atá á teastaíl ó phobal na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta agus an fáth gur ghá infheistíocht breise a dhéanamh, ag tosú le €4.5 mhilliún sa gcáinaisnéis. Táimid imithe níos faide ná sin sa bhuiséad atá curtha le chéile againne. Tá súil againn go mbeidh ar a laghad an méid sin curtha ar fáil sa bhuiséad a bheidh ag an Rialtas. An gá atá le sin ná go bhféadfaí 1,175 post nua a chruthú. Bheadh níos mó airgid á chaitheamh sna Gaeltachtaí. Tá sé mar dhlúthchuid den tacaíocht a bheadh don straitéis 20 bliain.

Ba mhaith liom freisin go mbeadh plé againn leis an Aire Gaeltachta maidir leis na scéimeanna teanga i gcomhthéacs ceisteanna a d'ardaigh an Coimisinéir Teanga, Rónan Ó Domhnaill, inné ag Buan-choiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus na nOileán. Is cosúil nach bhfuil Roinn na Gaeltachta ag déanamh a cuid oibre mar is ceart ansin ó thaobh daingniú scéimeanna. Ba mhaith liom díospóireacht faoi sin.

This morning I found myself agreeing with Senator Maria Byrne on the issues of the HAP scheme and rent certainty. I hope the rest of her Government colleagues will be singing from the same hymn sheet when she discusses the concerns raised by the Simon Community. When we brought those issues up previously with Ministers, they were swept aside. When we brought a rent certainty Bill to this House, it was voted down. The housing crisis is a massive issue and whenever the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government comes in, the debate is all over the place. We need a focused debate on the HAP scheme, how it is being implemented and on the issues around rent certainty, which were raised. That specific debate should focus on that because the issue must be quickly addressed in light of the report we read this morning.