Pádraig Ó Céidigh (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Aontaím go h-iomlán leat Senator Norris, tá an fobbing-in seo craiceáilte. Ní bhéadh sé ar siúl i bunscoil nó meánscoil in aon áit sa tír agus ba cheart dúinn dearmad a dhéanamh air. A Trevor, tá aithne againn ar a chéile le scór go leith blianta anois agus thosaigh muid ag cur aithne ar a chéile nuair a raibh tú ag plé le dráma sa taibhdhearc, Lynch, i 1980 nó mar sin. Tá an t-ádh linn uilig, tá an t-ádh liom agus tá an t-ádh le do chlann go bhfuil Trevor inár saol. Tá mé lán-dáiríre faoi sin. Is tú duine de na daoine is mó meas agam air sa domhan seo. Tá fíor mheas agam ort agus tá a fhios agat sin a Trevor. Is duine le Gaeilge thú, duine don Ghaeltacht, don tír, don cultúr agus duine dár gcuid féin. Tá cúpla rud eile faoi Trevor. Ní amháin gur fear ag plé le drámaí é, scríobhneoir ros na rún, aisteoir, ag plé le chúrsaí oideachais ach chas Trevor agus mé lena chéile freisin agus muid ag plé le ionad spioradálta a chur le chéile in Átha an Rí.

Déarfaidh mé anois cúpla focail i mBéarla agus cuireann sé díomá mór orm a Trevor nach mbeimíd le chéile ó thaobh forbairt na Gaeilge agus na teanga an oiread agus a bhí le bliain agus píosa anuas sa teach seo mar tá a fhios agam go bhfuil croí gach uile duine anseo sa teanga agus sa chultúr agus teastaíonn cúpla ceannródaí, cinnirí ar nós tusa leis sin a choinneáil lárnach. Nár lagadh Dia thú. Tá a fhios agam go mbeimíd inár chairde ar feadh an saol agus feicfidh mé go minic thú i gConn na Mara le cúnamh Dé agus tá mé ag súil go mór leis sin agus mar a dúirt mé, is tusa duine de na daoine is mó meas agam air gur chas mé leo riamh agus le cúnamh Dé go n-éireoidh leat.

I have a whiteboard at home and Senator Ó Clochartaigh reminds me of a statement I have written on it for me, "Success is not what you have, but it's who you are." To me, that sums up Senator Ó Clochartaigh. He is fundamental on his principles. He knows where he is at and everybody knows where he is at. He has his beliefs. When we are talking about bad weather and so on, one needs that safe harbour. Senator Ó Clochartaigh is true to his beliefs. I refer to his belief in us as a nation and as a people, in our language and culture, in where we are going and in helping and supporting the underprivileged who are not as privileged as we ourselves, a matter for which he has an absolute passion. That comes out time and time again. In my view, he is a true leader. We in Connemara are fortunate to have somebody like him. I really look forward to our continued friendship.

If I may, I will take one minute to go on to something else. This is a request to the Leader. I am really keen that we invite the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to come to the House to explain RTÉ's strategy to us. I am quite concerned about our public broadcasting station. It has significant funding issues. I have figures here but I do not have the time to go into them.

The other thing from Senator Ó Clochartaigh's point of view, it is time we had a comh-nasctha between TG4 and Raidió Na Gaeltachta. Both of them should be on a single campus and should be working as lamh a chéile. We should have an even stronger force in respect of the Irish language and culture for all, including Irish people abroad. My son who lives in Chicago links into it as often as he possibly can.