Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 Oct 1937

Vol. 69 No. 5

Committee on Finance. - Vote No 21—Miscellaneous Expenses.

Minister for Finance (Mr. MacEntee)

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim Bhreise ná raghaidh thar £2,800 chun íochta an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1938, chun Costaisí Ilghnéitheacha áirithe, maraon le Deontaisí áirithe i gCabhair.

That a Supplementary sum not exceeding £2,800 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1938, for certain Miscellaneous Expenses including certain Grants-in-Aid.

As it is clear from the face of it this Supplementary Estimate makes provision for a special grant to the National Theatre Society Limited, to defray portion of the cost of certain structural alterations to the Abbey Theatre. I met a deputation of the directors of that society in January last who informed me that the Dublin Corporation had served them with notice to carry out such structural alterations in the Abbey Theatre as were necessary to comply with the by-laws relating to public safety. They asked for a Government grant to meet the cost, which they estimated at £3,500, the deputation pointing out that if the theatre were called upon to bear the expenditure of this amount, its continuance would be imperilled. I had to agree that that was likely in view of the fact that there had been losses on the working of the Abbey Theatre for many years. For instance they lost £1,206 in 1932-33, £1,531 in 1933-34, £2,523 in 1934-35, £3,020 in 1935-36 and £17 in 1936-37. I felt that in view of the high standing of the theatre, the valuable work which it has done for Irish drama, and the place which it occupies in our cultural life, it was but right to approach the Dáil for authority to make a special grant of 80 per cent. of the cost of the alterations subject to a maximum payment to the society of £2,800. The society will be required to furnish a copy of the specification, together with a copy of the accepted tender. The payment of the special grant will be made on production of the receipt of the contractor who carries out the work, or, if desired, in instalments as the work proceeds. The special grant of £1,000, provided for in the original Estimate, will be paid as usual.

Seosamh O Mongáin

Tá an tAire ag iarraidh ar an Teach seo deontas a thabhairt dó as ucht an teach drámaí seo a atharú agus fheistiú. Do réir mo bharamhla-sa ba cheart an teanga a bhíos á labhairt ann a atharú chó maith leis an teach. Is minic a bhí mé ann agus casadh orm ann na Gaedhil, no ar chaoi ar bith na daoine a cheapas gurb iad féin Fíor-Ghaedhil na tíre agus níor chuala mé ariamh focal Gaedhilge á labhairt ar an árdán ann. Tá sé anois mar bhí sé gan atharú ar bith.

Cuireann sé i gcuimhne dhom seanscéal a chuala mé fadó. Bhí fear bocht sa tír a mba ainm dó Diarmaid Ó Sionnacháin agus d'éirigh sé saidhbhir go luath. Nuair a tháinig an saidhbhreas chuige cheap sé nach raibh a shloinneadh sáthach maith aige. Chuaidh sé go dtí an sagart agus d'innis sé a scéal dó agus d'iarr sé air é a athbhaisteadh. "Ó" adeir an sagart, "ní féidir é sin a dhéanamh." Annsin chuaidh sé chuig an Easbog agus d'iarr sé ar an Easbog cead a thabhairt don tsagart nó é fhéin á athbhaisteadh. "Ní féidir é sin a dhéanamh," adeir an tEasbog. Ar a bhealach abhaile casadh file dhó agus d'innis sé a scéal dó. "Ó," adeir an file, "déanfa mise thú a athbhaisteadh má íocann tú ar a shon mé.""Ó, íocfad is fáilte," adeir an fear. Rinne siad an margadh. "Bhoil anois," adeir an file, "cé'n t-ainm ba mhaith leat a thabhairt ort fhéin?""Ó," adeir sé, "feicthear dhom gur breágh Gaedhealach an t-ainm é `Ó Briain' ". Bhaist an file annsin é agus seo mar bhaist sé é: "Is cosamhail le `Ó Briain' do chapall is do shrian. Is cosamhail le `Ó Briain' t'éadan is do shlinneán, ach fágaim-se i mbliana thú in do Dhiarmaid Ó Sionnacháin". Sin é an chaoi chéanna tá le teach na ndrámaí seo, ba mhaith leis go gceapfadh an tír go bhfuil sé Gaedhealach gan an teanga a bheith ann, ach tá sé i gcomhnuí mar bhí sé: ina Shionnachán.

Deir go leor daoine go bhfuil níos mó Gaedhilge sa tír seo ná bhí. Tá daoine a' dul go Conamara, don Rinn, go Tír Chonaill agus go dtí na Blascaodaí agus más fíor dóibh fhéin é táid siad ag tabhairt as an méid Gaedhilge atá ann. Sa Teach ina bhfuilmíd feicim dealbh an Phiarsaigh agus támuid ag leigeann orainn go bhfuilmíd Gaedhealach. Duine ar bith a raibh aithne aige air nach bhfuil fhios aige nach dealbh ná peictiúir a bhí ón bPiarsach ach an teanga. Agus má tá an oiread grádh don teanga, agus go bhfuil sí dá labhairt chó coitcheannta agus tá daoine a rádh, nach ceart go gcuirfeadh an tAire, sul dá dtiubharfadh sé an t-airgead seo uaidh, ialach ar na daoine seo drámaí Gaedhile a léiriú. Támuid sáthach fada ag éisteacht le Handy Andy agus a leithidí. Ba cheart dúinn rud eicínt fíor-Ghaedeal-ach a bheith againn ina n-áit. Agus nach sílfeá, más fíor go bhfuil an oiread Gaedhilge againn, go mbeadh a chomhartha le n-a chois agus dá mbeadh drámaí Gaedhilge sa teach drámaí seo go mbeadh sé lán gach oíche. Marach an Ghaedhilg is ar éigin a bheadh muid 'nár suidhe sa Teach seo anocht.