Dáil Éireann debate -
Friday, 9 Feb 1945

Vol. 95 No. 19

Committee on Finance. - Vóta Uimh. 49—Eolaíocht agus Ealai. Vote 49—Science and Art.

An tAire Oideachais (Tomás Ó Deirg)

Tairgim:—

Go ndeontar suim breise ná raghaidh thar £10 chun íochta an Mhuirir a thiocfas chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31ú lá de Mhárta, 1945, chun Tuarastal agus Costas na bhFun-dúireacht Eolaíochta agus Ealaíon agus chun Seirbhísí Oideachais Ilghnéitheacha áirithe agus Ildeon-tais-i-gCabhair.

Ní foláir £1,350 do sholáthar le haghaidh dhá dheontas-i-gcabhair fán Vóta le haghaidh Eolaíochta agus Ealaíon, ach toisc go bhfuil £1,340 dhá shábháil ar fho-chuid eile den Vóta níl ach £10 glan ag teastáil anois fán meastachán so. Den mhéid iomlán, £1,350, tá £600 ag teastáil mar dheontas-i-gcabhair ar iniúchadh agus ar chóipeanna do dhéanamh de chroinicí staire na hEireann atá le fáil i dtíortha iasachta agus £750 mar dheontas bhreise i gcabhair ar Chombdháil Náisiúnta na Gaedhilge.

Is scéim nua an scéim seo chun lámh-scríbhinní Gaeilge i dtíorthaibh iasachta d'iniúchadh. Tá a lán scríbhinní agus cuntaisí tábhachtacha a bhaineas le cúrsaí na hEireann i dtíortha eile, go háirithe sa mBrea-tain Mhóir, sa Spáinn, sa bhFrainne agus san Iodáil, agus is cóir go ndéanfaí cóip d'aon cheann, de na croinicí sin gur fiú cóip a dhéanamh di. Ar eagla go dtárlódh aon ní a loiscfeadh na cnuasachta scríbhinní sin, ní mór daoine oiriúnacha do cheapadh chun iad do scrúdú agus na cinn is tabhachtaí do thoghadh le cóip do dhéanamh díobh, trí bhithin an mhion-scannáin nuair is féidir sin nó trí bhithin gléasa ghrian-ghrafa ar bith eile. Cuirfear an obair seo ar siúl fá stiúrú na Leabharlainne Náisiúnta, agus tá beartaithe an t-airgead atá ag teastáil le haghaidh fiacha, costaisí taistil agus maireachtana na ndaoine a toghfar chun na hoibre, costas mion-scannán agus gléasanna grian-ghrafa agus costaisí riachtanacha eile, do chur ar fáil trí dheontas-i-gcabhair.

Is léir go dtógfaidh sé roinnt bhlian chun an obair do chríochnú agus iarr-far ar an Dáil in am tráth £2,000 do chur ar fáil le haghaidh na bliana airgeadais 1945-46. Idir an dá linn, ámh, meastar gur ceart tús do chur le scrúdú na gcroinicí atá i leabharlanna sa Spáinn, agus chuige sin, beidh £600 ag teastáil le haghaidh na bliana airgeadais seo. Tá beartaithe go rachaidh beirt scrúdóir cáilithe chun na Spáinne an mhí seo chugainn chun tosnú do dhéanamh leis na cáipéisí atá i Simancas, áit ina bhfuil, do réir mar thuigim, cnuasacht an-tábhachtach de scríbhinní a bhaineas leis an tír seo. Meastar go bhfaighfear a lán eolais as na croinicí sin ar stair agus ar imtheachtaí muintir na hEireann.

Tá £2,000 curtha in áirithe cheana san bhliain airgeadais seo do Chomh-dháil Náisiúnta na Gaedhilge agus is deontas eile i gcabhair ar an gComh-dháil an dara suim £750.

Ceadaíodh scéim chun stiúrthóir agus cúig timirí a cheapadh chun dlús agus eagar do chur ar aithbheochaint na Gaeilge ar fud na tíre, agus teastaíonn an tsuim airgid seo chun tuarastal agus costaisí na nOifigeach sin san bhliain airgeadais seo d'íoc.

Micheál Óg Mac Pháidín

Níl gnótha domsa dada a rá i leith an Mheas-tacháin seo, mar tá gach taobh polaitíochta anso sásta go ndéanfar obair thairbheach leis an airgead. Ar eagla na heagla, sílim gur cóir dhom a rá nach gnótha aon dreama amháin polaitíochta san tír an teanga a athbheochain agus a thabhairt ar ais i mbéal na ndaoine. Is é gnótha an phobail go léir an obair náisiúnta seo do dhéanamh, agus go h-áithrid an glún atá ag éirí anois. Caithfear an obair do choinneáil glan os cionn gnótha polaitíochta. Ba cheart go mbeadh a fhios sin ag muintir na tíre go léir sa chruth go mbeidh lán-chomhoibriú leis na timirí nua atá ag dul i gcionn na gluaiseachta anois. Tá súil agam go n-éireoidh go maith leo agus go mbeidh toradh céatach againn ar son an airgid seo.

Mr. Hughes

I am sure the Dáil has no objection to providing the sum of money asked for here. The Minister refers to the appointment of suitable persons to collect and examine Irish manuscripts in foreign collections. I have no doubt that that is a highly specialised job, but the Minister has not given us any information as to how these people are to be selected or appointed. Again, in the case of Comhdháil Náisiúnta na Gaedhilge, there are to be appointed a director and five organisers. The Minister might give some information as to how the appointments are made in both cases.

Mr. Cogan

I would like the Minister to give us some information as to the method in which these proposed organisers intend to carry out their work. It is possible that they may give very valuable service, but unless there is a carefully-prepared plan of work laid down for these men they might prove very futile.

Tomás Ó Deirg

Aontaím ar fad leis an dTeachta Mac Pháidín nach ceist í aithbheochaint na Gaeilge d'aon dream polaitíochta amháin. Sílim go bhfuil na Teachtaí ar an dtaobh seo den Tigh, a bhfuil suim acu ins an obair seo, an-bhuíoch do na Teachtaí i gCumann Fine Gael a chuidigh leis an obair agus a chuaidh amach—daoine mar an Teachta an Geinearál O Maolchatha—chun cuidiú san obair. Gan aimhreas, rinne sé a lán maitheasa, mar chonnaic muintear na tíre uilig go raibh siad sa Ghluais-eacht céanna linn, agus gidh go mbeadh tuairimí fá leith againn ar chúrsaí eile, go bhféadfaimis teacht le chéile san obair seo.

Tá súil agam go leanfar leis an spiorad sin, agus nach ndéanfar aon rud a dhéanfadh dochar don cháirdeas agus comhaontas sin atá ann fá láthair, mar beidh cúnamh chuile dhuine ag teastáil, is dóigh liom.

Tamall de bhliantaibh ó shoin, bhí spiorad aontachta maith sa tír, mar bhí gluaiseacht ann ag cuidiú le gach dream in aithbheochaint agus forás na Gaeilge. Gidh go bhfuil buntáistí móra ag an aos óg anois, thar mar bhí san am san, nuair a bhí troid ar siúl againn i gcoinne na nithe Gallda, tá leithscéal ag roinnt acu anois, ag rá go mba chóir an cheist seo d'fhágaint fán Rialtas, agus ní thuigeann siad nach féidir leis an Rialtas aon rud do dhéanamh chun an teanga do shábháil gan toil agus comhaontú gach uile dhuine.

As regards the matter of the appointments, the position is that it is considered necessary, as I have been saying in Irish, to make them now owing to the possibility that there may be disturbances on the Continent and that in any event difficulties may arise in taking up this work at a later time. Although there are difficulties there at the moment we have the advantage of having had a visit to one part of the Continent at any rate, the Iberian Peninsula, in regard to this matter and the authorities at the National Library have some idea of what the position is there. It is intended to concentrate for the present on that area. Of the two persons whom it is intended to send abroad in the near future, one is a lecturer in Spanish in University College, Cork, and the other is a priest of the Order of Friars Minor. Both have special knowledge of this work and they are considered to be the most suitable persons. Special apparatus of a portable nature has to be provided for them and that will cost more than half the amount for which we are looking. It will take some time as I said to complete this work if other countries on the Continent are to be visited but from time to time no doubt we shall have reports as to progress.

As regards Comhdáil Naisiúnta na Gaedhilge, this is an organisation set up in an endeavour to undertake planning in regard to the Irish revival and to take more effective steps than seemed to be undertaken by other bodies or to co-ordinate them in such a way that more progress will be made in spreading the use of Irish amongst the people. This is not a Government organisation, but the Government have been interested in it and, as I have just been saying in Irish, all political Parties have shown their appreciation of its work and have come forward to help. That is a very good and necessary thing. I hope this co-operation will continue, that no Party will have any reason to be displeased and that there will not be any attempt—there has not been any serious attempt, I think, so far—to introduce any political or partisan spirit into this great national work, in which we can, I think, happily unite our efforts. We have not interfered with the internal working of the Comhdáil, of course. There are representatives there of all the Gaelic organisations and there is a central committee, but we have considered it necessary to give them some support to enable them to get things going in the country. After some experience they found it necessary to appoint a number of organisers. I have no knowledge really of the method of appointment nor of the persons appointed.

In these cases where we give Grants-in-Aid, what happens is that the grant is made available and the body receiving it is not asked to account in detail for the expenditure. The position really is that the Government Department giving the grant does not interfere with the policy of the body which is receiving it nor in its administration. An example is the Abbey Theatre or the Folklore Commission. We do not interfere but if it happens that progress is not to our liking, or that we have serious doubts about the wisdom of continuing the grant, the matter can be re-examined, but it has never been the case that the Government Department or the Minister responsible to the Dáil has interfered in the working of the organisation or the institution. I think it is better to let them work out their own salvation. They are really only starting on this work and they find that it is impossible to cover the ground with the very slender organisation they have at their headquarters office in Dublin. I think the Dáil will join with me in hoping that their organisers will be successful in the work they have undertaken.

Vote put and agreed to.