Vol. 163 No. 1
Tairgim:—
Go gcomhaontóidh Dáil Éireann leis an Taoiseach d'ainmniú an Teachta Micheál Ó Móráin chun a cheaptha ag an Uachtarán chun bheith ina chomhalta den Rialtas.
Ni dóigh liom gur gá aon rud a rá mar gheall air seo. Bhí fhios ag an Dáil go raibh sé ar intinn agam Aire nua a cheapadh agus Roinn na Gaeltachta a chur mar chúram air.
Nuair a cuireadh Bille faoi bhráid na Dála chun Aireacht na Gaeltachta a chur ar bun, mhíníos an gá a bhí leis, sé sin, an teanga a choimeád beo mar ghnáth-theanga na Gaeltachta agus í a leathnú. Bíodh gur ghéill an Páirtí thall an Aireacht nua a chur ar bun, dúirt mórán acu ná raibh gá leis agus go raibh an córas oibre a bhí ann cheanna sách maith don obair a bhí le déanamh. Bíodh is gurb í sin an tuairim a bhí acu thall, ghéill siad do bhunú na hAireachta.
I mí Deireadh Fomhair seo caite, nuair a cheap mé Aire Stáit lán-aimsire d'obair na Gaeltachta, bhí cáineadh agus gearáin ag na Teachtaí thall ná raibh aon ghá le hAire lán-aimsire chun an obair a dhéanamh. Dúirt siad ná raibh gá le hAire nua a cheapadh don Rialtas le haghaidh an méid oibre a bhí le déanamh. Ag an am gcéanna labhair cuid acu go náireach i gcoinne an Teachta uasail a hainmnaíodh don phost.
Anois, tá athrú meoin ann. Tá athrú meoin tagtha ar an Rialtas seo agus ar an bPáirti thall. Dúirt an Taoiseach nach bhfuil aon ghá le haon rud a rá faoin gceapachán nua seo. Ach, ón gcaint a rinne siad agus do réir na dtuairmí a nocht roinnt Teachtaí thall ag an am sin, bheadh níos mó iontaoibhe againn anois dá mba rud é go míneodh an Taoiseach dúinn cad é an t-athru aigne atá tagtha ar an Rialtas seo chun duine sa mbreis a chur isteach sa Rialtas agus duine áirithe a ceapadh agus a chur go lán-aimsearach i mbun obair na Gaeltachta. Tá an Rialtas seo ar aon aigne anois leis na Páirtithe eile sa Dáil nuair a chuir siad duine áirithe i gceannas na hoibre sin agus nuair a thóg siad duine sa mbreis isteach san Rialtas.
Is ceart tábhacht agus méid na hoibre atá le déanamh a thuiscint Tuigeann gach aoinne gur mó í an obair atá le déanamh sa Ghaeltacht chun an teanga a choimeád beo mar ghnáth-theanga na daoine ann. Dá bhrí sin, déarfainn go mba chóir don Taoiseach an scéal a mhíniú níos fearr dúinn. Ba cheart go dtuigfeadh sé go bhfuil gach aoinne sa Tigh seo i ndáiríre chun pé rud agus gach rud is féidir a dhéanamh chun an Ghaeilge a choimeád mar ghnáth-theanga na ndaoine sa Ghaeltacht. Dá bhrí sin déarfainn gur mhaith an rud é an t-athrú meoin seo atá tagtha ar an Rialtas.
Ba chóir go mbeadh iontaoibh againn as a chéile agus, sa tslí sin, dob fhéidir an obair a dhéanamh. Tá an Taoiseach ag moladh duine éigin mar Aire le haghaidh na hoibre seo agus is ar an Taoiseach agus Comhaltaí an Pháirtí thall atá an cúram sin. Is dóigh liom gur ceart a rá, de bhárr an easba eolais atá orrainn agus de bhárr na lag-iontaoibhe a bheadh, b'fhéidir, ar chuid againn, toisc nár míníodh an t-athrú meoin níos fearr dúinn, nach méadú ar an iontaoibh a bheadh againn—agus ba chóir go mbeadh sin againn—as an duine atá tofa ag an Rialtas agus ag an bPáirtí thall chun an obair seo a chur chun chinn.
Tuigeann gach aoinne gur obair dheacair í ina bhfuil mórán gnéithe le cur chun chinn. Deirim nach méadú ar an iontaoibh atá againn an duine a toghadh, bíodh agus go bhfuil an cúram sin ag an Taoiseach agus ag an bPáirti thall. Dob fhearr i bhfad go míneodh an Taoiseach don Tigh seo cad na thaobh ar shocraigh sé ar Aire lán-aimsire a cheapadh don obair seo agus Aire sa mbreis a chur isteach san Rialtas.
I do not want to be taken as objecting to the appointment of Deputy Moran as a member of the Government under any circumstances. I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for him in the arduous task he will have to undertake.
The type of speech delivered in Irish by Deputy Mulcahy is the type of speech which is killing or helping to finish off the Irish language. To my mind, to attempt at this stage to restore what is practically a dead language is like locking the stable door when the horse has gone. Deputy Mulcahy has been a member of this House since its foundation and he helped in great measure, in setting up this House. He has had all that time— the last 37 years—to see the mistakes that have been made in connection with the whole problem of the Irish language. The only solution he found at the end of the 37 years was the appointment of a Minister for the Gaeltacht to restore a language which, over the past 37 years, has gradually been dying away.
I do not intend to repeat anything which was said here yesterday by certain speakers, but it should be brought home to the people that there are a number of cranks inside and outside this House and that it is on behalf of those cranks, and to appease those cranks, that this appointment of a Minister for the Gaeltacht has been made although all of us who have any common sense left realise that it is not a course that will revive the Irish language. Therefore, I have nothing but the greatest sympathy for a young man like Deputy Moran who, for the future, will be blamed if this revival does not take place.
On the 24th October last, the then Taoiseach, Deputy J.A. Costello, appointed Deputy P. Lindsay to the position of Minister for the Gaeltacht. The present Taoiseach, who was then the Leader of the Opposition, is reported at column 76 of the Official Report of that day as saying:—
"We are against this appointment. We think it should not be necessary to introduce a further member into the Government in order to get this work of the Gaeltacht done."
The nomination of a Minister for the Gaeltacht to-day seems to indicate a complete about-turn in the mind of the present Taoiseach compared with the views he expressed a few short months ago.
I should be glad if the Taoiseach would tell us why he has now decided to appoint a Minister for the Gaeltacht in view of the fact that, when the inter-Party Government decided to appoint one, he indicated it was totally against his wishes as he did not think there was any need for it.
I am glad the boycott of Connacht by the present Taoiseach has at last ended. In days gone by when Cromwell was here there was an old cry of "To Hell or to Connacht." Since the 20th March last, when the present Government was formed, the policy of that Government appeared to be "To Hell with Connacht". While I think the Taoiseach could possibly have got a better Minister, nevertheless, I am glad that at last Connacht, and particularly my own County Mayo, has one Minister. Connacht was entitled to be granted that if there is to be any kind of decent representation on the Government, as there was in the two inter-Party Governments.
I want to take this opportunity of saying that I think Connacht was entitled to better treatment, and, if Fianna Fáil suffered political defeats in the past at elections, it is due to their policy of leaving Connacht always outside the closed door. I am not relying too much on their faithfulness to the present Taoiseach. I am glad that boycott has ended. As far as I and my Party are concerned, we will support the new Minister for the Gaeltacht in every way in regard to anything he can do towards reviving the language and bringing prosperity to the Gaeltacht. I should like to know from the Taoiseach why he about-faced since last October in regard to the question of the appointment of a Minister.
I should like to make a short statement. I endorse what Deputy Mulcahy said as to the desirability of maintaining the Ministry for the Gaeltacht for the protection and development of that part of the country and all it means to Ireland, our traditions and our future, but when I read the motion on the Order Paper that out of the 78 Deputies of whom the Taoiseach disposes in this House, he had chosen Deputy Moran to nominate as Minister for the Gaeltacht, I felt myself constrained to say that those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad.
Mar gheall ar churam na Gaeltachta a chur ar Aire, cuid den difir a bhí idir mo thuairimse agus tuairim an Teachta Ua Maolchatha agus daoine eile gur cheap mise gurbh bhfear Rúnaí Parlaiminte don Rialtas a bheith ann. Sin é an post a bhí ag an Teachta Ó Loingsigh nuair a bhí sé ina Rúnaí Parlaiminte nuair a bhí an Rialtas seo in oifig an t-am deireannach. Duirt mé gurbh fhearr é ná Aire. Nuair a cuireadh an Aireacht nua ar bun cheapas gurbh fhearr deis a thabhairt don Aire nua an obair a dhéanamh dá mb'fhéidir leis é. Ní dóigh liom gur ceart domsa, nuair atá an Aireacht curtha ar bun, í a scriosadh anois. Mar sin, cheapas gurbh é rud ab fhearr a dhéanamh leanúint leis an rud a bhí déanta agus Aire a cheapadh.
Aireacht an deacair is ea í. Tá ag teastáil, ní hamháin duine a chuirfeadh suim sa Ghaeilge agus i gcultúr na Gaeilge agus duine a chuirfeadh an teanga ar aghaidh agus a choimeadfadh beo í, ach go mbeadh fear gnótha ann. Ceist eacnamaíoch is ea í chomh maith le ceist teanga. Mar sin, cheapas gurb é an rud ab fhearr a dhéanamh duine a raibh eolas aige ar chúrsaí gnótha, chomh maith le bheith i ndon an Ghaeilge a labhairt agus suim a bheith aige sa Ghaeilge, a cheapadh. Sin é an fáth gur thoghas an duine atá luaite sa Rún.
Mar gheall ar chúis na teanga agus an Ghaeilge a choimeád beo, tá a lán daoine a cheapann nach bhfuil an tsuim chéanna ag muintir na tíre sa teanga agus a bhí. Ba mhaith liom go gcuirfí an cheist sin os comhair na ndaoine, mar ní hé sin an tuairim atá agamsa. Ceapadh gurbh fhéidir an teanga d'athbheochaint i gceann tamaill bhig, ach na daoine a thuig a dheacracht a bhí an cheist sin, ní raibh an tuairim sin acu.
Ní féidir le haon Aire amháin an obair a dhéanamh mura bhfaighe sé ó gach Aire eile an cúnamh atá ag teastáil. Sin é an rud a gheobhaidh an tAire nua. Beidh sé ina bhall den Rialtas agus nuair a thiocfaidh sé os ár gcomhair le ceist ar bith a bhaineann leis an nGaeltacht nó leis an teanga, is féidir leis na smaointe atá aige ar aon cheist a chur os ár gcomhair.
Dúirt mé, nuair a bhí ceist na Gaeltachta ar siúl cúpla bliain ó shin, nach féidir le duine amháin nó Aire amháin ná le Bord an obair sin a dhéanamh mura bhfaighe siad ó gach aon Aire agus ó gach Roinn den Rialtas an cúnamh atá ag teastáil.
Cuireadh agus d'aontaíodh an cheist.
