Go ndeonófar suim fhorlíontach nach mó ná £10 chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31 ú lá de Mhárta, 1967, le haghaidh Tuarastail agus Costais Roinn na Gaeltachta, maille le Deontais le haghaidh Tithe agus Ildeontais-i-gCabhair.
Supplementary Estimates, 1966-67. - Vote 37—Roinn na Gaeltachta.
Tá an Meastachán Forlíontach seo á thabhairt isteach chun £50,000 breise a chur ar fáil do Ghaeltarra Éireann sa bhliain airgeadais reatha. Tá £170,000 de dheontas-i-gcabhair ceadaithe ag an Dáil cheana agus tabharfaidh an bhreis seo an t-iomlán do Ghaeltarra suas go £220,000 i mbliana.
Faoi mar a d'innis mé don Dáil nuair a bhí an Meastachán Bunaidh á phlé i mí na Samhna seo caite, tá atheagar níos éifeachtaí curtha againn ar Ghaeltarra Éireann; agus is mithid anois go ndéanfaí cúrsaí airgid an Bhoird a chur ar bhonn sásúil chomh maith. Is amhlaidh nár leor na deontais-i-gcabhair a fuair Gaeltarra le roinnt blianta anuas chun na heasnaimh airgid a bhain dó a shlánú. D'fhág sé sin go raibh bearna airgid de bhreis ar £50,000 gan líonadh i ndeireadh mí Márta seo caite. Dá luaithe a líonfar an bhearna sin is amhlaidh is fearr é, agus is chuige sin an meastachán seo.
Sa tuarascáil is déanaí de chuid Ghaeltarra Éireann — atá faoi bhráid na Dála le tamall anuas—tá an méid seo a leanas ráite ag an mBord:—
Tá an Bord ag tabhairt tús áite d'atheagrú agus d'fhorbairt na dtionscal atá acu faoi láthair le go gcuirfear ar an mbonn is eacnamúla iad. Tá tús curtha le suirbhéireacht mhargaíochta sna tionscail uile agus tá plean uileghabhálach margaíochta á ullmhú. Tá atheagrú á dhéanamh freisin ag an mBord ar an rannóg mhargaíochta.
Tá tús curtha le córas rianúil chun costais a laghdú, go háirithe na barr-chostais. Baineann fadhbanna ar leith le tionscail an Bhoird, áfach, toisc go mbíonn costais thar an ngnáth ag gabháil le haonaid bheaga táirgeachta a bhíonn scaipthe go forleathan.
Is deimhin liom go bhfuil eagar maith oibre á chur ar Ghaeltarra Éireann don aimsir atá romhainn agus tá súil agam go mbeidh an Dáil toilteanach an t-airgead seo a chur ar fáil: molaim an meastacháin forlíontach dá réir.
Ní fada ó bhí díospoireacht againn anseo cheana faoi obair Roinn na Gaeltachta. Bhíomar ag caint faoi cúrsaí Ghaeltarra Éireann Dé hAoine seo chaite ar an teilifís chomh maith. Seo iarracht chun níos mó airgid a thabhairt do Ghaeltarra Éireann. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil cúrsaí Gaeltarra Éireann ag dul ar aghaidh go maith. Dá bhrí sin aontáim leis an meastachán forlíontach seo.
I must express my disappointment with the amount of employment provided in Galway so far as Gaeltarra Éireann is concerned. This is the area in which we have the greatest drain as a result of emigration. We are supposed to cater for native speakers. In this area alone, there is a great demand for work. What has Gaeltarra Éireann done to meet that demand? There is a sum here of £220,000, of which I should like a breakdown. I should like to know how much of it is spent on palatial offices here in Dublin. We hear all the talk about saving the West. After 30 years of Fianna Fáil, it is still "save the West". It must be saved. We hear all they are going to do for the West. It is results that count, not little efforts like this. Are we to leave the whole thing to Father McDyer? The Board of Works have given up as far as roadmaking is concerned in the West. What is to compensate? What is Gaeltarra Éireann doing? I do not suggest that the road workers should be turned over to making dolls, but their children could be employed to a much greater extent. Why not channel the moneys saved by the Board of Works into doing something worthwhile to save the West? The unfortunate people are up to their necks in muck and slush trying to get in and out of the backwoods. The situation is a disgrace to Fianna Fáil and others like them who will do nothing to save the West.
Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá ar an Meastachán seo. Ba chóir Roinn na Gaeltachta a bheith thiar i nGaillimh, i gCiarraí nó i nDún na nGall. Dá mbeadh an Roinn in aon cheantar Gaeltachta bheadh sé an-áisiúil.
Molaim do na daoine atá i mbun cúrsaí tráchtála sa tír seo monarchana beaga a bhunú sa Ghaeltacht agus gan bheith ag brath ar an Rialtas amháin chun obair a chur ar fáil. Tá dualgas ar gach duine sa tír seo gan ligean don teanga dul in éag. Sí an phríomhaidhm a ba chóir a bheith romhainn obair a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta.
Tá an Rialtas ag déanamh a ndíchill agus níl a fhios agam conas is féidir leo níos mó a dhéanamh. Tá a lán deontas le fáil ag aon duine ar maith leis aon rud a chur ar aghaidh sa Ghaeltacht. Níl dóthain úsáide á baint as na deontais agus as an airgead atá le fáil chun monarchana a bhunú sa Ghaeltacht.
Molaim do na tionsclaithe móra craobhacha dá gcomhlachtaí a bhunú sa Ghaeltacht agus úsáid a bhaint as an airgead atá le fáil faoi láthair.
Theastaigh ón Teachta ó Ghaillimh thiar a fháil amach conas a chaitear an t-airgead seo. Sin ceist a chuir mé féin ar an Roinn agus táim lán sásta go gcaitear an chuid is mó de sa Ghaeltacht. Ní raibh mé sásta gur mar sin a bhí an scéal go dtí gur chuir mé an cheist.
I should like to say a few words in English because I have noticed that on previous occasions on which I have spoken in our native language, the representatives of the Press were unable to report what I said, or else were not sufficiently interested in reporting what anybody who spoke in Irish said. That is rather lamentable.
Ní fíor é sin.
I would appeal to the people responsible for reporting the happenings in this House at all times to take notice of any matters relating to the Gaeltacht and our national language. The Department of the Gaeltacht are giving every assistance towards providing further employment in the Gaeltacht areas. Under Gaeltarra Éireann, there is tremendous financial assistance available to any industrialist wishing to set up there. The problem is that the people in the Gaeltacht who know about this assistance are not in a position to avail of it fully. Therefore I would appeal to some of our larger industrialists to examine fully whether they could come in and give assistance in this matter of providing employment where it is sadly lacking. Definite efforts have been made and great progress has been made through the activities of Gaeltarra Éireann, but unfortunately, as in other regards, too much reliance is placed on Government activity and there is very little private initiative in this matter.
It would be a great step forward if more and more of our industrialists set up suitable factories in places where there is definitely a labour force available, where the people are highly adaptable and have a high degree of intelligence. This has been proved to be so in cases where they took up jobs not only in this country but abroad. They have always proved themselves to be outstanding. I should like to say that I am not terribly happy about some of the moves that have been made since the recent change in Gaeltarra Éireann, particularly in regard to the change from machine-knits because of the change of policy. People who had machines in their houses, some of them for perhaps up to 20 years, found that when the machines were taken from them, their only hope of further employment was to change over to handknitting and in houses where this had not been the practice, it did cause some hardship. If the policy is successful then all credit to Gaeltarra Éireann but it has certainly brought some hardship to some families who were not able to make this change as quickly as others. I would recommend every support for the work of Gaeltarra Éireann and I hope their efforts to expand employment in Gaeltacht areas will be successful in the years ahead.
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a gabháil leis na daoine a labhair ar an meastachán as ucht an méid a dúirt siad agus mar gheall ar an airgead a cuireadh ar fáil.
Mar adúirt mé cheana, tá atheagrú déanta ar Ghaeltarra Éireann. Tá mé cinnte go dtiocfaidh feabhas ar chúrsaí na heagraíochta agus ar chúrsaí na Gaeltachta ach ní cóir dúinn bheith ag súil le míorúiltí. Táimidne den bharúil go mbeidh toradh fónta le feiceáil amach anseo. Is í an aidhm atá romhainn go léir obair a chur ar fail do mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Táimid ag déanamh ár ndíchill chun é sin a chur i gcrích.
Is féidir liom a rá fosta go bhfuil formhór mór an airgid atá á chaitheamh ag Gaeltarra Éireann á chaitheamh sa Ghaeltacht.
D'fhiafraígh an Teachta Coogan díom an rabhamar ag fágáil slánú na Gaeltachta faoi dhaoine ón taobh amuigh. Nílimid; táimid féin ag déanamh ár ndíchill. Glacaim leis go bhfuil na daoine eile seo ag déanamh a ndíchill fosta. Is féidir leo dul chun cinn a dhéanamh de bhrí go gcuirimid an oiread sin cabhrach ar fáil don Ghaeltacht. Marach sin ní bheadh an toradh ar an obtair atá le feiceáil uirthi anois. Tá áthas orm go bhfuil an toradh sin le feiceáil ar a saothar. Tá an scéal sin amhlaidh toisc go bhfuil an oiread sin deontas agus cabhrach le fáil ó Roinn na Gaeltachta agus ó Ghaeltarra Éireann.
Maidir leis na meaisíní cniotála agus tagairt dó, tá sé á scaipeadh go forleathan againn. Aon duine a bhfuil sé ag teastáil uaidh, tig leis é a fháil in aisce. Tá súil agam go mbeidh sé ag gach duine a bheidh sásta úsáid a bhaint as.
Maidir leis na meaisíni cniotála agus an t-athrú atá tagtha ar an obair, ní athrú polasaí é ó thaobh Ghaeltarra Éireann de. Is amhlaidh nach raibh an díol céanna ar na hearraí meaisínchniotáilte. Ní raibh éileamh ar na hearraí agus mar gheall air sin b'éigean do Ghaeltarra Éireann an t-athrú a dhéanamh. Ní gá go mbeadh laghdú ar theacht isteach aon duine. Tá airgead maith le tuilleamh ar an lámh-chiotáil—níos fearr bfhéidir ná mar a bhí le fáil acu nuair a bhí an obair á dhéanamh acu ar na measíní.
Leis an atheagrú atá á dhéanamh ar Ghaeltarra Éireann tá súil againn go mbeidh feabhas mór ar chúrsaí na Gaeltachta amach anseo. Faoi mar adúirt mé ní ceart dúinn bheith ag súil le míorúiltí ach san am céanna tá a fhios agam ón méid atá déanta cheana féin go dtiocfaidh feabhas ar an scéal agus tá a fhios agam fosta gurb é sin dóchas gach Teachta sa Teach. Arís, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teach.
Vote put and agreed to.