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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Mar 1968

Vol. 233 No. 10

Committee on Finance. - Vote 36—Roinn na Gaeltachta.

Tairgim:

Go ndeonófar suim fhorlíontach nach mó ná £10 chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31ú lá de Mhárta, 1968, le haghaidh Tuarastail agus Costais Roinn na Gaeltachta, maille le Deontais le haghaidh Tithe agus Ildeontais-i-gCabhair.

Is chun an deontas-i-gcabhair do Ghaeltarra Éireann a mhéadú go dtí £300,000 sa bhliain airgeadais reatha trí shuim £80,000 a chur leis atá an Meastachán Forlíontach seo á thabhairt isteach.

Meastar anois go gcaithfidh Gaeltarra £57,000 ar dheontais chaipitil i mbliana—

£15,000 ar mhiontionscadail shomhaoineacha a dtugtar deontais suas go £2,000 chun iad a chur chun cinn gan dul i bpáirtíocht leis na daoine ina mbun; tá suas le 27 gcinn de na deontais sin ceadaithe go dtí seo; agus

£42,000 chun monarcha agus innealra a chur ar fáil in aice leis an Spidéal do Connemarble Ltd., comhlacht ina bhfuil scaireanna ag Gaeltarra agus daoine eile i gcomhar lena chéile; ní fada anois go mbeidh marmar Chonamara á phróiseáil ansin agus scór fear ag obair sa tionscal.

Ba mhaith liom a mhíniú go bhfaigh-eann Gaeltarra caipiteal neamh-vótáilte chomh maith as an bPríomh-Chiste i bhfoirm airleacain—chun scaireanna i gcomhlachtaí a chean-nach, monarchana a thógáil le ligean ar cíos agus na tionscail atá á reachtáil ag Gaeltarra féin a fhorbairt. £100,000 a gheobhaidh an Bord sa bhealach sin i mbliana. Caithfear cuid de sin ar scaireanna i Connemarble Ltd. a luaigh mé anois beag agus, fosta, in Ambler of Donegal Ltd., comhlacht a bhfuil monarcha á tógáil dó i nGaoth Dobhair chun snáthanna a shníomh don tionscal fíodóireachta; beidh breis agus dhá scór duine ag obair ansin i dtosach báire.

Ó thaobh caiteachais reatha de, meastar go mbeidh thart ar £143,000 ag teastáil ó Ghaeltarra chun easnamh na bliana reatha a shlánú. Ina theannta sin tá beartaithe agam £100,000 a chur ar fáil don Bhord mar chaipiteal oibre —rud nach bhfuair siad riamh cheana —d'fhonn go mbeidh ar a gcumas eagar níos éifeachtaí fós a chur ar a gcuid gnóthaí.

Is cúis sásaimh dom go bhfuil feabhas ag teacht ar na tionscail atá á reachtáil ag Gaeltarra féin agus go bhfuil ag éirí leis an mBord na dualgais atá orthu a chomhlíonadh. De thairbhe na gcumhachtaí nua a tugadh dóibh cúpla bliain ó shin tá toradh nach beag cheana féin ar shaothar an Bhoird agus tá tuilleadh tograí ar láimh acu a chabhróidh go mór le fostaíocht bhreise a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Tá gach dóchas agam go ndéanfar dul ar aghaidh fónta ar mhaithe leis an nGaeltacht sna blianta atá romhainn.

Molaim an Meastachán Forlíontach don Teach dá réir sin.

Is é tuairim Fhine Gael gur cóir i bhfad níos mó cabhrach a thabhairt do mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Is tábhachtach an obair atá á déanamh ag Gaeltarra Éireann agus dá bhrí sin aontaímid leis an Meastachán Forlíontach seo.

We agree with the provision of this money. We believe that any attempt made by an Irish Government to provide work for Irish boys and girls in their own area is money well spent. It has been stated on numerous occasions that the yard-stick by which any Government should be judged is the number of Irish boys and girls earning their livings and settling down in their own countryside. If we use that yardstick to measure the achievements of the present Government, we have to admit that things are not going as well as we would like. Unfortunately the Gaeltacht areas of the West are dying. That is a disgrace to all concerned. Over 1,000,000 people have been driven from the land of rural Ireland over the past 40 years. As Deputy Ryan pointed out, our policy is to provide money for those types of industry mentioned in this Supplementary Estimate, industries based on the raw materials available in the areas in which they are established.

We welcome this Supplementary Estimate, but we think more should be done to keep our people at home in their own country. For many years we blamed the foreigner for the fact that our people were being driven from their homes in the West and from rural Ireland generally. We have now had native government for over 40 years and the responsibility of providing work for our people at home in their own country rests on our shoulders. We wish the Minister and the Government well in any action they take in that direction and we sincerely hope they will be successful

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teach as ucht glacadh leis an meastachán forlíontach seo. Tig liom a rá, faoi mar a dúirt mé i dtosach, gur tábhachtach an obair atá á déanamh ag Gaeltarra Éireann sa Ghaeltacht. Tá forbairt nach beag ó thaobh na tionsclaíochta ar siúl anois ag Gaeltarra agus is é mo bharúil go bhfuil níos mó dóchais ag muintir na Gaeltachta agus níos mó iontaoibhe acu astu féin ná mar a bhí acu riamh.

De réir a chéile tá ag éirí leis an bpolasaí seo againne chun níos mó daoine a chur ag obair sa Ghaeltacht agus níl dabht ná go n-éireoidh níos fearr lenár n-iarrachtaí sna blianta atá romhainn.

Vote put and agreed to.
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