Vol. 589 No. 3
131 Mr. O’Dowd asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the interventions which will be taken by his Department under the national drugs strategy to tackle the spread of heroin misuse nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23422/04]
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008. The strategy contains 100 individual actions under the four pillars of supply reduction, prevention, treatment and research, to be implemented by a range of Departments and agencies.
With regard to prevalence of opiate use, research conducted by the National Advisory Committee on Drugs last year estimated that there were 14,452 people using opiates in Ireland. The estimated figure for Dublin is 12,456 with 2,225 people using opiates outside the capital, although a number of these would be in Wicklow and Kildare, which are part of the ERHA region. Although this represents a reduction in the numbers in Dublin of approximately 1,000 over the previous 1996 estimate, this is the first available prevalence data for the regions outside Dublin.
The recent report by the Health Research Board showed that the numbers in treatment for heroin use outside the ERHA area have increased very significantly in the period 1998 to 2002. As the Deputy will be aware, this is in line with one of the key commitments in the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 which is to increase the number of treatment places available for drug misusers. While in percentage terms the increase in the numbers in treatment in the regions is considerable, the vast bulk of methadone treatment continues to take place in the ERHA area. In this regard, the Department of Health and Children, which has overall responsibility for the addiction services, reports that at the end of August 2004 there were 7,190 people receiving methadone treatment. This figure compares with just over 5,000 in December 2000, an increase of 40%.
To date, the treatment services in the regions have undergone a similar pattern to that observed in the ERHA when treatment availability was expanded, in that existing users are much more likely to come forward and present for treatment as it becomes more available, accessible and attractive. Accordingly, as the services have expanded, so have the numbers in treatment, which is a positive development as it indicates that services are meeting an existing demand.
Additional information
All health boards are working towards the increased involvement of general practitioners and pharmacists with regard to the methadone protocol. In July 2001, there were 168 GPs and 233 pharmacists involved in the scheme, compared to 219 GPs and 317 pharmacists involved at the end of August 2004.
I will continue to monitor the overall national situation with regard to opiate use. The programme for Government calls for monitoring of the use of heroin, in particular outside Dublin, and the NACD is in the process of setting up an early warning system to address this issue. The regional drugs task forces are currently mapping out the patterns of drug misuse in their areas, as well as the range and level of existing services, with a view to better co-ordination and addressing gaps in the overall provision. Where opiate use is a problem in particular areas, I expect this to be reflected in their action plans. I look forward to receiving those plans over the coming months and allocating funding for their implementation.
The mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 is currently under way. The review is examining the progress being made to date under the strategy and will enable priorities for future action to be identified and a re-focusing of the strategy, if necessary, for the remaining period up to 2008. As part of the review, the relevance of the strategy in tackling the current nature and extent of drug misuse, including emerging trends, will be examined, and any gaps presenting will be identified. The prevalence of heroin use throughout the country will be considered in this context also.
I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State on being re-appointed to their positions and I wish them well. However, as the Minister of State has admitted, the drugs problem has significantly increased outside Dublin city during the Minister's term of office. I acknowledge there has been significant improvement in the 14 to 21 age cohort in Dublin city, but is it not true that in Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Wicklow and Carlow, heroin is being used more than ever? Has the Minister's national drugs strategy failed? The strategy is in its fourth year, yet the regional drugs tasks forces have been set up only in the past year and have produced no reports. The Minister has failed to deal with this issue.
Parents in particular are concerned at the spread of heroin, albeit to a significant minority of people. Nevertheless, that minority never previously indulged in heroin abuse. Is the Minister's strategy failing because he has failed to resource or fund it in these best of times? We have never had more money in our coffers, yet never has less been spent on the national drugs strategy in the regions.
The spin put on that recent report was misleading. The figures referred to the numbers in treatment not usage. It is positive if the numbers in treatment in certain midlands towns went up by 400%. Under the strategy, we have been trying to achieve the provision of treatment so that we can attract abusers to the services. That the numbers in treatment have increased does not mean that usage has increased.
That is not true. The report states——
It is not appropriate to quote from the report.
The report states that the numbers reporting problem opiate use have increased steadily from 116 to 419 over the past two years. The Government has failed in this area.
The Deputy should allow the Minister to speak.
The Minister allowed me to address a point.
The time for this question is now concluded.
We will only know whether there has been an increase following the next capture-recapture study. However, that figure did not upset us because treatment has been provided, which is the aim of the strategy. Naturally, when services exist, people will be attracted to them, which is positive because it is only when people come forward that they can be treated to try to rid them of their habits.
132 Mr. O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his Department’s proposals for a league table of charities to allow for more public information regarding the way in which money is spent by charities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23056/04]
The Government decided it was unacceptable to continue to have a completely unregulated charities sector. In the programme for Government we undertook to enact a comprehensive reform of the law relating to charities to ensure accountability and to protect against abuse of charitable status and fraud.
Some areas of charitable fund-raising are particularly vulnerable to abuse under the current system. For example, modern methods such as selling tokens like flowers and lapel pins, or collecting promises of money such as standing orders or direct debits, do not need a permit from the Garda. The lack of regulation to date has meant that there is no reliable information on the number of active charities, their financial worth and how they spend their funds. Moreover, there is no requirement to show where donations come from, how much money was received, or what it was spent on; there is no legal obligation to spend donations on the charitable purpose for which they were collected; and there is no requirement to show what percentage of donations was spent on, for example, administration, advertising, professional fund-raisers etc.
These are just some examples of the kind of issues that will need to be tackled by the regulatory body to be established under the legislation which my Department will now prepare. A statutory body to regulate charities will specifically aim to supervise charities and subject them to full regulatory scrutiny. I intend there to be a requirement for charities to provide regular accounts to this body to ensure public accountability. This body will regulate and monitor charities, including their charitable fund-raising activities, on an ongoing basis, and it will protect the public interest by monitoring and investigating possible abuses, including in regard to charitable fund-raising activities.
Additional information
The body will also be tasked with issuing performance reports on areas of the charities sector and I would expect matters such as the publication of league tables to come under this aspect of its responsibilities.
Informed, vigilant trustees also have a crucially-important role to play in guarding against fraud or abuse. I am pleased to report, in that regard, that the Law Reform Commission has been engaged to assist and advise my Department on the updating of charitable trust law, which will form an integral part of the draft charities regulation Bill. This specialist area of the reform will be the subject of a separate public consultation, under the aegis of the Law Reform Commission, in December 2004. At this stage, the current best estimate for publication of the Bill is end 2005. This is a hugely ambitious goal, as the legislation is likely to run to about 200 sections and numerous schedules.
In the wake of the events of 11 September 2001, did the Minister receive a request from the United Nations, which went out to member countries, to review the laws governing charities? The UN claimed that a number of charities were being used for fund-raising and money laundering for international terrorist organisations. If this took place, has the Minister had the opportunity to investigate? Has he concerns regarding the use of so-called charities in this country for that type of purpose?
Yes. The programme for Government includes a provision for a totally new regime for charities. I am pleased this was included because the relevant legislation has been in force for more than 40 years. Since the 1990s, three reports have been drawn up to suggest the action we should take, including those drawn up by the Law Reform Commission and the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1996, Deputy Burton. Reform of the legislation governing charities is a part of the programme for Government and we are working on this.
I accept concerns exist following the events of 11 September 2001 that charities set up here could be abused. While we have been asked by the UN to consider and update our legislation, we were working on this in any case. There is concern at different levels because the current regime is totally unregulated. The aim is to have compulsory regulation and a regulatory body following up on these groups and controlling what they do. The situation up to now was wide open and anything could happen.
Will the Minister confirm that some charities here do no fund-raising? Does he not think it urgent, if it is a possibility that so-called charities are fund-raising or money laundering for terrorist organisations, that something should be done in advance of the legislation? As this type of activity can lead to awful terrorist acts, must we wait for the legislation? Can something be done in the interim?
I do not think anything can be done in the interim. It is full steam ahead as far as the Department is concerned. However, this is not simple legislation. If we manage to get it published by the end of next year, we will be doing well. It will be a comprehensive Bill with more than 200 heads. Public consultations have been held and in recent days the independent evaluation of the submissions made has been published. The Law Reform Commission is working in the area of trust law. However, much work needs to be done and new legislation is needed.
The area is unregulated. Most of the charities we hear about daily do great work and fully support our efforts. The public reaction and that of the charities has been very favourable because all charities doing good work need this legislation as a protection and the sector needs to have safeguards. However, as the sector is unregulated, there are no provisions short of the legislation. We are progressing that as best we can.
133 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the most appropriate source of long-term funding for the community after-schools project in Dublin 1, currently in receipt of short-term funds from his Department, in view of the very valuable work in child care and training undertaken by this project since it was established in 1995; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23073/04]
I informed the Deputy in reply to his Parliamentary Question No. 1284 last week that the community after schools project, Dublin 1, was originally funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through Area Development Management. Following a decision in that Department that the project no longer met the criteria for funding through ADM under the equal opportunities child care programme, my Department agreed to fund the project through its community development unit in recognition of the need to maintain the after-schools services in the Amiens Street area. Short-term funding until the end of 2004 has been agreed. Subject to continued satisfactory progress within the project, I anticipate that funding will be made available to this project in 2005 from my Department.
However, I understand that the CASP also applied for funding to the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board. The board has decided to engage ADM to administer the initial round of funding on its behalf. This application is currently being evaluated by ADM against the criteria set out in the published guidelines. Following this evaluation process, a recommendation will be made to the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board for decision. The CASP will be advised of the board's decision in due course.
I accept that funding is being provided for this year and, hopefully, next year from the community development unit of the Department. Is it intended, all going well, that the community development unit will continue to fund this project on an ongoing basis? I ask in the context of the fact that, since its inception in 1995, the project was funded first by the Department of Social Welfare, then the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and now the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. There is a great deal of frustration with such projects that no one Department appears to take responsibility for after-school projects. Does the Minister of State accept that the recent OECD report severely criticised this country regarding early childhood education and specifically the need to provide after-school activities for children in severely disadvantaged areas? Here we have a group which has spent years of frustrated effort and energy in trying to locate a source of ongoing funding to provide such a service. The OECD report stated it was one of the strengths of the Irish system that it had voluntary and community groups carrying out this type of work.
Will the Minister clarify the position regarding funding from the community development unit? Is it intended to provide this on an ongoing basis? What can be done to mainstream groups providing after-school services in the absence of anything else for children in extremely disadvantaged areas in the north inner city? That part of the north inner city, as the Minister is well aware, is a byword for inequality and lack of access to second and third level education.
There was a question earlier about drugs and children who end up using drugs. Services and community projects such as the one under discussion steer young children away from drugs and give them a chance to get through second level and into third level education. Does the Minister accept it is of vital importance to disadvantaged areas that projects such as these are given a permanent source of funding for the very badly needed after-school activities they provide?
Funding is secure for this year. I anticipate that next year funding will be provided either from the dormant accounts fund or by the Department. I cannot say what the position will be further into the future.
This is a very good project. The fact the Department took it over is proof of that. I am not sure whether the Deputy has done it justice because some items he mentioned might be on a different tangent. The Deputy is correct about its history, that it was under the Department of Social and Family Affairs and then the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform as a child care project. It has come to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs as a community development project. For the Deputy to zone in on the child care aspect of it is not music to the ears of my Department. The reason it was moved from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is that it no longer met the necessary criteria. It now covers not only children but adults and community development. That is why my Department is involved. It is a good project but it has outgrown the existing funding schemes. It is now viewed, from a long-term perspective, as community development and that is how it is being funded. Its effectiveness must also be examined in terms of continuing resources. It is a good project. The issue is to find the right home for it. If it fits the criteria of community development, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs will be happy to look after it. However, the difficulty is that as such projects grow, they do not remain within the criteria set out by different Departments. That is why it was moved from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
The reason I raised the matter is that it is such a good project. The Minister of State says his Department is happy to fund it for the moment. That is the problem. How can the people running this project, which has been in operation since 1995, continue without funding? They need something better than a promise of funding for the moment.
I hear what the Deputy says. Departments are rather structured and fund the groups in question within certain criteria. I do not believe the project is in any immediate danger. The fact that I can state that it is viewed as a good project indicates that. However, it is moving towards adult education. My Department is happy to fund the project under the heading of community development. It is not a child care project. If it was it would be dealt with by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
134 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of persons employed in the new rural social scheme announced in the budget on 3 December 2003; if he has satisfied himself that all the money allocated in that budget will be utilised in 2004; if not, the position regarding the unused funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23072/04]
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta O'Dowd as ucht an dea-mhian a chuir sé in iúl dom féin agus don Aire Stáit, agus ba mhaith liom an rath céanna a ghuí air féin an tseachtain seo.
The number of persons employed on the rural social scheme is 285, including supervisors, at present. The total number of applications received which have been reported to my Department by the implementing bodies is 997. A total of 565 applicants have been allocated places on the scheme, 82 of whom have been unsuccessful on the grounds that they do not meet the eligibility criteria. The remaining applications are under consideration. This is good progress on the scheme and I expect the numbers to increase significantly before the end of this year.
As outlined in the Budget Statement on 3 December 2003, the Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursement Board transferred €10 million from the dormant accounts fund to my Department to deliver the scheme this year, at my request. The second source of funding is savings arising in the Department of Social and Family Affairs as a result of persons transferring to the rural social scheme. My Department will be discussing the issue of how these savings will be dealt with in discussions with the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
I am confident the amount transferred will meet the needs of the scheme this year. The issue of any funds unused at the end of the year will be dealt with in accordance with Government financial procedures and the rules applying to the dormant accounts fund.
Is the Minister satisfied with the speed of implementation of this scheme? I understand it began as a pilot scheme in eight areas and is now being implemented nationally. Does the Minister believe he can meet the target of 2,500 places by the end of the year? Is there anything that might prevent people from joining it? Is there clarity on whether people will retain their secondary benefits, for example, medical cards and so on? A medical card is extremely important to a person on low income in rural Ireland, not merely from the medical point of view but in the context of school transport, clothing allowance and so on. Can the Minister guarantee that a person joining this scheme can still avail of the secondary benefits enjoyed under the other schemes? Would the Minister admit that, nine months on, this scheme has been slow to get off the ground?
Like all schemes, this was slow at the beginning. One of the causes of the delay was the decision to use existing community structures to deliver the scheme, that is, the Leader companies. A major delay over the summer occurred as a result of having to wait for the Leader companies to declare themselves ready to take on the scheme. The Deputy will be glad to hear the scheme is now available nationally.
In addition, I am confident, given the areas in which it now operates, that we will have no trouble filling the 2,500 places. In the areas where it is already operating there are not enough places to meet demand. We allocated the initial tranche of places in direct proportion to the number of people receiving farm assist in each area. We have therefore held places for those coming into the scheme now. I believe there will be a very fast take-up. As each Leader company learns from others, the experience gained will be transmitted from one to another. It was significant that, apart from Duhallow, the Gaeltacht schemes made the most progress. However, Údarás na Gaeltachta, which was involved in the Gaeltacht schemes, had considerable experience with community employment schemes and had already ploughed that furrow. I am happy that the figure of 2,500 participants will be attained soon. I will not put my life on whether it will be on 31 December 2004 or sometime in January 2005. However, now that the scheme is in full operation, it will soon see a full take-up. The Leader companies coming in now will learn from the experience of the first Leader companies.
The aim is to ensure that the same secondary benefits available to community employment scheme participants will be available to the rural social scheme participants, including the medical card. I can confirm that the Christmas bonus will be paid. However, I will check the other matter with the health authorities. The case was made for all secondary benefits available to community employment scheme participants to be available to those in the rural social scheme.
That provision is of the utmost importance to the rural social scheme. Unless the situation is clear to community health officers, they cannot state otherwise. I understand there has been no clarification in this area and the Minister is simply informing the House how he believes it should be. However, clarification on the availability of secondary benefits, such as the medical card, is needed and vital to the scheme. It is unfortunate that the farmers have been made scapegoats in this area.
I have confirmed that the Christmas bonus arrangement will be the same as the community employment scheme. I will also check with the health authorities as to the exact status of the rural social scheme. The case my Department has made is that it should be the same as the community employment scheme. I understand some arrangements must be made. I will check if they are in place and will convey the answer to Deputy Crawford.
135 D’fhiafraigh Mr. Sargent den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cén céatadán de na státseirbísigh ina Roinn atá dátheangach sa Ghaeilge agus sa Bhéarla agus cén tionchar a bheidh ag Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla agus ag stádas oifigiúil don Ghaelige san Aontas Eorpeach, AE, ar an riachtanas Gaeilge a bheith ag státseirbhísigh agus ag daoine eile amach anseo. [23281/04]
Mar is eol don Teachta, ní foláir, bhí sé de phribhléid agam scéim mo Roinne féin faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003 a fhoilsiú ar an Déardaoin seo caite. Ar ndóigh, tá céatadán suntasach de rannáin mo Roinnese ag feidhmiú cheana féin trí Ghaeilge. I gcás gach ceann de na rannáin a sholáthraíonn seirbhísí ar bhonn dhuine-le-duine trí Bhéarla amháin faoi láthair, tá céimeanna sonracha luaite sa scéim a chinnteoidh go mbeidh ar chumas na rannán sin déileáil go héifeachtach trí mheán na Gaeilge le grúpaí seachtracha roimh dheireadh thréimhse na scéime. Tá i gceist go ndéanfaidh an t-aonad oiliúna measúnú ar sholáthar agus éileamh ó thaobh sheirbhísí Gaeilge de i ngach rannóg de chuid na Roinne mar chuid den phróiseas sin.
Ag tagairt don earnáil phoiblí go ginearálta, caithfear a thuiscint nach féidir gach rud a bhaint amach thar oíche agus, mar a dúirt mé ó thús, is í an aidhm atá agam ná go mbeidh feabhsúcháin á mbaint amach, thar thréimhse roinnt scéimeanna, ar leibhéal agus ar chaighdeán na seirbhísí poiblí a bhíonn á gcur ar fáil trí Ghaeilge, de réir éilimh.
Ní mór a thuiscint freisin gur ar an gcomhlacht poiblí, seachas ar an duine aonair, atá an dualgas a chinntiú go gcuirfí feabhas ar bhealach comhtháite, céimiúil agus aontaithe ar chaighdeán na seirbhísí a chuirtear ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge agus go mbeidh na hacmhainní cuí chuige sin curtha ar fáil i gcomhréir leis na ngeallúintí a bheidh sonraithe i scéim. Ní mór dom a mhiniú freisin, ar eagla aon mhí-thuisceana, nach mbeidh úsáid na Gaeilge éigeantach d'aon státseirbhíseach nó seirbhíseach poiblí agus gur ar bhonn chomhpháirtochta a thabharfar feidhm don Acht, chomh maith le pé torthaí a n-eascraíonn as ceist na Gaeilge san AE, atá á plé leis na hinstitiúidí Eorpacha faoi láthair.
Ar dtús báire ba mhaith liom a ghuí go n-éireoidh go geal leis an Aire agus le hAire Stáit na Roinne ins an chéad chéim eile den Rialtas — an céim dheireannach, déarfainn.
Tá a fhios agam nach féidir rudaí a dhéanamh thar oíche i gcomhthéacs athrú bunúsach in úsáid na teanga mar shampla. Mar sin féin, nach gceapann an tAire go mbeadh sé cabhrach, mar shampla i gcás Ombudsman na Leanaí nuair nár luadh Gaeilge mar riachtanas don phost, a rá go mbeadh eolas ar Ghaeilge ina bhuntáiste? Nach gceapann sé go mbeadh cumas oibre trí Ghaeilge ina ghné de fhostú amach anseo má tá ciall nó éifeacht taobh thiar den pholasaí a théann leis an Acht teanga? An bhfuil an tAire sásta a rá go poiblí gur buntáiste í an Ghaeilge ag iarrthóirí, go mórmór má aithnítear stádas na Gaeilge san Aontas Eorpach agus i gcomhthéacs polasaí dátheangach ina Roinn féin agus, le cúnamh Dé, i ngach Roinn eile?
Ba cheart go mbeadh cumas oibre trí Ghaeilge á mheas i ngach aon oifig, ní hamháin i Roinn an Aire ach i ngach Roinn eile. Caithfear a rá an bhfuil cumas na Gaeilge ann nó nach bhfuil i dtreo is go dtuigfidh daoine go bhfuilimid ag dul sa treo cheart agus ní a mhalairt. An módh oibre fostaíochta is mó atá i gceist agam anseo. Nuair a thagann duine i gcomhair agallaimh, ba cheart a chumas oibre trí Ghaeilge a mheas. Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil sé sin i gcoinne aon riail.
B'fhéidir go bhfuil an Teachta ag breith ar seo ón taobh mícheart. Ma bhreathnaíon sé ar phlean mo Roinne féin, is é atá ann go soiléir ná go mbeidh duine i ngach uile rannóg a bheidh in ann seirbhís a thabhairt do chustaiméir trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ní hamhlaidh atá i láthair na huaire. Ar ndóigh, mar atá ráite go minic, déanann rannóg na Gaeilge, rannóg na n-oileán agus rannóg na Gaeltachta a ngnóithe trí Ghaeilge, ach ins na rannógaí eile ní hamhlaidh atá.
An rud atá i gceist a dhéanamh as seo go ceann trí bliana ná déanamh cinnte go mbeidh daoine ins na rannóga eile sa Roinn a bhéas in ann déileáil leis an bpobal trí Ghaeilge. Chuige sin, beidh orainn, idir tréanáil, earcaíocht agus folúntais inmheánacha, déanamh cinnte gur chuid den pholasaí earcaíochta é go mbeidh duine le Gaeilge i ngach uile rannóg. Ní shin le rá go mbeidh ar gach uile dhuine sa rannóg Gaeilge a bheith acu ach beidh orainn déanamh cinnte go bhfuil, ar a laghad, duine le Gaeilge i ngach rannóg. Beidh orainn é sin thógáil san áireamh i gcúrsaí earcaíochta, ardaithe céime agus mar sin de.
Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh sé seo ar fad bunaithe ar sheirbhís don phobal seachas ar rud inmheánach ar mhaithe leis féin nó seachas rud le buntáiste a thabhairt don Ghaeilge thar an mBéarla díreach ar mhaithe le post a fháil. Ní shin atá i gceist. Ar ndóigh, dá mbeadh post do thréidlia, chaithfí dul agus tréidlia a fháil. Má tá post ina bhfuil Gaeilge agus Béarla riachtanach, beidh orainn duine le Gaeilge agus Béarla a fháil. Beidh ceann de na postanna sin le líonadh i ngach uile rannóg i mo Roinn as seo go ceann trí bliana.
Beimid ag súil go n-úsáideann na rannóga Stáit agus na comhluchtaí poiblí eile plean Ranna s'againne seo mar eiseamláir de dhea-chleachtas agus go leanfar é thar an tseirbhís poiblí. Dá mbeadh duine amháin le Gaeilge i ngach uile rannóg Stáit agus i ngach uile rannóg des na heagraíochtaí Stát, bheadh orainn go leor daoine le Gaeilge a earcadh. Luíonn sin le réasún.
Is ar mhaithe le seirbhís don chustaiméir agus ard-chaighdeán seirbhíse a thabhairt do chustaiméirí atá seo á dhéanamh agus ní ar mhaithe le buntáiste a thabhairt don Ghaeilgeoir thar an duine nach bhfuil ach Béarla amháin aige. Ar ndóigh, ar nós aon cháilíocht a bheith ag duine, is buntáiste é an cháilíocht bhreise a bheith ag duine go bhfuil sé nó sí dátheangach.
Tuigim go bhfuil an tAire ag caint ar pholasaí earcaíochta agus tagaim leis sin. An féidir leis a rá go bhfuil sé mí-shásúil nach raibh aon tagairt do riachtanas na Gaeilge in earcaíocht Ombudsman na Leanaí. Tuigeann an tAire go bhfuil go leor leanaí le Gaeilge, agus muna bhfuil Gaeilge ag an ombudsman, beidh fadhb ann.
An bhfoilseoidh an tAire, ó am go céile, tuairisc ar dhul chun cinn seirbhís trí Ghaeilge i ngach aon Roinn? Ba cheart go dtuigfeadh an pobal go bhfuil dul chun cinn á dhéanamh agus cad iad na Ranna atá ag déanamh an dul chun cinn is fearr.
Maidir le ceist Ombudsman na Leanaí, tá go leor easnaimh sa seirbhís poiblí ach ná bíodh muid ag breathnú siar. Rinneadh é sin roimh feidhmiú an Achta. Beidh ar oifig Ombudsman na Leanaí plean a chur faoi bhráid na Roinne le déileáil le ceist sheirbhís trí Ghaeilge ach níl mise ag dul a rá inniu céard a bheidh sa bplean sin. Is rud é sin a bheidh le plé. Roghnaíodh 25 des na comhluchtaí poiblí is tábhachtaí sa tír — bíodh siad tábhachtach ar bhonn náisiúnta, mar Oifig an Úachtaráin nó Oifig an Taoisigh, nó mar go bhfuil siad ag freastal ar an nGaeltacht, mar Chomhairle Condae Thír Conaill — agus a rá leo go bhfuil orthu plean a réiteach. Beidh orthu an plean sin a aontú agus beidh spriocanna cinnte ann mar atá leagtha amach i bplean na Roinne s'agam féin, an t-aon phlean atá foilsithe. Beidh an sprioc agus an rud atá leagtha amach le déanamh go ceann trí bliana soiléir nuair atá an plean aontaithe.
Beidh sé de dhualgas ag an gCoimisinéir Teanga déanamh cinnte go bhfeidhmnítear an plean sin, mar is plean reachtúil atá i gceist. Is eisean a bheadh ag déanamh tuairisciú ar chomhlíonadh na ngeallúintí ar fad atá ins na pleananna. Sin an t-easnamh a bhí i saol na Gaeilge go dtí anois. Is iomaí plean a réitíodh agus is iomaí geallúint a tugadh ach ní raibh éinne neamhspleách taobh amuigh den chóras le déanamh cinnte gur comhlíonadh na geallúintí ar fad. Beidh sé sin amhlaidh sa gcás seo agus is céim mhór chun cinn é sin.
