Vol. 685 No. 1
24 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will provide a progress report on the decentralisation plans for his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23141/09]
The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is scheduled to relocate under the decentralisation programme to offices at Na Forbacha, Galway, and Charlestown, County Mayo. Our commitment to Na Forbacha has been met in full with ten staff now relocated to the Department's offices at that location.
Significant progress has been made to date with decentralisation of the Department's headquarters to Charlestown. From a total of 140 staff due to decentralise, 100 staff have relocated to an interim location in Tubbercurry, County Sligo, where two properties are being leased by the Office of Public Works to accommodate the staff concerned. A significant number of departmental business units, including the full rural, community and finance divisions, are now operating successfully from Tubbercurry.
The eventual destination identified by the Government for the Department is Charlestown, County Mayo. The Office of Public Works has been engaged in the process of selecting and purchasing a permanent site for the Department's headquarters at that location. The Office of Public Works is liaising with the Department of Finance and relevant authorities on a particular site in Charlestown, identified as being suitable.
The Department of Finance was recently approached by a community development organisation concerning a property in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, with turn-key potential as a headquarters building. On foot of this approach, the Office of Public Work is examining the property in question to ascertain its suitability. This is a sensible and prudent response to the approach that has been made and implies no decision.
A site for the departmental headquarters was identified in Charlestown, County Mayo, but the planning application for it was refused by An Bord Pleanála. A second site was identified in Charlestown but no contract with the owner would be entered into until planning was approved. Last July, Cairn International Trade Centre, a company owned by IRD Kiltimagh Limited which administered the Leader programme and rural social scheme, made an approach concerning a site it has in Kiltimagh. The Minister has informed me that to date €400,000 has been spent on refurbishing offices in Tubbercurry and €200,000 leasing them. Cairn International Trade Centre has already received over €20,000 of Leader funding to complete a feasibility study on the building. It has also drawn down a loan of €1 million from the Western Development Commission, which falls under the Minister's brief. If the Kiltimagh office were chosen, will it be a case of the Department paying for the buildings twice? To me this resembles "Fawlty Towers" where the Department gives moneys to the Western Development Commission which, in turn, gives it to Cairn International Trade Centre to build offices which then expects the Department to pay rent for. Has Charlestown or Kiltimagh been chosen as the site for the decentralised departmental offices?
What about Tubbercurry?
Decisions in the Leader programme are made in what is termed the bottom-up development. The Deputy is correct that IRD Kiltimagh Limited made moneys of €12,000 and €9,675 available to Cairn International Trade Centre for a feasibility study. The Western Development Commission made a loan on certain terms to the building which is secured on properties in Kiltimagh. The issue raised by the Deputy would only come into play if there were a decision to purchase the building in Kiltimagh.
The process was that the Office of Public Works would buy a site in Charlestown. An approach was made to the Department of Finance by the owners of the Cairn International Trade Centre in Kiltimagh. The Office of Public Works is still examining if it is a suitable building. Until then, the other issues raised by the Deputy would not even come into play.
I thank the Minister for making this and much more information on this matter available to me. He claims the Kiltimagh group did not make an approach concerning the building until July last year. How was it able to draw down a loan of €1 million from the Western Development Commission?
I am anxious that we would give as much information as is possible. Decisions of the Western Development Commission on any amounts up to €1 million are separate from me. It is also important that the Deputy is made aware that the group in question applied for dormant accounts funding. This was initially recommended by Pobal. It came to the committee I chair which believed there were issues under the relevant Act. The matter was reviewed and it was decided not to give funding under the dormant accounts fund. I can make those papers available to the Deputy so that he has the full picture.
I have treated this matter at arm's length. I will not deny people approached me about the building. It is also a fact that I pushed the matter to the right place because, as Minister, I have no function in property acquisition whatsoever. The Office of Public Works' decision to examine the suitability of the Kiltimagh building is its own and not mine.
My concern is to proceed with the full decentralisation of my Department to east County Mayo. Until this issue was raised, and which now has to be resolved, I was happy with the progress made with the Charlestown site. The original site was to be at Knock Airport. Except for an unusual decision by An Bord Pleanála the offices would be there today. My focus is in getting a permanent headquarters for my Department. Until recently, the site at Charlestown was the only one in play. This other building at Kiltimagh has come into play. It raises all sorts of issues, which have been legitimately raised by Deputy Ring. These will all have to be taken into account but only if the Office of Public Works were to consider the Kiltimagh building suitable.
It raises many questions about the use of €1 million of Government moneys.
25 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of meetings he or his departmental officials have had or are proposing to have with national sporting organisations to discuss the proposed new national drugs strategy; the results of such meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23139/09]
I am highly aware that involvement in sport can be a key factor in helping to prevent young people from becoming involved in problem drug taking. In this context and because of the other health and well-being benefits involved, I wholeheartedly support participation in sport.
Under the current drugs strategy, a number of initiatives were developed on a local basis to promote sport among young people. In addition, 14 of what are termed "Football in the Community" development officers are employed under the young people's facilities and services fund, ten of whom are in Dublin and four in Limerick. Such initiatives are likely to continue under the new drugs strategy.
Neither my officials nor I have had direct meetings with national sporting organisations to discuss the proposals for the new strategy. However, the steering group set up to develop proposals in this regard undertook an extensive consultation process in mid-2008 and I personally participated in many of the meetings involved. This process included 15 public consultation meetings nationwide, as well as meetings with relevant Departments and agencies, key sectoral representatives and organisations and targeted focus groups. Submissions in writing also were received from the public and various other bodies, including the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, which submitted views that emphasised the importance of sport.
I also should mention in this context that the national co-ordinator of the GAA's alcohol and substance abuse prevention programme was a member of the steering group. However, his membership was as a representative of the voluntary sector rather than as a direct sports-focused participant. The steering group recognised the capacity of sports organisations to positively affect and influence the attitudes and behaviour of many people, particularly children and young adults. This is being achieved through both the provision of diversionary sport and recreational activities and the spread of health, prevention and awareness messages in regard to problem drug and alcohol use.
The group was highly conscious of the opportunity to build on the valuable prevention work being done by the various sports organisations, both at a broad level and through individual volunteers. In this context, the new strategy proposes the putting in place of substance misuse policies and the development of a brief interventions approach, where appropriate, in youth, sport and community organisations. In that regard, it is important to acknowledge that some organisations, such as the GAA, already have in place substance misuse policies. I believe that sport will continue to play a very positive part in our efforts to tackle problem drug use in our society over the lifetime of the new strategy.
I find it very difficult to understand how, while discussing the strategy, alternatives are never discussed. In this context, I fail to understand the reason that all sporting organisations have not been contacted. Something must be put in place to attract young people away from the misuse of drugs. Given that so much money has been spent on grants to various sporting organisations, those facilities should be used to attract young people away from the drug barons who are trying to destroy their lives on a daily basis.
Although I am deeply involved in the GAA, I have yet to visit a GAA facility or attend a meeting at which I have heard a single word about a local drugs task force, a meeting or anything similar. It is difficult to understand that although so much money is spent in capital outlay to the aforementioned organisations, the two matters do not appear to be tied together. This Department pertains to community matters and to providing for the community and I fail to understand why attempts are not made to try to drive an alternative to get the youngsters involved. While I acknowledge the associations can only do so much in this regard, a combination of all groups is required.
Before the announcement of the strategy, I ask the Minister of State to facilitate the holding of a seminar on this issue, to which all sporting organisations will be invited. He should demonstrate his willingness to lead on this matter because that is his job. He should provide a lead in combining all sports organisations to ensure that progress will be made.
First, to clarify a number of points, there was a fairly extensive public consultation period. While individual sporting organisations were not contacted directly, many may have attended public meetings. The debates held in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and in the Seanad all highlighted the issue of sport. Government policy has recognised clearly that the problem relating to drugs is at its worst in areas of high disadvantage and additional incentives have been provided in such areas, by which I mean top-up funding for sports capital programmes from this Department and so forth. Various programmes are in place and I acknowledge fully the importance of sport.
The drugs strategy is now at an advanced stage and further consultations will not be held. However, this strategy is on an interim basis. Arising from the Government's decision of 30 September to include alcohol, a new joint substance misuse strategy will be drawn up and in that regard I will consult specifically, at Deputy Wall's request, with the sporting organisations.
If no further consultations in this regard are to be held, a major opportunity will have been missed. In tandem with the strategy's launch, the Minister of State still should go ahead and organise a seminar to highlight what has taken place and to ensure that everyone is on board in this regard. Otherwise, I believe this constitutes a missed opportunity.
I reiterate that the new national strategy is an interim drug-related strategy. On 30 September last, the Government made the decision to have a joint drug and alcohol substance misuse strategy and work will begin on that process in September 2009. During that process, in specific response to Deputy Wall's remarks, I will consult with the sporting organisations as requested.
Very well. I thank the Minister of State.
26 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if, in view of recent cuts to the national drugs strategy budget, he will investigate alternative sources of funding to ensure that community groups and projects under the national drugs strategy can continue their work to combat the drug problem here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23301/09]
As the Deputy will be aware, the majority of expenditure allocated through my Department to community groups involved in drugs initiatives is channelled though the local and regional drugs task forces. Of the total drugs funding in my Department's Vote in 2009, more than 92% is targeted at task force-related activities.
The revised allocation, following the supplementary budget in April, for community-based initiatives in the local and regional drugs task force areas is €32.5 million, which will support approximately 530 projects. No area is immune to cost cutting measures in the current economic environment. It is in this context that all drugs task forces must live within the budgets allocated for their areas of responsibility and I fully appreciate this involves a requirement to make some difficult choices.
Sustained incremental funding over recent years has facilitated, amongst others, the strengthening of existing projects in the local drugs task force areas, the rolling out of a range of projects and initiatives in regional drugs task force areas, the introduction of new initiatives and responses to address cocaine usage and to support rehabilitation, as well as ongoing investment in capital projects. These are recognised by the Government as key areas to support communities to address the harm caused by problem drugs use and to deliver meaningful solutions. I assure the Deputy that my primary concern has been and continues to be the protection of front line community-based services delivering vital programmes and initiatives in areas worst affected by problem drug use.
I am acutely aware of the challenges that reduced budget allocations pose. Other Departments and agencies also are aware of this issue in the context of their engagement in the drugs strategy and the available funding to them for the mainstream drugs projects and services. However, we must take account of the current economic reality and of the pressure on the public finances. Inevitably, this means that some schemes will be affected. Properly managed, however, this also may lead to improved efficiencies in services and may foster better interagency working to the benefit of all.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
The Deputy also should note that drugs task forces have benefitted from funding under the dormant accounts fund, DAF. In addition to supporting the dial to stop drug dealing campaigns in task force areas, 80 projects in 23 of the task force areas were recently approved funding from the DAF for initiatives aimed at improving services for families of drug misusers. There have also been many calls to ring-fence and use assets seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau to fund drug services and I spoke in the Dáil about this recently during an Adjournment debate. While the suggestion is interesting, it raises a number of difficulties. The Constitution requires, and Government accounting principles provide, that public moneys be spent as voted or approved by Dáil Éireann unless otherwise provided by statute. It would be contrary to the normal Estimates process were one to ring-fence moneys obtained by the Exchequer and reallocate them for a specific purpose. The variable nature of the value of the assets seized by the CAB in any given year also could cause problems as funds must be provided on an ongoing basis for drugs programmes. Difficulties also might be caused if delays arose as a result of legal challenges to court disposal orders. Such an unstable revenue source would not facilitate the proper planning of drug programmes by organisations involved in delivering such services.
The Deputy will be aware that a number of difficult decisions are being taken across the Government. However, its approach is to do this in as balanced a way as possible. There is a critical need to ensure that resources are directed in a targeted and effective manner and that the maximum benefit is achieved. I am confident that the funding in 2009 will enable the delivery of meaningful and viable community-based initiatives to address problem drug use.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply and wish to raise a few points. In recent weeks, many groups have approached Members to discuss the lack of funding and how they will be obliged to cut their budgets. My primary concern pertains to the small community groups that are funded from the task force and that I have discussed previously with the Minister of State. The people who have got off lightly in this regard are the drug barons, who have taken huge sums of money from communities and from those who live in the less well-off areas in particular.
Will the Minister of State commit himself to ring-fencing some of the money accruing to the Criminal Assets Bureau in order that it can be put back into communities and into some of the local drugs task forces in order that the aforementioned services can be kept in place? The Minister of State has acknowledged these services are on the front line and each community group continues to use its programmes in a particular way. The people who will lose out are not the drug barons or the drug users, but people who are at the lower end of the scale, namely, extremely young children, who are now becoming deeply involved in drugs.
I am not in a position to ring-fence funds from the Criminal Assets Bureau. I cannot give such a commitment. I have answered questions in this regard previously in the Dáil. While funding from the Criminal Assets Bureau would be highly symbolic, by its nature this is not easy to do. There is an onus on the State that funding is made available through the normal Vote and that the income comes into the Exchequer, including the Criminal Assets Bureau funding. Not all the funding that accrues to the Criminal Assets Bureau comes from drug-related crime. That is also an issue. If the Deputy's proposal were accepted, the amount of funding provided would vary from year to year. In my view, such variations in funding would cause greater difficulties than the difficulties we are facing at the moment. I will put it into context. While the level of funding has been reduced in the current year, the reduction is not as great as the reduction that has been seen in other areas. We have worked hard to ensure that the level of funding provided to drug task force projects throughout the country remains at the maximum level. I reiterate that the relevant figure has decreased from €34.6 million last year to €32.5 million this year.
While I accept what has been said, I insist it is time for some of the money that accrues from criminal activities to be invested in poorer communities, thereby assisting those who are at the bottom of the food chain when money is passed down. The Minister of State is not responsible for the Criminal Assets Bureau, but he can use his position as the officeholder with responsibility for the drugs strategy to influence Ministers. This is a serious matter at a time when money is very limited and groups are struggling. The Minister of State has the power to influence his colleagues and thereby make the changes I am calling for. That is what he should be doing.
I reiterate that the funds collected by the Criminal Assets Bureau are returned to the Exchequer, which funds many of the initiatives for which I have responsibility. I refer not only to the drug task forces, but also to a range of other facilities and funds that are aimed at safeguarding the well-being of society. Deputy Wall spoke about the importance of sport, which is generally funded through the Exchequer, which derives some of its income from the Criminal Assets Bureau. Perhaps it would be more appropriate for Deputy Byrne to direct her specific request to the Minister for Finance. In these difficult and challenging times, it is important to examine the effectiveness of the more than 500 projects which are funded through the drug task forces. While I understand the difficulties faced by task forces, I am afraid they will have to prioritise those projects that are delivering the effective outcomes needed in communities and make choices on that basis.
27 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will inform all of the bodies which come within the remit of the Official Languages Act 2003 that an electronic copy of the Irish version of the various documents which come within the remit of the Act is sufficient to meet the statutory obligation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23140/09]
Deputy O'Shea is aware that since the enactment of the Official Languages Act 2003, I have made it clear that certain documents should be published on compact disc or on the Internet, rather than in hard copy, to the maximum extent possible. I refer to those documents, such as annual reports and strategy statements, which are required by section 10 of the 2003 Act to be published simultaneously in both official languages. They should be produced in a manner that is consistent with the over-riding requirement to meet the needs of all customers, including those who do not have access to the Internet or have genuine reasons for preferring a paper copy. I assure the Deputy that every organisation that comes within the scope of the 2003 Act is aware of this. An Coimisinéir Teanga advised all public bodies of the preferred approach in the guidebook on the Act that his office published and circulated to them in 2008. It is essential that both official languages are treated equally and the same quality of customer service is provided in both languages. It is not sufficient to publish an electronic copy only of one language version, for example, while giving the customer in the other language a choice of electronic or paper copy. It should be acknowledged that some documents, such as application forms that enable the general public to make applications or receive benefits, may require continued availability in hard copy format for the foreseeable future. It is important, in the interests of providing the customer with a quality service, that hard copies of such documents continue to be accessible in both official languages, ideally within the one cover.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I would like to give an example of my concerns in this regard. I was contacted in connection with the recently published report of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. I am the Labour Party's spokesperson on such matters. The person who contacted me, who could not be said to be unfavourably disposed to the Irish language, told me they threw the Irish language version of the report in the dustbin. Much of the stuff that is being published is of interest to very few people. The manner in which that is being done is leading to antagonism towards the Irish language. The approach of the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, to the revival of the Irish language is putting him at risk of being described as a "flat earth" Minister. He needs to examine what is happening. At a time when the only Irish language newspaper in the country is facing extinction, money is being wasted in this manner.
That is the subject of the next question.
Go raibh maith agat. It is not good enough for the Minister to say he has given advice — he needs to take stronger action to make sure this sort of thing stops before it gets any worse.
Any waste of money is wrong. If money is wasted on printing, it does not matter whether the material being printed is in Irish or in English. I have complained in this House on many occasions about the number of unsolicited reports, etc., that are sent to my office. Most of them are in English only. They go immediately into my waste paper basket because I know I will not get a chance to read them. There are too many of them. Like everyone who checks his or her post, I can remember a time when every county enterprise board sent its annual report to me. I do not get any of those any more. The debate we have had on this issue has helped enormously to dissuade bodies from sending this type of documentation to us, in either of the official languages. All of us know that if we want to access a report, we can get it on the Internet. This is not a language-specific issue — it should be addressed as a waste issue. The document referred to by Deputy O'Shea had a particularly fancy cover. We have said time and again that all these issues should be examined. The number of documents that have to be translated is quite limited. I estimate that 90% of the cost of preparing documents involves preparing them and just 10% of the cost relates to translating them. The vast majority of documents in this country are produced, quite legally, in English only. I agree it is about time we cut down on the size and number of documents that are produced. Documents are eating up huge sums of money.
The Minister could make a ministerial order to prevent such waste.
I ask the Deputy to allow Deputy O'Shea to have his questions answered.
I will.
Deputy O'Shea knows I am more than willing to debate this issue in detail at the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Two legitimate issues arise in the context of Deputy O'Shea's question. The Official Languages Act 2003, which was introduced on foot of the Ó Beoláin judgment, which would have forced us to translate every document in the country into Irish, requires us to translate a limited number of documents. We need to consider how we can provide documents in two languages at a minimum cost. We can publish them on the Internet, we can reduce the size of documents and we can use standard templates for the purposes of translation.
As usual, the Minister has gone all around the shop. We need to get down to the basic point. We want to promote the use of the Irish language. We are not helping the language by publishing a pile of stuff that very few people read. The point I am making is that money which could be better spent on other aspects of the Irish language is being wasted. The Minister needs to have a good look at this. The country is in a bad state at the moment. Things are not going well for the language, which is being hindered by delays. We have to stop wasting money. The Minister is well aware that this sort of thing is antagonising people and causing them to move away from the Irish language. It is about time the Minister got real by starting to eliminate waste and getting rid of some of his obscurantist ideas.
I did not come up with any of the ideas we are talking about in this case. We are talking about the law of the land, as passed by the Oireachtas.
The law can be changed.
The Deputy can make proposals for a change in the law any day he likes.
It is obvious that the Minister does not have any proposals of his own.
Some English speakers seem to want to deny this country's Irish speakers their right to read basic documents in Irish. The Act requires annual reports and policy proposal documents to be published in Irish. All other documents can be published in English only in this State. I believe Irish speakers have a right to access certain documents in the Irish language. The Deputy can disagree with me on that point if he likes. Those who are antagonised by the fact that Irish speakers, including native speakers, are being given their rights relating to a limited number of fundamental documents are entitled to their opinions. I do not agree with them. The majority of the Members of this House concurred with me, thankfully, when they voted for the legislation in question.
28 D’fhiafraigh Deputy Dinny McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad iad na hiarrachtaí atá á ndéanamh chun a chinntiú go leanfar d’fhoilsiú an nuachtáin sheachtainiúil Foinse, an t-aon nuachtán seachtainiúil Gaeilge sa tír; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [24035/09]
I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil sé fíor-thábhachtach don teanga agus don tír, dar liom, go mbeadh nuachtán Gaeilge ar fáil. Beidh mé ag casadh le Bord Fhoras na Gaeilge go luath agus beidh mé ag glacadh leis an deis chun é sin a chur in iúl dóibh.
Ar ndóigh, tá Foras na Gaeilge neamhspleách ó thaobh a gcuid gnó a bhainistiú i gceart agus deimhin a dhéanamh de go bhfuil luach ar airgead á fháil acu. Chomh maith leis sin, tuigfidh an Teachta nach féidir le hAire cur isteach ar phróiseas tairisceana ar aon bhealach.
É sin ráite, tá súil agam go mbeidh Foras na Gaeilge in ann an cheist seo a réiteach i dtreo is go mbeidh nuachtán Gaeilge ar fáil gach seachtain dóibh siúd atá á lorg.
D'éist mé leis an Teachta O'Shea agus é ag déanamh tagartha do na foilsiúcháin Gaeilge a cuirtear ar fáil ag eagraithe an Stáit agus ag bord Stáit lá i ndiaidh lae, seachtain i ndiaidh seachtaine agus is beag duine a léann iad. Ar an lámh eile, tá páipéar seachtainiúil náisiúnta Gaeilge againn agus tá géarchéim — agus muid ag caint — faoi an mairfidh sé nó nach mairfidh sé. Tá an páipéar seo á chur ar fáil le 13 bliain agus tá sé á léamh go rialta gach seachtain ar fud na tíre. Níl aon guarantee againn go mbeidh an páipéar ann ach seachtain amháin eile, deireadh na míosa seo. Chomh fada agus a bhaineann sé linn, d'fhéadfadh deireadh a bheith leis an bpáipéar sin. An aontódh an tAire liom go bhfuil rud éigin cearr lena gcuid priorities nuair nach féidir leis páipéar seachtainiúil a choinneáil ag dul ar aghaidh ó sheachtain go seachtain — páipéar atá á léamh ag pobal na Gaeilge agus ag scoláirí Gaeilge sna meánscoileanna ar fud na tíre? Ar an lámh eile, tá tuarascála, mar a dúirt an Teachta, á chaitheamh isteach i gciseáin nuair a thagann siad. Ba mhaith liom go dtabharfadh an tAire tacaíocht iomlán don pháipéar seo agus nach mbeadh sé ag dul ó lá go lá. Ba mhaith liom go mbeadh leanúnachas ann agus go mbeadh deireadh leis an éiginnteacht.
Tá me cinnte go n-aontódh an Teachta liom go bhfuil agus go mba cheart go mbeadh Foras na Gaeilge neamhspleách ón Aire ó lá go lá. Tá mé cinnte freisin go n-aontódh sé liom go mba cheart don Fhoras na gnáth rialacha maidir le tairiscintí a leanúint agus iad ag bronnadh conartha. Tá mé cinnte go n-aontódh sé liom nach ceart domsa cur isteach ar chóras tairiscintí poiblí, mar dá gcuirfinn isteach air, bheadh mé mícheart ar fad agus is é an Teachta is túisce a sheasfadh suas sa Teach agus a deireadh liom nach bhfuil sé ceart ag aon Teachta ná Aire cur isteach ar thairiscintí poiblí. De réir mar a thuigim ón bhforas, is é an rud atá i gceist ná go ndeachaigh sé amach ar an margadh ag lorg tairisceana. Thairg sé conradh do chomhlacht áirithe agus tá comhráití fós ar bun agus go dtí go mbeidh na comhráití sin thart, ní bheadh sé ceart agamsa cur isteach ar an gcóras tairisceana. Tá mé tar éis a rá, ar bhonn polasaí de, go mba cheart go mbeadh nuachtán Gaeilge ann.
Sílim go bhfuil ról níos mó sa cheist seo ag an Aire ná mar a fhógraíonn sé sa Dáil. An aontódh sé liom gurb é an deacracht mór atá ag Foras na Gaeilge ná maoiniú agus acmhainní a chur ar fáil sa dóigh gur féidir leis an bhfoilsiúchán seo dul ar aghaidh? An mbeidh an maoiniú agus na hacmhainní á gcur ar fáil ag an Aire d'Fhoras na Gaeilge sa dóigh gur féidir leis an bpáipéar dul ar aghaidh? Is é sin ról an Aire — na hacmhainní agus an maoiniú a chur ar fáil sa dóigh gur féidir linn an ghéarchéim seo a sheacaint.
Is é mo thuiscint, nach easpa airgid an fhadhb ar chor ar bith. Tuigim gur séard a tharla ná go ndeachaigh an foras ar an margadh agur gur lorgaíodh tairiscintí suas go teorann áirithe airgid, go ndearna an foras a bhreitiúnas agus go bhfuil comhráití ar bun. Tuigim nach easpa airgid an fhadhb ó thaobh an fhorais de agus níor ardaigh an foras riamh ceist liom maidir le heaspa airgid a bheith mar chnámh spairne.
Laghdaíodh an deontas ó ——
Níl sé sin fíor. Tiocfaidh mé ar ais leis an eolas cruinn. Ní raibh ísliú ó €400,000 go €300,000 nó cibé figiúr a bhí ráite. An rud a tharla ná, lorg an foras tairiscintí agus chuir sé síleáil le huasmhéid do mhéid na tairiscintí go bhféadfadh comhlacht a fháil. Nuair a rinne an foras scrúdú ar an tairiscint, facthas dó, bunaithe ar an tairiscint a bhí déanta, go mba cheart deontas níos lú ná an uasmhéid a bhféadfadh sé a bhronnadh a bhronnadh. B'shin ceist ghnó don fhoras, bunaithe ar na tairiscintí. Bhí an conradh deiridh níos lú ná sin. Freisin, bhí sé 16% níos lú ná an tairiscint a rinneadh. Ach is ceist ghnó a bhí ansin; ní laghdú deontais a bhí i gceist.
