Vol. 855 No. 2
7. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Michael P. Kitt den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cén fáth nach bhfuil dóthain airgid ann le haghaidh na n-irisí Gaeilge éagsúla agus cén fáth go bhfuil deireadh leis an maoiniú do roinnt mhaith eagraíochtaí Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [40153/14]
Tá ceist agam faoi airgead do na hirisí Gaeilge éagsúla agus cén fáth go bhfuil deireadh leis an maoiniú do roinnt mhaith eagraíochtaí Gaeilge. Mar gheall ar na hirisí, bhí naoi gcinn ann - agus bhí na hirisí sin an-mhaith - ach tá deireadh curtha leis an maoiniú seo i mbliana. Céard a dhéanfaidh an tAire Stáit faoin scéal seo?
Baineann saincheisteanna maidir le hirisí Gaeilge le gnóthaí oibríochtúla Fhoras na Gaeilge agus níl ról sonrach agam féin mar Aire Stáit ina leith.
É sin ráite, tuigim go mbíodh Foras na Gaeilge ag cur maoinithe ar fáil do roinnt irisí Gaeilge i bhfoirm chlóite nó ar líne, ina measc An Sagart, An Timire, An tUltach, Beo.ie, Comhar, Feasta, Gaelport, NÓSmag agus SAOL. Mar thoradh ar chinneadh na Comhairle Aireachta Thuaidh Theas, chuir Foras na Gaeilge socruithe nua maoinithe i bhfeidhm do na heagraíochtaí ceannais ón 1 Iúil 2014 agus tháinig deireadh dá réir leis an maoiniú do na hirisí a bhí ceangailte leis na heagraíochtaí bunmhaoinithe.
Tuigim ó Fhoras na Gaeilge go bhfuil sé mar aidhm aige pobal léitheoireachta na Gaeilge a spreagadh agus an iriseoireacht Ghaeilge a chothú tuilleadh trí dhíriú ar ábhar léitheoireachta a chur ar fáil saor in aisce ar líne. Mar shampla, tá nuachtán seachtainiúil ar líne á fhoilsiú ag Tuairisc.ie faoi chonradh ceithre bliana ó Mheán Fómhair 2014; iris stíl mhaireachtála á sholáthar ag NÓSmag go míosúil; agus iarratais faoi scéim le haghaidh foilseachán liteartha/cúrsaí reatha á measúnú faoi láthair.
Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit. Bhí maoiniú ó Fhoras na Gaeilge á chur ar fáil do na foilsiúcháin Ghaeilge. Tá an tAire Stáit tar éis naoi gcinn a lua. Is í an cheist atá agamsa ná más rud é gur chuireadh deireadh leis an maoiniú i mbliana, an bhfuil na foilsiúcháin go léir ar líne anois, nó an mbeidh siad ar líne, agus cén plean atá ag Foras na Gaeilge chun iriseoireacht Ghaeilge a chothú? Céard a tharla don phlean chun nuachtán seachtainiúil ar líne a chur ar fáil? Bhí sé sin geallta ag an Aire Stáit agus ag an Roinn. An mbeidh níos mó ná nuachtán amháin ar fáil? Mar a dúirt mé ar maidin, is é Seachtain an t-aon iris atá feicthe agamsa. Tá sé i gceist ag Foras na Gaeilge scéim le haghaidh iris stíl marachtáil ar líne a chur ar fáil agus tá siad ag iarraidh foilsiúcháin liteartha agus cúrsaí reatha freisin. Is í an phríomhcheist ná an mbeidh na hirisí seo go léir ar líne as seo amach.
Bhí 19 eagraíocht ag fáil bunmhaoiniú ó Fhoras na Gaeilge agus ní raibh an córás sin inmharthana a thuilleadh. Cheadaigh an Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas socraithe nua maoinithe. Faoi na socraithe nua seo, tá sé eagraíocht ceannas á maoiniú chun na Tosaíochta í Straitéiseacha i réimse ar leith a sheachadadh ar bhun uile-oileáin. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil don Teachta as ucht na ceiste mar tá díospóireacht ar siúl anois agus bhí díospóireacht ar siúl ag tús an tsamhraidh faoin scéal faoin idirlín agus faoi na hirisí. Chas mé leis na daoine atá freagrach as an iris An tUltach i rith an tsamhraidh agus fuair mé eolas mór faoi stair na hirise agus an eagraíocht eile. Beidh mé i dteangmháil le Foras na Gaeilge faoin ábhar seo mar tá díospóireacht mhór idir, mar shampla, léitheoirí an nuachtáin The Irish Times nó an Irish Independent nó an Irish Examiner i gcoinne an idirlín. Tá The Irish Times agus araile anseo anois ach tá díospóireacht ar siúl. Ba mhaith liom fanacht i dteagmháil leis an Teachta faoin ábhar seo agus beidh mé i dteangmháil le Foras na Gaeilge freisin.
Ba mhaith liom tréaslú leis The Irish Times agus an Irish Examiner freisin chomh maith leis an Irish Independent. Is í an cheist a bhí agamsa ná an scéal faoi láthair. Tá ísliú ar an méid eagraíochtaí atá ann agus tá mé ag cur ceiste faoi na heagraíochtaí Gaeilge. Bhí laghdú ar an méid eagraíochtaí a fhaigheann airgead ó Fhoras na Gaeilge agus tá ísliú 4% ar an mhaoiniú sin. Tá 75% den mhaoiniú ó Roinn an Aire Stáit agus is dócha 25% ón Roinn Cultúir, Ealaíon agus Fóillíochta i dTuaisceart Éireann. An mbeidh maoiniú breise ar fáil don bhFhoras le haghaidh na heagraíochtaí Gaeilge? Tá sé soiléir go bhfuil an Chomhairle Ealaíon, mar shampla, ag fáil níos mó airgid - tá méadú ar an mbuiséad ansin i gcomparáid le Foras na Gaeilge. Caithfimid an teanga agus an Ghaeltacht a neartú chomh maith agus is féidir linn. Déanann na heagraíochtaí seo an-obair chun é sin a dhéanamh, agus ba mhaith liom freagra a fháil ar an gceist sin.
Maidir leis na hirisí, is é an t-eolas a bhí agamsa ná go raibh éileamh ann ach nuair a chas mé leis na daoine atá freagrach ag An tUltach, scéal difriúil a bhí acu dom. Dúirt siad liomsa i lár an tsamhraidh nach bhfuil mórán éilimh ann. Mar a dúirt mé ag an tús, tá stair fada ag baint le gach ceann de na 19 eagraíocht atá ag fáil maoinithe. Ba mhaith liom a rá arís go mbeidh mé i dteagmháil le Foras na Gaeilge. Tá fhios agam go bhfuil An tUltach, mar shampla, ag lorg €8,000 sa bhliain. Is airgead mór é €8,000 ach sin an méid atá á lorg ag an dream seo don iris. Arís, beidh mé i dteagmháil le Foras na Gaeilge agus leis an Teachta fosta.
8. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the extent to which full and final agreement has been reached with traditional turf cutters who have been displaced arising from special area of conservation and national heritage areas over the past three years to date; if agreement has been reached in respect of any alternatives that may be acceptable to those wishing to exercise their turf cutting rights while at the same time meeting national and European criteria in respect of conservation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40092/14]
This question relates to that old issue of displaced traditional turf cutters. I acknowledge the work done by the Minister's predecessor in this regard. I congratulate both Ministers present as this is the first occasion on which I have had an opportunity to raise questions with them. I wish them well in their respective portfolios.
My question concerns this ongoing issue whereby displaced turf cutters feel disadvantaged. While they have been the true, traditional turf cutters, I wish to differentiate them from others who may not have been traditional ones. Will the Minister consider addressing their particular issues?
I thank the Deputy for his good wishes and also for having raised this matter.
Some 3,017 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, applicable to raised bog special areas of conservation, have been received and acknowledged by my Department.
Of these, 814 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs.
Some 6,116 payments and 610 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of these applications. In addition, 1,373 legal agreements have been returned to my Department and 1,197 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made in respect of these legal agreements. Total expenditure to date amounts to over €10.9 million since the Government introduced the compensation arrangements for affected turf cutters.
Since the cessation of turf cutting, the compensation scheme has been extended this year to raised bog natural heritage areas. Up to 147 applications for compensation in respect of these sites have been received and acknowledged by my Department. Of these, four applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs and 68 payments have been made in respect of the applications received. Progress in relocating turf cutters to non-designated bogs is being achieved in several cases.
Arrangements have been made as regards Clara bog in County Offaly, where 25 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on Killeranny bog, and Carrownagappul bog and Curraghlehanagh bog in County Galway, where 23 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on the Islands bog and Killasolan bog. Potential relocation sites have been identified for each of the remaining raised bog special areas of conservation where relocation may be required. However, relocation is a complex process with many issues to be resolved for each individual site.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
The draft national raised bog SAC management plan, published in January, sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed into the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. The draft plan sets out the demanding tests which must be met before turf cutting could be consented to within the provisions of the habitats directive. The final plan will clarify whether the relevant provisions of the directive could be applicable for any particular special area of conservation and will seek to establish whether sufficient consensus can be achieved at a national level to make a successful case to the European Commission for flexibility on this basis.
I thank the Minister for her comprehensive reply. Has it been possible to identify the precise number of traditional turf cutters who do not wish to be relocated and would much prefer to remain where they are based in preference to compensation? To what extent is the Quirke report taken into account and where a SAC, special area of conservation, might be relocated to accommodate turf cutters where available?
It is difficult to quantify these issues. It is hoped to relocate turf cutters from Barroughter bog and Clonmoylan bog to Shragh bog and Mount Hevey bog to Colehill bog, Kinnegad, County Westmeath. I can provide further information to the Deputy later.
The majority of those cutting turf on raised bog SACs are co-operating with my Department in resolving relevant issues. Up to 3,017 applications for compensation under the cessation of turf cutting compensation scheme, applicable to raised bog special areas of conservation have been received. Of these, 814 applicants have expressed an interest in relocation to non-designated bogs. Some 6,116 payments and 610 deliveries of turf have been made in respect of these applications. In addition, 1,373 legal agreements have been returned to my Department and 1,197 once-off incentive payments of €500 have been made in respect of these legal agreements. Total expenditure to date amounts to over €10.9 million.
The Minister will be familiar with Mouds, Carbury and Coolearagh, as well as other bogs, in County Kildare. Is it possible to identify those particular areas where traditional turf cutters are not anxious to relocate and find a means to resolve their difficulties? They are not a significant number of people but do feel aggrieved at being asked to relocate. They have exercised their turbary rights over the past 60 years without interruption. They could be the subject matter of an assessment by the Minister’s Department with a view to resolution.
The option of relocating turf cutters from Coolrain bog to Ballaghmore bog was examined by the former Minister but it is now out of the equation. The draft raised bog management plan stated only 1 ha of degraded raised bog can be restored at Coolrain bog. Will she examine this and exercise the possibility under Article 6.4 of the habitats directive which Alan Seatter of the European environment directorate general in Brussels, confirmed to me can be used? There is flexibility and the turf cutters at Coolrain bog want to have a credible plan. If the Minister leaves this to the NPWS, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and civil servants, it will not be solved. She is new in the Department. Will she grab this issue by the scruff of the neck to solve this problem?
There are turf cutters who do not want to relocate and make the argument they should be allowed to continue cutting at a certain bog. In one instance, I asked officials to meet with the people in question to explain to them the full issues. The only way to resolve this is through engagement. Much progress has been made already but we need to deal with these individual cases through engagement on the ground. I want to work with everyone to resolve these issues. A lot of money, €10.9 million, has been spent on this already. We need to work together to resolve the remaining issues.
9. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the reason no action was taken to sanction those coursing clubs mentioned in reports (details supplied) who made the work of rangers very difficult in checking that the rules and regulations as per the licence are applied; the reason the meetings at both venues went ahead this year with no sanctions in relation to the breaches the previous year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40060/14]
This question relates to sanctions against coursing clubs which are in breach of regulations. Instead of sanctions, licences were given recently to them.
Licences were issued by my Department in August 2014 under the wildlife Acts to the Irish Coursing Club on behalf of their affiliated clubs to facilitate the tagging and capturing of hares for the purpose of hare coursing for the 2014-2015 coursing season. Where resources allow, officials of the NPWS attend coursing meetings on a spot-check basis to monitor compliance with conditions on the licences granted by my Department. Veterinary officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also attend some meetings on an annual basis.
The reports of officials from my Department who attended the two coursing meetings referred to in September and October 2013 indicated there was a lack of co-operation with them in the course of their duties, an issue which I take very seriously. Following engagement with the clubs in question and with the Irish Coursing Club, the body that oversees individual coursing clubs, written assurances were provided to my Department that both clubs would fully co-operate with officials of my Department at all times and that they would adhere to all licence conditions. On the basis of these assurances, I decided not to impose sanctions against the clubs on this occasion. At the same time, both clubs have been issued with written warnings that any further transgressions, especially relating to lack of co-operation with NPWS officials, would result in my Department imposing future sanctions against the clubs.
It is clear this approach has worked satisfactorily to date. A meeting of one of the clubs which took place last month was attended by a conservation ranger who reported that there was full co-operation forthcoming. The meeting of the other club, due to take place this week, will also be monitored by officials from my Department.
Not granting a licence this year would certainly have ensured better acknowledgement of the conditions. It was horrifying to read the reports. As the Minister said, the lack of co-operation and the incidence of intimidation were specifically mentioned in one report while the other report mentioned serious issues. The ranger was unable to verify if a number of hares had been released, 39 hares were unaccounted for and the ranger had no idea what had happened to those.
There are serious issues around coursing and I am very well-known for being against live hare coursing. Reports from previous years indicate the occurrence of serious breaches and the only way to bring home the point and to ensure serious breaches do not occur is for licences to be revoked. Will the Minister consider this and bear in mind that Ireland is one of a very small minority of countries that allow live hare coursing? Will the Department consider an investigation into the use of drag hare coursing, as is the case in other countries?
The matter was brought to my attention and I discussed it with the officials concerned. I decided that in the circumstances the Department should write to the clubs and I also spoke to some representatives from the clubs. I listened to both sides and I discussed it with the officials. I wrote to the clubs asking them to give me assurances, which they did, that this would not happen again. I made it very clear to them that if it did happen, they would be sanctioned immediately. One coursing meeting was held and everything was in order and according to plan. The personnel there were quite happy with the way the event was carried out. Another event is planned for this week and the official will be in attendance. My letter expressed my serious concerns but the issue was resolved by means of dialogue and the coursing event was allowed to go ahead in a safe and proper manner.
I remind the Minister that there have been reports of breaches every year, not just this year. The clubs are assuring the Minister with their words but we shall see. We know about empty vessels making the most noise. They are giving the Minister these assurances but I am in no doubt there will be breaches this year.
Is it not somewhat perverse that the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is licensing a so-called sport but which is deliberate animal cruelty? This cruelty begins from the time the hares are collected with the use of nets on various offshore islands and other places in the country and are brought into these coursing fields. There is documented evidence every year of the injuries and killings of hares in a most cruel way and reports of injuries to the greyhounds. The Minister stated in a media report that the persecution of wildlife is intolerable, but this is persecution of wildlife and I do not think it has any place in a Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, nor has it any place in a country that is supposed to value animal welfare.
The approach I took in this case worked satisfactorily. The control of live hare coursing, including the operation of individual coursing meetings and managing the use of hares for that activity, is carried out under the Greyhound Industry Act 1958, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. While I understand that many individuals are opposed to hare coursing, there is no evidence that coursing has a significant effect on hare populations. The decision to issue the licences took into consideration that favourable conservation status of the hare as detailed in the report on the status of European Union protected habitats and species in Ireland which was provided to the European Commission in 2013. Hares can show significant inter-annual fluctuations in population and recent estimates indicate that the Irish hare population varies from approximately 250,000 to more than 500,000.
Regional management staff of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department monitor compliance with the conditions of the annual licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club as resources allow. During the 2013-14 coursing season, 37% of meetings were monitored by officials from my Department. In addition, as stated in my reply to the Deputy, veterinary staff from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine carry out some monitoring inspections during the coursing season to verify compliance.
10. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on relocation sites here; the way she proposes to resolve the debacle that is going on for 17 years regarding the 53 so-called special areas of conservation complexes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40149/14]
Will the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht provide an accurate update on relocation in respect of turf cutting? The Minister knows that I make the assertion that no issue in respect of turf cutting and relocation has been resolved in 17 years. The Minister is not long in her new job and I wish her luck, but I do not want the same stuff as I have listened to down through the years about this, that and the other issue solved, when what matters is that the issue has not been solved. The Minister referred to figures of 1,300 people who have signed up and the figure of 6,000 relates to a period of four years. The figure of 1,300 people is out of a total of 9,000 people. Will the Minister please give me an accurate update because I do not want to hear what the Department has always given me down through the years?
I congratulate Deputy Fitzmaurice on his recent election to Dáil Éireann. It is always a great honour to represent the people of one's county and constituency. I was very pleased to note that the morning before he came to the Dáil, he had time to feed his cattle. I wish him well in his new position.
Since this Government has come into office, major efforts have been made to solve the issue of the protection of Ireland's raised bog special areas of conservation within the framework of the EU habitats directive. This has included intense engagement with turf cutting interests, farmers, non-governmental organisations and with the European Commission. A long-term compensation scheme was introduced to compensate cutters for their loss.
The draft national raised bog SAC management plan was published in January. It sets out how the raised bog special areas of conservation are to be managed in the future and how the needs of turf cutters are to be addressed. The draft plan sets out the demanding tests which must be met before turf cutting can be consented to within the provisions of the directive. The final plan will clarify whether the relevant provisions of the directive can be applicable to any particular special area of conservation and will seek to establish whether sufficient consensus can be achieved at a national level to make a successful case to the European Commission for flexibility in accordance with Article 6(4) of the directive.
This national raised bog SAC management plan responds to the central recommendation of Mr. Justice Quirke arising out of the 2012 peatlands forum. Notwithstanding the complexity involved, progress in relocating turf cutters to non-designated bogs is being achieved in a number of cases, and arrangements have been made for Clara bog in County Offaly, where 25 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on Killeranny bog, and Carrownagappul bog and Curraghlehanagh bog in County Galway, where 23 qualifying turf cutters have been accommodated on the Islands bog and Killasolan bog. Works have been undertaken on Lemanaghan bog in County Offaly with a view to facilitating turf cutters from Moyclare bog. Works are also under way in Cloonabricka bog in County Galway to facilitate additional cutters relocating from Carrownagappul and Curraghlehanagh bogs. Potential relocation sites have been identified for each of the remaining raised bog special areas of conservation where relocation may be required. When relocation sites have been assessed as suitable, my Department has been seeking expressions of interest from turf cutters with a view to them moving to these sites.
As pointed out on many occasions, this is a very complex issue with each site having its own challenges. Final resolution will only be achieved by everyone working - within the law - with my Department and with the Peatlands Council which was established with the purpose of ensuring input from all stakeholders.
It is a dismal record that after 17 years under various Governments, 48 people of the 9,000 cutting turf in these bogs have been accommodated by the Department. This is the Department's achievement. Governments love to look at parts of what Mr. Justice Quirke stated in his report. He stated new faces were needed, as was a new way of resolving matters. There are no new faces. I do not blame the Minister.
The Deputy's time is up.
I blame the National Parks and Wildlife Service which, for the past 17 years, has given bad information to Ministers and tried to terrorise the people of rural Ireland.
I will let the Deputy back in.
The Government has put in place more resources and greater effort to resolve the issue of protecting Ireland's raised bog special areas of conservation than any Government which went before. This includes the establishment of a substantial compensation scheme of which the vast majority of active cutters have availed. More than €10 million has been paid out by the Government. The Peatlands Council was established to facilitate the views of all stakeholders, and we have a comprehensive policy framework, including a draft national peatlands strategy and a draft national raised bog SAC management plan. Once finalised, these will give certainty to all stakeholders about the Government's views on the future of our peatlands and how our SAC raised bogs are to be managed. There is no denying the complexity of the issues involved. Issues can only be resolved by working together within the law and not outside it.
I agree that talking can resolve issues, but if only 48 people have been accommodated over the past 17 years, where will we be after the next 17 years? The people who want to cut turf do not want the money and the people in the Department must get this into their heads. People have cut turf and will continue to do so if the people in the Department keep burying their heads in the sand.
I am well aware of local authorities on tight budgets rationing funds to provide the best road surface to taxpayers, especially in the west. I have spoken to directors of services throughout the country on the issue of roads who are almost crying on the phone because of what the Minister's staff are doing to them. When a road is being built, it seems it is less important than the bird or the ditch which is a so-called SAC. I challenge the SACs because I have asked for ten years for proof that these areas are SACs. In several parts of Ireland the Department's staff in the National Parks and Wildlife Service are terrorising local authority staff trying to build roads-----
The Deputy's time is up.
-----as efficiently as possible. Will the Minister address this situation-----
Sorry, Deputy. This is why we have clocks.
-----because it is taxpayers' money going down the drain?
We must work within the law. The habitats directive was transposed into Irish law after being passed in Europe in 1992. We must abide by it.
Tell me where the SACs are.
We must abide by this law. I met the Deputy with a delegation of turf cutters from my constituency and I will be happy to meet him again to discuss the specific matters he wishes to discuss regarding turf cutters. The Deputy was the chair of the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association. Given his involvement and his obvious expertise in this area, I urge him to work with the Department to resolve the outstanding issues. He must accept the bogs are a very important part of our natural heritage and we have agreed and are committed to preserving them. We must find a solution which is within the law.
