Vol. 120 No. 14
I have notice from Senator Joe O'Toole that, on the motion for the adjournment of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:
The need to establish a pilot scheme for Teilifís na Gaeltachta because £0.5 million has been set aside from the National Lottery by the Government since November last for this scheme.
Is deacair i gcónaí moladh den sórt seo a chur faoi bhráid an tSeanaid nó aon áit eile, mar tá andeighilt, ceapaim féin, idir mhuintir na Galltachta agus muintir na Gaeltachta, agus ní gá go mbeadh. Ach an moladh atá idir lámha againn anséo um thráthnóna, níl sé chun aon rud speisialta a fháil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Ní aon sórt "stróic" é. Ní aon phribhléid atá á hiarraidh agam, agus ní aon ró-fhábhar é. Níl mé ach ag iarraidh go mbeidh cothrom na Féinne ag muintir na Gaeltachta. Tríd na blianta tá go leor ráite againn agus seanráite againn, ar athbheochan na teanga.
Leis na blianta anois, táimid sásta an jab a fhágáil ag na scoileanna. Ceapaim féin go bhfuil an lá sin thart agus go bhfuil sé de chúram anois orainn fuinneamh éigin, fuinneamh nua, a instealladh i bhfeachtas na teanga. Tá an chontúirt ann i gcónaí nach mbeidh Gaeilge ag an nglúin óg nua. Caitheann leanaí óga níos mó ama ag féachaint ar theilifís faoi láthair ná riamh cheana. Ní amháin RTÉ, anois, ach na satailítí chomh maith, agus tá siadsan ag craobhscaoileadh isteach sna tithe ar fud na tíre, Galltacht agus Gaeltacht. Tá sé de dhualgas orainn anois seirbhís theilifíse a chur ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta chun go mbeidh cosaint agus tacaíocht ann don Ghaeltacht agus don teanga. Gan amhras, is polasaí é ag an EC cosaint a thabhairt do na mionlaigh chiníocha, agus le teilifís Ghaeltachta bheadh an teanga ar fáil sa chomhthéacs céahna leis an mBéarla. Bheadh sí mar chuid de ghnáthshaol an tí, bheadh sí mar ghríosú don gnáthdhuine an teanga a úsáid go nádúrtha. Níl mé, mar a dúirt mé, ag iarraidh aon ró-phribhléid do mhuintir na Gaeltachta.
Chuir mé an t-ábhar seo ar an athló mar, suas le sé mhí ó shin is dócha, bhí roinnt áirithe airgid ón gcrannchur náisiúnta curtha i leataobh ag an Rialtas. Cuireadh ar leataobh é chun é a úsáid mar fheachtas teilifíse. Idir an dá linn dúirt an Taoiseach, uair éigin in áit éigin, ní cuimhin liom an comhthéacs i gceart, gur chóir an t-airgead sin a úsáid chun seirbhís Ghaeltachta a chur ar fáil. A Chathaoirligh, caithfidh mé a rá ag an bpointe seo nach bhfuil an t-ábhar mar a léadh amach é cruinn ceart. Ní dúradh gur cuireadh an t-airgead ar fáil do fheachtas teilifíse, agus dúirt an Taoiseach é féin gur mhaith an rud é a úsáid do scéim phíolóta do Theilifís na Gaeltachta a chur ar bun. Agus sin atá i gceist agamsa tráthnóna.
Níl sé mar aidhm agamsa go mbrúfaí an Ghaeilge siar sa scornach ar dhaoine nach bhfuil aon taithí nó nach bhfuil aon ghrá acu don teanga. Níl mé ag rá anseo ach go mbeidh seirbhís theilifíse chomh maith ag na daoíse sin a bhfuil an Ghaeilge acu mar theanga labhartha. Sin an méid atá á rá agam.
From the foundation of the State we have dutifully and faithfully had as an objective the restoration, use and support of the Irish language. The responsibility for achieving this objective over the years has been vested in the education service and, in particular, in the teaching profession. In a sense we have been happy to leave it that way. But nobody can be happy waiting 50 or 60 years for the Irish language to come into everyday usage.
Successive Governments have tended to refer the restoration of the language to our schools in an almost "file it and forget it" attitude. If the language is to have any hope of surviving it must be used, and seen to be used, in a natural, everyday context. Television constitutes the most powerful educative force in our homes today — there is no doubt about that — there is nothing to match it in terms of power and influence. Therefore, it constitutes an essential tool in the object of increasing the use of the Irish language.
The Gaeltachtaí themselves, being the source of the language, must develop naturally, progressively and without discrimination. Because television is part of everybody's life nowadays it must also be part of theirs. It should be remembered that the people of the Gaeltacht deserve as good a lifestyle and quality of life as anybody else. They deserve the option of having television in their language. If we are to develop and encourage a new generation of Irish speakers it is critical that the media be available to them in their language. It is important to understand that very often people in the Gaeltacht experience difficulty in the use of the language. There are various views on it, some people believing it a hindrance to them, others believing it to be a source of support for them. If we are committed to our culture and language then we need to give the language every support by greater use of it.
Having said that, I do not believe that the Irish language is so weak as to be deserving of protection. Indeed we can be over-protective of it. The reason I am proposing a television service for the Gaeltacht here today is that it is my belief that if we are to retain our culture and language, they must be allowed intermingle with modern technology, media and current lifestyles. I contend the language will withstand that test and can only develop therefrom. Nothing kills a language quicker than isolation; it must move apace with technology and progress.
The case for a pilot scheme to establish Teilifís na Gaeltachta is accepted, people generally regarding it as a worthy project. The State must now support the people of the Gaeltacht, with Teilifís na Gaeltachta comprising an essential component of that support. We must give the people of the Gaeltacht their due.
The new pilot scheme I am seeking will not create a new demand on the Exchequer in the sense that £0.5 million have been set aside for the project. Indeed the Taoiseach himself has indicated that, in his view, the most worthwhile project would be the establishment of a Teilifís na Gaeltachta service. Therefore I recommend that the nettle be grasped and that that service be provided.
Mar i ndáiríre, an méid atá ar siúl againn anois ná cosaint a thabhairt don teanga. I mo thuairimse tá an seans deireanach anois againn chun tacaíocht a thabhairt don teanga. Ceapaimse go bhfuil an ghlúin dheireanach ag teacht, an ghlúin dheireanach a mbeidh aon seans againn Gaeilge a thabhairt agus a choimeád mar theanga choitianta i measc na ndaoine. Mar an ghlúin óg seo, tá siad ag feachaint ar theilifís Bhéarla. Is Béarlachas atá timpeall orthu. Níl mé ag rá go bhfuil aon rud mícheart leis an mBéarla mar theanga, ach más rud é go bhfuil sé mar aidhm againne an Ghaeilge a chothú, tá sé de dhualgas orainn anois an tacaíocht seo a thabhairt chun go mbeidh an ghlúin óg atá ag fás aníos in ann féachaint ar theilifís á craoladh trí Ghaeilge agus go mbeidh siad in ann an teanga a úsáid go nádúrtha.
Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go mbeimís réidh chun rud mar seo a thosnú agus a chur ar bun. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go mbeadh na gnáthsheirbhísí atá ag muintir eile na tíre ag muintir na Gaeltachta chomh maith.
It is fair to say that what is allowed and available to the people on the east coast should similarly be available to people on the west coast. The fact that they speak the native language of the country should not disimprove the quality of their lives but it should be a reason for us to discriminate positively in favour of muintir na Gaeltachta. We have a very serious role to play in this matter. I am not asking for very much here. A pilot project allows the Government to do very intense monitoring and surveying of the effect of such a television service. They can judge the demand. There has been a group working on Teilifís na Gaeltachta examining and researching in that general area for two years and they have certainly assessed that there is a demand for a television service for people living in the Gaeltacht.
Ba mhaith liom go mbeadh sé le rá agam go raibh an Seanad in ann tacaíocht a thabhairt don tseirbhís seo do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus go raibh an tseirbhís sin ar fáil. Ar deireadh, ba mhaith liom go mbeadh sé mar pholasaí ag an EC, mar shampla, go mbeadh gach tacaíocht tugha do na mionlaigh chiníocha san Eoraip agus, mar sin, gur chóir dúinne an tacaíocht chéanna a thabhairt do mhuintir na Gaeltachta.
Tá an chosúlacht ar an scéal, ón rud atá curtha síos ag an Seanadóir O'Toole, agus ón gcaint atá cloiste againn, go bhfuil míthuiscint ann maidir leis an gcuspóir atá leagtha amach don airgead atá á chur ar fáil ón gcrannchur. Ní miste a rá go soiléir, ar ndóigh, nach bhfuilim ag lochtú an tSeanadóra de bharr na míthuisceana seo, os rud é gur eol dom go bhfuil an mhíthuiscint chéanna léirithe go minic sna meáin chumarsáide ó fógraíodh an soláthar atá i gceist.
Is maith liom, mar sin, mar chéad rud, a shoiléiriú don Teach seo gur fógraíodh £0.5 milliún ó fháltas an chrannchuir náisiúnta do scéim phíolóta do theilifís Ghaeilge. I bhfianaise air sin tá dualgas orainn ceist iomlán na teilifíse trí Ghaeilge a mheas, ceist Theilifís na Gaeltachta san áireamh, ionas go dtiocfar ar an mbealach is éifeachtaí chun an t-airgead a chaitheamh lena chinntiú go dtiocfaidh an tairbhe is mó as an soláthar speisialta seo don Ghaeilge agus don Ghaeltacht i gcoitinne.
Táid ann a déarfadh gurb é an cúram is tábhachtaí a d'fhéadfaí a chur i gcrích leis an airgead seo ná seirbhís phíolóta don Ghaeltacht, agus is é an tuairim sin atá taobh thiar den rún anseo anocht. B'fhéidir go bhfuil an ceart acu. Ach ní mór a chur san áireamh cad é a gheofaí leis an £0.5 mhilliún dá gcaithfí é ar an mbealach sin. De réir moltaí atá feicthe agam, bheadh sé beartaithe leath den airgead a chaitheamh ar chostais chaipitil —"hardware" mar a deirtear i bhfoclaíocht an lae inniu — agus bheadh na cláracha a dhéanfaí le scaipeadh thar réimse 40 míle, i.e. chlúdófaí na teorainneacha thoir agus thiar de Ghaeltacht Chonamara. B'fhéidir go sásódh sé seo muintir Chonamara. Ach cad mar gheall ar mhuintir na nGaeltachtaí eile? An bhfuil siadsan le fágaint ar an ngannchuid? Nó an bhfuil córais chraolta dá gcuid féin le cur ar fáil dóibh sin freisin?
Bhí Meitheal Oibre ar Chraolachán Teilifíse trí Ghaeilge i mbun oibre anuraidh agus chuir siad tuarascáil chuimsitheach ar fáil i mí Bealtaine 1987. Meitheal oibre ab ea í a bhunaigh Aire na Gaeltachta agus Aire Cumarsáide na linne, ar a raibh ionadaithe ó Roinn na Gaeltachta, an Roinn Cumarsáide, Bord na Gaeilge agus Radio Telefís Éireann. Cé nach raibh aon trácht ann ag an am do sholáthar ar leith ón gcrannchur náisiúnta, scrúdaigh an mheitheal oibre an cheist seo maidir le scéim phíolóta do Theilifís na Gaeltachta os rud é gur ceist í atá á lua le roinnt mhaith ama anuas.
Ní miste a lua gur bheartaigh an mheitheal oibre, tar éis an cheist go léir a mheas, nach mbeadh feidhm fhónta ag scéim phíolótach dá shórt. Mheas sí gurb é an t-easnamh is mó a bhaineann le teilifís do lucht na Gaeilge, bíodh siad laistigh nó lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht, ná cláracha fiúntacha ardchaighdeáin, agus b'é a dtuairim mheáite go mb'fhearrde ar fad aon airgead a bheadh ar fáil a chaitheamh ar chláracha dá leithéid a dhéanamh lena chraoladh ar an líonra mar atá d'fhonn ábhar an phrógramaithe a chur ar fáil don tír uile seachas do réigiún píolótach amháin. D'aithnigh an mheitheal, ar ndóigh, go bhféadfadh seirbhís phíolótach spéis áirithe a mhúscailt ina tús ach gurb í fírinne an scéil ná go mbeadh leá chúr na habhann ar an spéis chéanna mura mbeadh na cláir ar aon chaighdeán go seasta lena mbíonn le feiceáil ag breathnóirí teilifíse ár linne.
Is léir, mar sin, go bhfuil tuairimí anéagsúla ann maidir le conas ab fhearr tabhairt faoi cheist na teilifíse trí Ghaeilge — bíodh sé do dhaoine ar spéis leo an teanga laistigh nó lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Dá bharr sin tá gá le comhráite cuimsitheacha le saineolaithe éagsúla agus na tuairimí uile a mheas go hiomlán d'fhonn a chinntiú go rachaidh cibé cinneadh a dhéanfar faoi dháileadh an £0.5 mhilliún ón gcrannchur náisiúnta chun leasa na Gaeilge ar an mbealach is éifeachtaí is féidir. Is é sin an toradh atá ag teastáil uainn go léir agus féadfar talamh slán a dhéanamh de go ndéanfar an cinneadh sin agus go bhfógrófar é a luaithe is féidir.
A sum of £500,000 was provided from the proceeds of the national lottery for the development of the Irish language TV programmes on a pilot basis and not as many have thought specifically for a Gaeltacht television service. The matter is a complex one and has been examined in detail by the working group on broadcasting in Irish whose report was published some time ago. The Taoiseach said that the question of the Gaeltacht TV service was one worthy of consideration and this is being done in the context of the wider question of Irish language TV programmes on a national basis. Discussions have taken place with RTE, the Department of Communications and other interested parties. The matter is complex but I would be hopeful that a final decision on the best way in which the £500,000 can be used will be made in the very near future.
I believe the Taoiseach's words have been fairly widely broadcast and understood, or may be misunderstood. The clear understanding that people had was that the Taoiseach was supportive of the setting up of this project for Teilifís na Gaeltachta. Having given that commitment to people, in one way or another, I call on the Taoiseach to deliver on that commitment at a very small price. Nothing the Minister said contradicts what I said. What he has been saying is that he is putting it into a broader context. I am asking the Minister if the Taoiseach can deliver in this case.
Le ceist a chur, a Chathaoirligh, an dtuigeann sé go raibh feachtas ar bun le bliain anuas anois, go raibh cúig mheitheal i mbun oibre le bliain anuas agus go raibh said ag caint le muintir Ghaeltachtaí Chorca Dhuibhne, Dhún na nGall, Mhaigh Eo agus áiteanna eile? Agus cé gur thuig daoine go maith nach mbeadh an réimse craobhscaoileadh pioc níos forleithne ná Conamara, is dócha, mar sin féin go bhfuil tacaíocht don scéim seo agus don tionscnamh seo ó mhuintir Ráth Chairn, Chorca Dhuibhne, ó mhuintir na Rinne i bPort Láirge, Mhaigh Eo agus Dhún na nGall. Má thuigeann an tAire é sin.
Knowing there is widespread support in other Gaeltachtaí for the idea of a pilot television service to be set up, even if it can be done in only one for the moment, could the Minister take on board that because people in the Gaeltacht would want this to be done, therefore it should be done? Do the Government understand that cláracha fiúntacha ardchaighdeáin are important.
Ceist amháin más é do thoil é.
At the end of the day tá cultúr na Gaeltachta ann chomh maith, and even the most well prepared——
Ceist amháin.
Agus an cheist. Cén fáth anois nach mbeadh an Rialtas sásta an t-airgead seo ón national lottery a chur ar fáil anois go díreach chun tosnú ar scéim phíolóta craobhscaoileadh Teilifís na Gaeltachta?
Dúirt mé cheana go bhfuil an Rialtas ag scrúdú an rud seo go géar anois agus tá súil agam go mbeidh sé socraithe i gceann tamaill ghearr.
The Seanad adjourned at 3.45 p.m. until 12 noon on Tuesday, 12 July 1988.
