I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White. The first matter is in the name of Senator John Kelly. Senator Denis O'Donovan has tabled a similar matter and the Senators have agreed that the two matters can be discussed together.
Adjournment Matters
Home Help Service Provision
Can we divide the allotted time of eight minutes? I will take three minutes, leaving two minutes each for Senators Denis O'Donovan and Denis Landy?
That is agreed.
I thank the Minister of State for taking this Adjournment matter concerning home helps and home help hours. It is a matter close to my heart because it is one of common sense. If people are provided with a sufficient number of home help hours at minimal cost, they will be kept out of expensive institutions.
Senators Denis Landy and John Whelan and I have been vocal on this issue for a long time. We are vocal on behalf of those who were deprived of home help hours in 2012. We are also vocal on behalf of the home helps who have been before the Labour Court on 12 occasions in the past 12 months over their contracts not being honoured. They are not being given the hours which they have been contracted to do, which is a major issue. A contract is an agreement between two sides and one half of that agreement is not being honoured.
I expressed my dissatisfaction with the home help cuts made in 2012. I made representations on the issue before the last budget and received assurances that this decision would be reversed. It was mentioned in the budget announcement that the decision had been reversed and the figure of €7 million was restored to the home help budget. However, nobody I know who had their home help hours cut in 2012 has had them restored. I have viewed the HSE service plans in various counties in my neck of the woods and they reflect the same number of home help hours post the cuts in 2012. Nothing has changed.
It is obvious that either one of two things has happened. Either the announcement was not honoured and the money was not given back to the HSE, or the HSE received the money and spent it elsewhere. I would like to have clarity on that issue.
I will not go over the ground Senator John Kelly has eloquently and fairly covered. I have raised this issue previously. Irrespective of what side of the House one is on, the home help hours provided for elderly people, whether in towns or remote areas such as the area from where I come, represent very good value for money. Senator John Kelly alluded to the cost that would be involved if the State were to provide care for elderly people. I compiled a report on the issue when I was a Member of the Dáil and found that the cost to the State of such provision would be eight or nine times greater than the cost of enabling people to be cared for in their own homes. We would all like to see people being cared for in their own homes, if at all possible.
More than one year ago I dealt with the case of a 99 year old woman who had been taken to Bantry Hospital. Her son who was in his 70s who had been caring for her had cancer. He begged me to try to get the hospital to provide a long-stay bed for his mother because he was not in a fit condition to care for her. The consultant geriatrician at the hospital, a very professional man, interviewed her, did the arithmetic and she was sent home. She had never been in hospital in her life, except for these few days. The consultant said he had talked to the woman and even though she was totally blind, she was fully corpus mentis and had told him that she wanted to go home because that was where she was comfortable living. She fell short of reaching her 100 hundred birthday by a few months, but did not die as a result of the state of her health during those few days in hospital.
Geriatricians and the health experts say that in so far as it is possible to do so, it is best to care for people at home, yet because of the system in place and the cutbacks made, in some instances, home helps have only a half an hour to spend with the people being cared for. One home help has told me that she boils the kettle and makes a cup of tea for the person concerned and that some of the people to whom she calls have to be showered and brought to the toilet. Is she to leave the house after 30 minutes, similar to the time limit imposed on speakers by the Cathaoirleach from time to time, signalled by the sound of the bell, and leave the person concerned sitting on the toilet who would be unable to get up off it unaided?
There is a case to be made for home help provision for those who need the service and whom we are neglecting through these mealy-mouthed cutbacks. A case can also be made, as Senator John Kelly said, for the home helps who are providing the service, some of whom are very experienced, skillful and have been doing this work for a long time. They are being treated abominably.
That is my tuppence worth. We should work together to try to solve this problem This is not a party political issue but a national one, about which I am deeply concerned.
I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking this matter. Senators John Kelly and Denis O'Donovan have outlined the position which was clearly stated in previous discussions by our colleague, Senator John Whelan.
There are 535,000 people in Ireland over 65 years of age, which represents an increase of 12% since the 2006 census. The CSO has showed that between now and 2036, 15,000 more people will need home help care. The use of Exchequer funding for the provision of the home help service, undoubtedly, represents good value for money, in providing a service in people's homes, thus preventing them from having to go into nursing homes which would impose a further cost on the State. Everybody agrees with this.
The issue we are trying to get to the bottom of, as Senators John Kelly and Denis O'Donovan have outlined, is that there was a cut of €8 million in the last quarter of 2012 and that money was to be restored in the 2013 budget. The evidence available to me, through my constitutency, my constituency office and the people with whom I deal on a daily basis, shows that the hours removed have not been restored. Reassessments were made in early 2013. People who were in need of home help hours in 2012 are now being told that they are not in need of them in 2013. The people concerned are a year older and more infirm, yet a decision has been made that the hours do not need to be restored. Clearly, there is some trick of the loop when we are being told in various reports, to which Senator John Kelly alluded, that at regional level hours are being restored. Perhaps they are, but they are not being restored to the people from whom they were removed in 2012. They have the same health problems and are now a year older, but they are not receiving the same number of home help hours. It is falling on families who are hard pressed as it is to provide a service for their elderly mother or father on a private basis. They are unable to do this and are coming to us. I want to know from the Minister of State what is happening about this issue. That is the crux of matter. In anticipation of his reply, I thank him for coming to the House to deal with it.
I thanks Senators John Kelly, Denis O'Donovan and Denis Landy for addressing this issue.
The cornerstone of Government policy remains supporting all services for vulnerable older people, including assisting them to live at home and in their communities for as long as possible. The home help service is a core community service supporting, principally, older people to remain in their own homes, preventing admission to acute services, delaying or preventing admission to continuing residential care and facilitating early discharge from the acute sector to the community. The Health Service Executive has responsibility for the delivery of services such as mainstream home help, enhanced home care packages, meals on wheels and day or respite care services. The volume and types of health service to be delivered within the available funding for 2013 have been set out in the HSE's national service plan. My colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, approved and laid a copy of the plan before both Houses earlier this year. The HSE has a statutory responsibility to live within the budget voted by the Oireachtas.
This year the HSE has committed to maintaining community supports such as home help and home care packages at the levels planned for in 2012. This means that 10,870 people will be in receipt of home care packages and that 10.3 million hours of home help service will be provided, with 50,000 people receiving the service.
Our commitment to restore home help hours to 2012 levels has been delivered. The HSE service plan for 2013 provides €392 million for community based services for older people.
The target for home help hours in the HSE's 2012 plan was set at 10.7 million hours. This target was incorrect. During the period 2012 to 2013 a data problem was uncovered in one HSE region which had resulted in the figures being overstated. Put simply, for a period of time in one HSE region, service figures counted all of the members of a family instead of the individual in receipt of the service in the household. This inflated the 2012 figure but this error has now been corrected.
The correct original national target, therefore, for 2012 should have been 10.3 million hours. This is the target now also set for 2013. Home help hours targets have been profiled in order to focus service delivery on the times of peak demand within each region. Activity data is being monitored to ensure that the agreed targets are met relative to the agreed profiling and by year end. The HSE has delivered over 2.2 million home help hours for the first quarter of 2013. I understand that the information requested by Senator Kelly was supplied to him earlier this week.
I acknowledge that this involves a reduction of around 7% in hours nationally, from some 11.1 million hours delivered in 2011, to the current target of 10.3 million hours for 2013. However due to service efficiencies in this area, the number of people in receipt of home help service will only be reduced by 2%. It is important also to note that the HSE works to ensure that the impact of this reduction is minimised by ensuring that services are provided in the first instance for direct patient care. Decisions in relation to the provision of home help hours continue to be based on an assessment of individual needs.
There is no doubt that these are challenging times for the health services overall, including maintaining home care services in line with evolving resource pressures. The demand for these, which are highly regarded by those who receive the service, continues to grow as the population of older people expands and as many more older people with complex care needs are maintained at home. Notwithstanding this difficult financial environment we should not lose sight of the fact that just over €390 million is being provided this year for community services for older people and that about 100,000 older people will be receiving various community-based supports during 2013.
In the reply I received from the HSE there is reference to what I call a cut but which the HSE refers to as a technical adjustment. The HSE is more or less saying that a mistake was made. However, I received figures from the HSE about the number of clients in receipt of home help in the first quarter of 2011 showing 51,735 people in receipt of home help hours.
Has the Senator a question for the Minister of State?
That number has dropped to 45,000 in the first quarter of this year. Therefore, 6,000 fewer people are in receipt of home help hours now. This does not answer the question about the people who were in receipt of home help hours in 2012 whose hours were cut and not restored. I am not satisfied that the HSE response to my question deals with the situation I am trying to portray. I will leave it with the Minister of State.
I note the Minister of State's response and I thank him for coming to the House. He indicates there has been just a 2% decrease. However, the age profile of our society is going the other way in my view there should be an increase of 2% or 3% rather than a decrease. I ask the Minister of State to convey to the Minister, Deputy Reilly, that in my view, when the pressure is on the HSE budgets the home help service is the easy picking. Most of the people in receipt of home help cannot speak for themselves and they are depending on us to raise the issue here. It is appalling that there should be any cuts whatsoever in this area. I am disappointed with the response.
It is very disappointing that any services have to be reduced. The financial background is the basis on which services have been reduced, unfortunately, not just in this very important area but across the board. I agree with Senator O'Donovan's general sentiment and also with his point that the age profile has to be taken into account. There is a continuing need in that regard. If greater provision could be made or could have been made it would have been done. We are simply operating under the constraints that are well known. I regard it as a priority area and the Senator has a right to raise it in the House and to keep up the pressure for the reasons Senator O'Donovan and Senator Kelly have adverted to. In respect of the precise figures given to Senator Kelly during the week, I cannot comment in detail, other than to say that the information I have given to the House this evening is correct. As to whether individuals should have a change in their position I repeat that these decisions are made on the basis of the assessment of individual needs and that is how it is approached.
EU Directives
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The EU directive on cross-border health care gives citizens of member states the right to travel to another member state if suitable health care is not available or is unduly delayed in their own member state. That directive was signed off as far back as February 2011 and the Government has 30 months in which to put it in place. The treatment abroad fund currently deals with that area. My concern is that the time period is running out and there is a need to set up the structures for dealing with the directive. I ask for clarification on the Department's current position.
The EU directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border health care provides clarity about the rights of patients who seek health care in another member state and supplements the rights that patients already have at EU level through the legislation on the co-ordination of social security schemes, Regulation 883/04. The purpose of the directive is to establish a clear legal framework to facilitate cross-border health care with a focus on patient rights; information for patients on entitlements; patient choice. The directive aims to facilitate access to safe and high-quality cross-border health care; to promote co-operation on health care between member states, in full respect of national competencies in organising and delivering health care; to facilitate efficient transfer of patient information between member states; to establish a mechanism to facilitate reimbursement of the cost of treatment abroad; to introduce a system of prior authorisation for certain categories of treatment. It is not envisaged that the directive would establish any new entitlements or rights to treatment. In essence the directive provides rules for the reimbursement to patients of the cost of receiving treatment abroad, where the patient would be entitled to such treatment in their home member state or the member state of affiliation. However, in this regard, it should be emphasised that the vast majority of EU patients receive health care in their own country and prefer to do so. Thus, the directive seeks to ensure a clear and transparent framework for the provision of cross-border health care within the EU for those occasions where the care patients seek is provided in another member state than in their home country. It is also worth noting that the Commission recognises that member states are responsible for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care, in particular for determining which rules will apply to the reimbursement of patients and to the provision of health care.
The Government welcomes the directive as it provides a coherent and uniform set of rules for patients throughout the EU and it will initiate a new phase of co-operation between 27 national health systems. It is also hoped that the directive may contribute towards reducing inequalities in access to care by helping patients to choose their health care provider across the EU. Patients will, under the directive, have greater and clearer access to information on the quality and safety of the care they will receive in whichever member state they decide to have their treatment. All of the above issues are complex and require careful consideration before proposals to transpose the directive are finalised. This is the issue raised in Senator Burke's matter. My Department continues its work on the required legislative framework to facilitate the assimilation of the directive into domestic legislation. Details of legislative changes required will be published closer to the date for transposition of the directive. The Senator made reference to the time limit in that regard. The Government intends to keep to that time limit.
I am a little concerned. My understanding is that the time will expire by the end of August 2013. This leaves quite a limited period of time in which to transpose the directive. I am concerned with regard to entitlements.
I am concerned that if the Department does not put the structure in place within the timeframe, we will leave ourselves open to people seeking legal redress. Perhaps that might be clarified. I think I am correct in saying it must be done by the end of August, which means we must deal with this matter before the end of this term in July.
I will take on board what Senator Burke has said. He is particularly well versed on the substance of this particular issue and knowledgeable about the legal context in which we must operate with the transposition into our law of EU directives. I take his point that the clock is ticking. I assure him and the House that the matter is being carefully addressed in the Department. We will produce the goods as soon as possible.
Ionad Oidhreachta Theach An Phiarsaigh
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, back to the House.
Cuirim céad fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta go bhfuil sé linn tráthnóna. Tá a fhios agam go mbíonn sé gnóthach go maith. Ní ceist nua í ceist Teach an Phiarsaigh i Ros Muc. Tuigeann muid an oidhreacht a bhaineann le Pádraig Mac Piarais. Tuigeann muid freisin an obair a rinne sé mar cheannródaí le linn Éirí Amach na Cásca 1916, agus ó thaobh cúrsaí oideachais agus cúrsaí Gaeilge, srl. Nuair a phléigh an Teach seo an cheist chéanna ar 23 Bealtaine na bliana seo caite, dúirt an tAire Stáit:
Tuigtear dom go bhfuil dul chun cinn maith déanta go dáta maidir le forbairt an ionaid. Tá iarratas chun an togra a mhaoiniú le Fáilte Éireann faoi láthair agus táthar ag súil le cinneadh maidir leis an iarratas seo am éigin i lár na bliana seo. Má éiríonn leis an togra tacaíocht a fháil faoin gclár maoinithe caipitil de chuid Fáilte Éireann, tosófar láithreach ar an bpróiseas pleanála agus ar phróisis gaolmhara.
Níos déanaí sa díospóireacht, dúirt sé:
Ach gach rud ag dul ar aghaidh mar atá beartaithe agus, ag brath ar mhaoiniú a bheith ar fáil, bhéifí ag súil go dtosófaí ar an obair thógála go luath in 2014 le clár tógála measta de 20 mí. Ag brath ar na cuinsí uile, d’fhéadfadh an t-ionad a bheith réidh do chomóradh an chéid ar Éirí Amach na Cásca 1916. Sílim go bhfuil sé oiriúnach ar fad an leacht a bheith ann. An dualgas atá orainn go léir ná gurb amhlaidh a bheidh sé faoin bhliain 2016.
D'aontaigh mé go hiomlán leis an Aire Stáit nuair a dúirt sé an méid sin. Phléigh muid an cheist seo arís ar 15 Samhain na bliana seo caite. Ní raibh an tAire Stáit in ann bheith i láthair don díospóireacht sin. Bhí a chomhghleacaí, an Príomh-Aoire, an Teachta Kehoe, anseo leis an gceist a thógáil ar a shon. D'iarr mé air soiléiriú a thabhairt dom faoi stádas an iarratais ag an bpointe sin, agus d'fhreagair sé:
An application to fund the project is with Fáilte Ireland. I understand it will go before the board of that organisation in the coming weeks. If the project successfully obtains funding under Fáilte Ireland's capital funding programme, the process of obtaining matching funding will commence immediately. Subject to funding being made available for the project, a compulsory purchase order and a planning submission would be required. This process could take up to 18 months. Construction work would take a further 15 months. Teach an Phiarsaigh is recognised by Fáilte Ireland as one of the main elements of the Connemara destination plan, the wild Atlantic way and the Connemara driving route. It is an important element of the organisation's strategy for developing the tourism sector and increasing tourist numbers in Connemara.
Tugadh le tuiscint ag an bpointe sin go raibh súil le cinneadh ó Fáilte Éireann taobh istigh de roinnt seachtainí. Ní fhaca mé a leithéid go dtí seo, agus níor chuala mé go dtáinig sé. Scríobh mé faoi dhó chuig príomhfheidhmeannach Fáilte Éireann maidir le seasamh an ionaid a bhí le tógáil ag Teach an Phiarsaigh, ach ní bhfuair me aon fhreagra uaidh. Bhí díospóireacht againn an an tseachtain seo caite leis an Aire, an Teachta Deenihan, ar na pleananna do chomóradh an chéid ar Éirí Amach na Cásca 1916. Chuir mé ceist air faoin dtogra, ach níor fhreagair sé an cheist i ndáiríre mar go raibh ábhar eile faoi chaibidil. B'fhéidir nár éirigh leis teacht chomh fada leis an gceist os rud é go raibh sé faoi bhrú ama. Is é sin an fáth go bhfuil an ábhar seo curtha síos agam tráthnóna inniu. Tá tuairiscí sna meáin le dhá lá gur tháinig comhfhreagras chomh fada le bainisteoir Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe le rá nach bhfuil sé i gceist ag Fáilte Éireann aon mhaoiniú caipitil a chur ar fáil don ionad.
Má táimid chun spriocdháta 2016 a bhaint amach, mar a bhí beartaithe nó mar a bhí súil againn, ba cheart tús a chur leis an obair seo - an réamhphleanáil agus an pleanáil - láithreach. Luadh ordú ceannaigh éigeantaigh sa bhfreagra a tugadh dúinn sa Teach seo i mí na Samhna seo caite. Tá mé an-amhrasach gur féidir sin a dhéanamh muna bhfuil an Rialtas sásta gníomhú go tapaidh. An bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Rialtas foinsí eile maoinithe a chur ar fáil muna bhfuil airgead ar fáil ó Fáilte Éireann ó thaobh caipitil de? Is é sin an fáth a bhfuil mé ag lorg soiléirithe ón Aire Stáit arís tráthnóna. Tá an mhian chéanna ag an mbeirt againn. Ba cheart go mbeadh an tionscadal seo críochnaithe in am don bhliain 2016. Tá sé iontach tábhachtach comóradh a dhéanamh ar laoch a raibh baint lárnach aige le hÉirí Amach na Cásca 1916. Tá sé tabhachtach freisin ó thaobh cúrsaí turasóireachta, cúrsaí eacnamaíochta agus cúrsaí sóisialta i gConamara theas. D'fhéadfadh ioncaim an-mhór teacht as turasóirí a mhealladh, srl. Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh dea-scéala ag an Aire Stáit dom anocht, mar a bhí an t-am seo an bhliain seo caite, mheas mé. Tá súil agam go mbeidh an tAire Stáit in ann insint dom go dearfach cá sheasann an t-airgead agus an clár oibre ó thaobh an ionaid seo a thógáil.
Fáiltím roimh an deis labhairt sa Teach seo tráthnóna maidir le Teach an Phiarsaigh i Ros Muc. Ba mhaith liom an deis seo a thapú chun mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl do Bhaill an Tí mar gheall ar an spéis atá léirithe acu san ábhar seo. Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh díospóireacht againn faoi na hiarrachtaí éagsúla atá ar siúl faoi láthair chun ionad mínithe a thógáil ag Teach an Phiarsaigh i Ros Muc. Mar is eol do Sheanadóirí, chaith Pádraig Mac Piarais a chuid saoire i Ros Muc. Is cinnte go bhfaigheann cuairteoirí ar Theach an Phiarsaigh léargas ann ar an Phiarsach mar réabhlóidí, mar oideachasóir, mar scríbhneoir agus mar ghníomhaí paiseanta ar son na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachta. Tugann suíomh Theach an Phiarsaigh i nGaeltacht Chonamara, atá ar cheann de na ceantair Ghaeltachta is láidre ó thaobh labhairt na teanga de, deis don chuairteoir blaiseadh a fháil dár dteanga agus dár gcultúr atá chomh lárnach dár bhféiniúlacht sa lá atá inniu ann is a bhí le linn ré an Phiarsaigh.
Cruthaíonn an éagsúlacht a bhain le saol an Phiarsaigh go leor deiseanna dóibh siúd atá i mbun an togra seo a fhorbairt, bunaithe ar iliomad téamaí éagsúla. I measc na dtéamaí sin, tá an Piarsach mar scríbhneoir polaitiúil agus cruthaitheach, mar oideachasóir, mar réabhlóidí agus mar ghníomhaí ar son na Gaeilge, chomh maith le téamaí níos leithne maidir leis an Ghaeilge agus cultúr na Gaeltachta, gan trácht ar stair Ros Muc agus stair Chonamara. Níl aon amhras ach go gcruthódh an fhorbairt seo deiseanna iontacha, ní hamháin do phobal Ros Muc ach do phobal an réigiúin chomh maith. Thabharfadh an fhorbairt seo luach suntasach breise turasóireachta agus cultúrtha don réigiún, go háirithe ó thaobh na turasóireachta cultúrtha de. Thabharfadh sé deis don turasóir blaiseadh a fháil ar na nithe a thug inspioráid don Phiarsach ina chuid scríbhneoireachta - an tírdhreach sceirdiúil, an talamh portaigh, na lochanna, na sléibhte agus an fharraige, gan trácht ar theanga agus ar chultúr na ndaoine.
Tuigim gurb í an fhís a bhaineann leis an togra seo ná Teach an Phiarsaigh a fhorbairt mar lárionad cultúrtha i gConamara do chuairteoirí. Níl aon amhras ach go dtabharfadh a leithéid d'ionad léargas do chuairteoirí ar thábhacht na Gaeilge don náisiún i súile an Phiarsaigh agus ar thábhacht chultúr na Gaeltachta mar thobar ár n-oidhreachta. Chuirfeadh an t-ionad scéal an Phiarsaigh i láthair an chuairteora trí léargas a thabhairt ar na nithe dúchasacha a tharraing go Ros Muc é an chéad lá riamh. Tuigim go bhfuil plé ar siúl le cúpla bliain anuas chun ionad cuairteoirí a fhorbairt ag suíomh Theach an Phiarsaigh. Mar thoradh ar na cainteanna idir na páirtithe éagsúla, lena n-áirítear mo Roinn, an Roinn Comhshaoil, Pobail agus Rialtais Áitiúil, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí agus Údarás na Gaeltachta, aontaíodh tabhairt faoi ionad cuairteoirí a fhorbairt gar don teach agus bunaíodh grúpa idir Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí agus Údarás na Gaeltachta chun an togra a chur chun cinn. Is í an aidhm atá leis an gcomhoibriú seo ná maoiniú a aimsiú don togra, an obair thógála a bhainistiú agus socruithe a dhéanamh chun an t-ionad a bhainistiú nuair a bheadh sé tógtha.
Tuigtear dom go bhfuil an togra tugtha chuig staid réamhphleanála ag an ngrúpa seo le sonraíochtaí iomlána do na foirgnimh molta agus d'fheistiú na bhfoirgneamh ina dhiaidh sin. San áireamh sa togra, tá áiseanna éagsúla ar nós ionad cuairteoirí nua-thógtha, cosán léirmhínithe agus an teach stairiúil féin. Tuigim go bhfuil costas de €4 mhilliún measta don togra. Mar a bhí aontaithe chomh fada siar leis an bhliain 2006, tá Údarás na Gaeltachta ag tiomáint an togra seo agus tá siad sásta an costas a bhainfeadh leis an ordú ceannaigh éigeantach agus 20% de mhórchostas an togra a chlúdach ach cómhaoiniú a bheith ar fáil ó pháirtithe leasmhara eile. Tuigim go bhfuil os cionn €100,000 caite ar réamhullmhúcháin go dáta. Meastar go dtógfadh sé suas le 18 mí an cead pleanála a fháil don togra agus go dtógfadh sé 15 mí ina dhiaidh sin an obair thógála a chur i gcrích.
I dtaca le cúrsaí maoinithe de, tuigim ó Údarás na Gaeltachta gur pléadh an tionscnamh seo ag cruinniú le Fáilte Éireann i mí Feabhra na bliana seo. Tháinig sé chun solais ag an chruinniú sin go bhfuil buiséad Fáilte Éireann ceadaithe agus caite i bprionsabal go dtí an bhliain 2015. Dá bhrí sin, tuigtear dom nach mbeidh aon tacaíocht ar fáil ó Fháilte Éireann faoi láthair d'aon fhorbairt ag Teach an Phiarsaigh, bunaithe ar na tograí atá ceadaithe cheana féin acu. Dá bhrí sin, in ainneoin na tréaniarrachtaí atá déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta teacht ar fhoinsí maoinithe eile, níl aon ghealltanais faighte go dáta acu. Tuigfidh an Seanadóir go rímhaith go bhfuil ceist an mhaoinithe lárnach do thodhchaí an tionscadail ag an bpointe seo. Tuigfidh an Seanadóir chomh maith nach bhfuil sé d'acmhainn ag mo Roinn féin ag an am seo an togra a mhaoiniú mar gheall ar an soláthar teoranta caipitil atá ar fáil do mo Roinn. Mar fhocal scoir, cuirim fáilte roimh an deis an Teach seo a chur ar an eolas faoin staid reatha a bhaineann leis an togra áirithe seo.
Tuigfidh an tAire Stáit go bhfuil an-díomá orm leis an bhfreagra atá tugtha aige. Cuireann sé i gcuimhne dom, faraoir, na gealltanais a rinne an Rialtas roimhe seo maidir leis an ionad seo. Breathnaíonn sé go bhfuil an togra ag sleamhnú arís eile ó shúile an Rialtais. Tá tuiscintí áirithe maidir leis an méid a bheadh an t-údarás in ann a dhéanamh ó thaobh ordú ceannaigh éigeantaigh, srl. Cé mhéad cómhaoiniú atá ag teastáil leis an ionad a thógáil? Luaigh an tAire Stáit costas de €4 mhilliún. Cad iad na hiarrachtaí atá ar bun ag an Aire Stáit leis an maoiniú seo a fháil? Dúirt sé nach bhfuil an t-airgead seo le fáil óna Roinn féin. An bhfuil sé ag labhairt leis an Aire, an Teachta Dennihan, i gcomhtheács na comórthaí éagsúla atá ar bun i gcomhthéacs 2016? An bhfuil sé ag labhairt leis na hAirí Airgeadais maidir le maoiniú a fháil as foinse éigin eile? Is togra ríthábhachtach é seo. Impím ar an Aire Stáit, os rud é go bhfuil cúraimí Gaeltachta aige agus ag smaoineamh gur thug sé an oiread ómós don Phiarsach sna ráitisí a rinne sé an bhliain seo caite, chuile iarracht a dhéanamh chomh luath agus is féidir chun teacht ar chómhaoiniú, más féidir, ó ghníomhaireacht eile ar a bhfuil smacht ar an Rialtas.
Aontaím leis an Seanadóir i dtaobh an tionscnaimh seo, ina bhfuil suim phearsanta agam féin. Is dóigh liom go bhfuil suim phearsanta ag gach uile Éireannach sa togra seo. Is léir dom, tar éis dhá cuairt a dhéanamh ar Theach an Phiarsaigh, go bhfuil an-chuid féidearthachtaí ann. Ag an bpointe seo, braitheann an tionscnamh seo, atá á phlé agus á láimhseáil ó bhí 2006 ann, ar na hacmhainní. Tuigim go bhfuil Fáilte Éireann sásta tacaíocht a thabhairt dó, ach ar an drochuair, níl na hacmhainní acu. Tá caiteachas a gcuid airgid geallta acu go dtí an bhliain 2015. Is cinnte go bhfuil dea-thoil agus dea-mhéin i mo Roinn féin agus in Údarás na Gaeltachta don togra seo. Aontaíonn gach éinne lena labhraím gur mhaith an rud é. I ndeireadh na dála, caithfidh muid gníomh taobh istigh de na hacmhainní teoranta atá ar fáil dúinn. Ar ndóigh, tá Coiste Cuimhneacháin Náisiúnta 1916 ar bun. Is dócha go bhfuil ionadaí ag páirtí an tSeanadóra ar an gcoiste. Sílim go dtáinig sé seo aníos ag an leibhéal sin chomh maith. Mar sin, tá tuiscint forleathan ann faoin tionscnamh. Sa deireadh thiar thall, caithfimid teacht ar na hacmhainní. Níl siad ar fáil faoi láthair. Nílimid ábalta an pacáiste a chur le chéile mar atá i láthair na huaire.
Iarraim ar an Aire Stáit na hacmhainní a aimsiú.
The Seanad adjourned at 6.55 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 30 May 2013.