Written Answers Nos. 25 - 35
25. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will discuss the current functioning of the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta; if the board has met yet and in particular if he will make a statement to Dáil Éireann on the representation of Donegal County Council on the board of Údarás; and if he will provide a timescale as to when all places on the board of the Údarás are likely to be filled. [19291/13]
View answerI understand that the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta held its first meeting in December 2012 and that it has met on three occasions since then. The nomination of Donegal County Council of a person to be appointed as a member of Údarás na Gaeltachta has not been ratified pending the outcome of enquiries regarding certain allegations that have been made. The timescale for the filling of this vacancy is dependent on the result of the aforementioned enquiries.
29. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the time frame for the appointment of a director of the National Museum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19277/13]
View answerThe competition for the appointment of a director of the National Museum of Ireland is being managed by the Public Appointments Service. It is envisaged that the interviews for this post will take place in the coming weeks. The timeframe for the appointment by the Board of the National Museum is a function, inter alia, of that interview process, and it would not be appropriate to set out that timeline at this juncture in order to assure the integrity of the process.
30. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cén dul chun cinn atá déanta mar gheall ar an Straitéis Fiche Bliain; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [19244/13]
View answerAithnítear sa Straitéis 20-Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030 go bhfuil gá le cur chuige céimneach chun bearta éagsúla na Straitéise a chur i gcrích. I gcomhréir leis an gcur chuige seo, tá obair leanúnach ar siúl chun raon leathan gníomhaíochtaí faoin Straitéis a chur i bhfeidhm. Déanann mo Roinn é seo i gcomhar leis na páirtithe leasmhara éagsúla, ar a n-áirítear ach go háirithe, an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, Foras na Gaeilge agus Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Ós rud é go bhfuil an lárfhreagracht ar mo Roinn don Straitéis, tugadh faoi chéim an bhunaithe di a chur i gcrích in 2011 nuair a díríodh ar dhaoine a chur ar an eolas faoin Straitéis agus ar bhunú na struchtúr eagraíochtúil agus oibríochtúil. Tugadh tús áite do ghnóthaí reachtaíochta in 2012 le hachtú Acht na Gaeltachta a thugann bunús reachtúil do chóras pleanála teanga, taobh istigh agus taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht, agus a thugann ról lárnach sa phleanáil teanga d’Údarás na Gaeltachta agus d’Fhoras na Gaeilge.
Tá tosaíocht á tabhairt faoi láthair d’ullmhú na reachtaíochta tánaistí faoi Acht na Gaeltachta 2012. Is faoin reachtaíocht seo a shonrófar na critéir pleanála teanga a bheidh mar bhunús chun pleananna Gaeilge a cheadú do Limistéir Pleanála Teanga, Bailte Seirbhíse Gaeltachta agus Líonraí Gaeilge. Chomh maith leis sin, tá céimeanna sa treis chun tuarascáil a fhoilsiú go luath a chuimseoidh an dul chun cinn atá déanta ag na páirtithe leasmhara éagsúla maidir le forfheidhmiú na Straitéise go dáta.
31. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will ensure that Waterways Ireland will respect the rights of citizens who have lived on residential barges in Lowtown, County Kildare, for more than a decade. [19163/13]
View answer38. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the dealings he has had with Waterways Ireland in relation to the Lowtown Marina, County Kildare, with particular reference to safeguarding the homes of boat dwellers who have resided there for more than a decade. [19164/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 38 together.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the issues referred to relate to operational day to day matters for Waterways Ireland, for which I have no direct responsibility. However, the Deputy can be assured that Waterways Ireland respects the rights of all users of the navigations under its remit. I am advised by Waterways Ireland that it has carried out significant improvements in the Lowtown area over the last number of years. A new amenity block, including toilets and showers, has been provided, as well as new moorings and other facilities. Some of the moorings at Lowtown have access to electricity, water and lighting and Waterways Ireland would encourage all boat permit holders in the area to avail of these facilities. Boat dwellers can be accommodated on the new moorings under an Extended Mooring Permit.
Waterways Ireland has also endeavoured to regularise the ownership and lease arrangements at Lowtown Marina and it continues to work closely with the owners of the adjacent boat yard in that regard. I am informed that unsafe moorings currently in place there have to be removed, for health and safety reasons.
I am advised that throughout this period when works were planned and underway, Waterways Ireland communicated updates on developments by letter to all permit holders, including barge dwellers, with regard to mooring locations and extended mooring permits. It also responded to queries from a number of individual barge dwellers by email, letter, phone and onsite meetings. In addition, press releases were issued to local media. This approach to communicating with stakeholders will continue.
32. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will provide a full list of national parks that are closed due to renovations or lack of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19428/13]
View answerAll national parks are open and operational. However, it should be noted that Killarney House, located within Killarney National Park, is currently closed for renovations. A major refurbishment programme for Killarney House and its ornamental grounds and gardens is underway. The House is being developed as the main visitor and interpretative centre for the National Park, while the gardens will be restored to their former glory. It is expected substantive works on both the House and Gardens will progress in the latter half of 2013, with completion planned for 2014.
33. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in view of the growth in tourism from Asia and the fact that a world famous collection of Tibetan paintings is housed at Collins Barracks, and that Dublin also has the Chester Beatty Library, his plans to establish a museum of Asian art in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19376/13]
View answerThere are no plans to establish a Museum of Asian Art in Dublin as the collection of the Chester Beatty Library includes among its other material one of the finest Asian art collections in Europe and may not be disassembled. The Tibetan art in the important Albert Maurice Bender collection in the National Museum was donated to the Museum in 1932 by Bender in memory of his mother. It would be not be in keeping with the wishes of the donor to disassemble this collection either.
34. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of language plans that have been agreed as regards languages planning areas under the Gaeltacht Act 2012; if he will itemise these areas with agreed plans on a county basis; the resources being put in place to support the establishment and implementation of such plans; and his plans in relation to agreed language planning areas which have yet to put a plan in place. [19293/13]
View answerThe Gaeltacht Act 2012 was enacted in July 2012. It is intended that the initial Orders and Regulations, associated with the language planning process prescribed in the Act, will be made by June 2013. It is at that stage that communities will be officially invited to prepare language plans under the Act. However, initial steps have been taken by Údarás na Gaeltachta with a view to commencing the language planning process with organisations and communities in the areas concerned. Among the main measures being implemented in this regard are:
- the classification of Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas; and
- the development of a system for selecting community organisations to draw up and implement language plans for the various Gaeltacht Language Planning Areas.
These language plans will be prepared in accordance with language planning criteria to be specified in the regulations. This approach puts the communities at the heart of the language planning process since it gives them the opportunity to take ownership of their own plan in their own community. As regards funding, a sum of €3.4m has been allocated to Údarás na Gaeltachta for 2013 in relation to language-based activities in the Gaeltacht and the promotion of the language planning process in particular. An amount in excess of €8.2m has also been made available to my Department for 2013 to fund various Irish Language support schemes in the Gaeltacht.
35. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta cé mhéad plean teanga atá réitithe ag eagraíochtaí pobaíl, cé mhéad airgid atá curtha ar fáil chun na pleananna a chur i gcrích; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [19243/13]
View answerMar is eol don Teachta, is gá, chun críche alt 7(3) d’Acht na Gaeltachta 2012, na Limistéir Pleanála Teanga sa Ghaeltacht a fhógairt go poiblí. Tá an réamhullmhúchán ina leith sin á dhéanamh faoi láthair i gcomhar le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta.
Tá ráite ag an Údarás nach foláir a bheith ag tabhairt tús áite don ghné teangeolaíoch sa dáileadh seo. Dá bhrí sin, beidh an dáileadh atá á mholadh bunaithe ar staid reatha na teanga agus ar shaineolas agus taithí feidhmeannaigh an Údaráis a bhíonn ag plé le pobal na Gaeltachta ar an talamh, tar éis dóibh a bheith i dteagmháil leis na pobail atá i gceist.
Tá obair ullmhúcháin idir lámha ag an Údarás chomh maith chun córas cuí a aimsiú faoina roghnófar eagraíochtaí a thabharfaidh faoi phleananna teanga a ullmhú agus a fheidhmiú i gcomhar leis an phobal sna Limistéir Pleanála Teanga. Ní miste a rá go dtabharfar deis do gach uile ceantar Gaeltachta a bheith rannpháirteach sa phróiseas pleanála teanga.
Maidir le hacmhainní airgid, tá allúntas reatha de €3.4m ag Údarás na Gaeltachta i mbliana atá le caitheamh ar ghníomhaíochtaí teanga sa Ghaeltacht agus ar an bpróiseas pleanála teanga ach go háirithe. Ina theannta sin, tá soláthar reatha agus caipitil gur fiú os cionn €8.2m san iomlán ag mo Roinn féin le caitheamh sa Ghaeltacht i mbliana. Tá an soláthar airgid sin á chaitheamh ar raon beartas agus scéimeanna atá dírithe ar an nGaeilge a neartú mar theanga pobail agus teaghlaigh sa Ghaeltacht.
Ar ndóigh, is Straitéis 20 Bliain ata i gceist agus is féidir leis an Teachta a bheith cinnte de go leanfar ag glacadh go córasach leis na céimeanna cuí chun cur i bhfeidhm iomlán an Achta a chinntiú, lena n-áirítear gach gné a bhaineann leis an bpleanáil teanga sa Ghaeltacht, agus go leanfar ag féachaint chuige go bhfaightear an luach is fearr is féidir ar airgead don Státchiste.
