andMr. White asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht, in view of the grave disquiet in the Rosguill Peninsula concerning the imminent closure, as reported, of the Meevagh Boatyard, Downings, County Donegal, and the serious hardship and loss of employment that this would cause if he will, as a matter of urgency, make available financial grant aid to prevent the closure. As the question is put in English, perhaps the Minister would reply in English.
Private Notice Question. - County Donegal Boatyard.
Cúis mhór díomá é go bhfuil dífhostaíocht san áit seo dá bharr seo.
(Interruptions.)
It is the height of bad manners for the Minister to answer in Irish when addressed in English.
This very important question has been put down in English. I would appreciate if the Minister for the Gaeltacht, who is fluent in English, would answer in English.
Deirtear liom go bhfuil caillteanas mór ar obair an chomhlachta le bliain agus níl a fhíos agam cén toradh a bhéas ar chúrsaí ag an bpointe seo.
(Interruptions.)
Would the Minister reply in English?
What is the amount of money that has been paid to this boatyard in the last twelve months? Is this amount substantial?
(Cavan-Monaghan): On a point of order, the interpreter translates from Irish into English. Does she not also translate the supplementary question from English into Irish?
Bhí £239,000 tugtha isteach, agus is é an t-eolas atá agam go bhfuil caillteanas mór ag an gcomhlacht seo, agus, mar a dúirt mé, ag an bpointe seo níl a fhios agam cén toradh a bhéas ar chúrsaí.
Is the Minister not aware that by closing the factory now he is going to penalise families in the Rosguill area who are depending on work in the boatyard. There are 40 families involved. This is a very rural part of Donegal, and there is very little chance of any other type of industry coming into the peninsula. This type of work has existed there traditionally for a number of years. Is the Minister also aware—and this is the most disgusting part of all—that it was his Government which closed it before in the 1940s and that it was the national Inter-Party Government which opened it and kept it open until now? Perhaps the Minister would speak in the second language of this nation?
Tá mé ag leanúint leis an tradisiún atá sa Teach seo maidir le hAire na Gaeltachta, agus níl mise le dul ag briseadh an tradisiúin sin. Tugann sé a gcuid freagraí i nGaeilge, agus más rud é nach bhfuil duine ansin chun aistriú a dhéanamh air, ní haon locht ormsa é sin.
Why does the Minister not want to break the tradition?
Ní maith liomsa go bhfuil monarchana in áit ar bith dá ndúnach, go mór mhór nuair is insan Ghaeltacht atá sé i gceist.
(Interruptions.)
Ní freagra atá ag teastáil ón Teachta ach raic.
We understand it no matter what language the Minister speaks but——
Ní freagra atá ag teastáil ón Teachta ach raic a thógáil sa Teach, mar is gnách leis.
Is comhlacht príobhaideach an comhlacht seo agus tá cuid mhaith airgid curtha isteach againne i mbliana. Tá beagnach £250,000 curtha isteach. Tá caillteanas thart ar £500,000 ar obair na bliana seo agus níl na daoine atá i mbun an chomhlachta á leanúint ar aghaidh, agus sin an chaoi a bhfuil cúrsaí.
Let me ask the Minister, in Donegal English, if all the moneys due by BIM have been paid to this boatyard? Is the Minister seriously considering closing this boatyard when there is no other employment in the area? There is no other employment at all except the employment of this boatyard. This is the third factory that has been closed by this Minister since he came into office. He is a disgrace.
Níl aon eolas agam faoin chéad cheist faoi BIM i leith deontas, ach más comlacht iomráiteach atá i gceist, ba cheart go mbeadh siad in ann a gcuid deontas a fháil ó BIM nuair atá siad in ainm is a bheith iníoctha. Ní mise atá ag dúnadh na monarchan seo. Is comhlacht príobháideach atá i gceist agus más rud é nach bhfuil siad in ann dul ar aghaidh lena gcuid gnó i gceart, ní haon locht ormsa é sin. Tá cuidiú faighte ón Stát, cuidiú mór i mbliana agus in ainneoin sin, tá caillteanas mór.
(Cavan-Monaghan): On a point of order, in the name of common sense, would it not be better if the Minister spoke in English? The three Deputies from the county concerned cannot follow him.
We can follow all right.
Tá na Teachtaí ar an taobh sin den Teach ag caint faoi Ghaeilge agus ag caint faoi Ghaeltacht, agus nach mór an náire nach bhfuil duine amháin ansin in ann ceist a chur i nGaeilge.
(Interruptions.)
These microphones and this headgear are not working.
The Deputies are obstructing the Minister who is trying to give a constructive reply to a serious question.
He is all right, he is like ourselves.
(Cavan-Monaghan): That emphasises the codology of it.
An é sin an focal a thugann an Teachta ar an nGaeilge, codology?
(Interruptions.)
Tá Fine Gael ag tabhairt "codology" ar chaint Gaeilge sa Teach seo.
It is disgraceful for the Minister that they could not understand him in Donegal.
Have Fóir Teoranta been involved recently in that industry and, if so, would the Minister consider contacting them and asking them to have another look at the work in progress with a view to giving some more financial and technical assistance in order to sustain the much-needed employment in the area? I appreciate the difficulty there and I hope that some effort can be made by the Minister to induce Fóir Teoranta to bring a reasonable solution to this serious problem.
Tá cuidiiú mór tugtha ag Fóir Teoranta cheana féin. Tá £90,000 tugtha acu i mbliana, agus níl a fhios agam an mbeidh siad in ann tuilleadh airgid a thabhairt, ach déanfaimid gach rud is féidir linn leis an mhonarcha seo a chur ar ais ag obair.
Arising out of what the Minister is saying, that he is not responsible for private enterprise, is it not true that private enterprise was set up with Government aid and by State grants, and that it is providing not alone employment in the Rosguill Peninsula but also a social need? Would the Minister agree that, because of the remoteness of this part of Donegal, because it is a tradition there to build boats, because most of the people working in the boatyards are now past the stage where they can be retrained to do other types of work, these people will be thrown on the scrapheap? In spite of what the Minister says and his flying the green flag and speaking in the first language of the nation, it is no consolation to the families——
This is a speech, Deputy.
It is not a speech. I am asking a question.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Would the Minister not acknowledge that now, because the fathers and the husbands of these families will now be on the dole, and because there is so little opportunity for them to stay at home, the people will be emigrating? Is the Minister so unconcerned about this small Gaeltacht area that the only contribution he can make is to show that he can answer the House in Irish?
(Interruptions.)
Tá sé ráite agam go bhfuil brón orm gur tharla sé seo. Bhi iontas orm nuair a chuala mé go raibh an tionscal seo á dhruid, agus déanfaidh mise gach dicheall le cinntiú go ngabhfaidh na daoine sin ar ais ag obair chomh luath agus is féidir é.
The Minister says that he has done everything to ensure that these people will go back to work. Would he be more specific? Would he tell the House what he has done? He has done nothing, and neither have the rest of his colleagues in the Cabinet.
(Interruptions.)
Will the Department of the Gaeltacht give another grant to this boatyard? The Minister for Fisheries and Forestry was talking about private enterprise for the boatyards, and now we have private enterprise boatyards out of business.
Order, please. I have called the next business.
This morning I gave notice that I wished to raise on the Adjournment the industrial relations situation. Since then we have had another major dispute in the public sector in the refuse area in County Dublin. Again, Sir, I emphasise my request that you allow me to raise this on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
A Cheann Comhairle, will you see that this equipment in the Chamber is in working order for tomorrow? Three of them are not working.
The amount of money that it has taken to keep these things in working order could do a lot for the people in the boatyards.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.