Tá áthas mór orm an seans seo a bheith agam cúpla focal a rá faoi airgead Roinn na Gaeltachta.
I commence by saying that I live in the parish called Cill Measáin/Dunsamhna —Kilmessan/Dunsany, Contae na Mí, from which the founder of the Irish Co-operative Movement, Horace Plunkett, originated. This is where the very first co-operatives were established, in Dunsamhna agus Cill Measháin. I am very glad that the basic co-operative principles are still very much alive i Gaeltacht Rath Cairn, Contae na Mí today. I suggest that Aire na Gaeltachta should make Gaeltacht Rath Cairn a model pilot development for others to follow. I encourage an tAire to give more incentives to Gaeltacht community co-operatives, to na muinteoirí, to na mná tí and especially to na tuistí who send their children to the Gaeltacht areas. I ask an tAire to encourage proper investment and new ideas. In that manner, one would hope to see major improvements in the use of the Irish language and new Gaeltacht areas being set up and so on.
I am glad to say that in our county, Contae na Mí, we have had a very active and successful co-operative for the past ten years — Gaeltacht Rath Cairn. This co-operative have bought land for development and are planning new schemes, providing housing in the area, electricity and other power, telephone services, water and sewerage schemes and are encouraging the local people to participate in these schemes. They are also providing many summer and special courses during the entire year. They are doing a very good public relations job and are very interested in developing industry within their area also.
Special finance should be provided to Gaeltacht Rath Cairn as a model for future development. At present there are groups of people in the city of Dublin who are very interested, indeed, in setting up small Irish villages close to the city. This idea could spread to many towns and villages all over the country if a full investigation were held into what is taking place in Gaeltacht Rath Cairn. I hope that the Minister is fully aware of what is happening there. I would like lectures, talks, film shows and items of that nature from Gaeltacht Rath Cairn area developed so as to project a better public relations image to towns and villages which might be interested in fostering the Irish language.
I want to place on record in this House that Gaeltacht Rath Cairn are doing an excellent job in promoting the Irish language and culture. However, I am sorry to have to say that the £15,000 which has been granted to Gaeltacht Rath Cairn in the Estimates for 1984 for administrative work and expenses is completely inadequate in this day and age, especially if those who are giving a lot of their time voluntarily are to fulfil their desired objectives. An increase of the aid to them now would be a clear indication of the sincerity of an tAire agus Roinn na Gaeltachta.
I want to draw the Minister's attention to the position of the muinteoirí who come to cover summer courses, for which they would get approximately £100 per week extra. Most of these people would be in the 55 per cent to 65 per cent tax band and would also have to pay 8½ per cent PRSI. For the extra work being done during the summer, these teachers would get £100, reduced at the 65 per cent tax rate to £35, less £8.50, which would leave them with about £26.50p nett per week. These teachers would be getting from £26.50 to £36.50 extra per week for their work. They work from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., accepting much more responsibility than just teaching the children. Perhaps the Minister for Finance would consider giving special tax free allowances in those cases.
In the case of a bean an tí, the Government gave a mere 25p extra for every pupil per day. That is disgraceful when one considers the rate of inflation. The bean an tí has many responsibilities supervising children and making sure that they come in at the proper time at night and that they conduct themselves properly.
Parents who want to send their children to Gaeltacht areas should be able to claim tax relief on fees. Many people who cannot afford to send their children to these areas would like to do so and it is the duty of the Government to give them that chance by encouraging parents in the form of special tax free allowances as it would be a recognition of their interest in the Irish language. There should also be some type of small allowance for bringing their children in their own cars to the all-Irish schools in Contae na Mí as there is no free transport for many of them. This would confirm the sincerity of the Government in promoting the Irish language.
People in Contae na Mí involved in promoting the language have made great strides. There are national schools in Navan, Drogheda — where many Meath pupils attend — Ashbourne, Baile Ghib and Gaeltacht Rath Cairn. People in Dunshaughlin and Kells are also interested in providing similar schools. We have two all-Irish nursery schools in Navan, one in Kells, one in Baile Ghib, one in Gaeltacht Rath Cairn, one in Oldcastle and one in Ashbourne. The Minister should now be planning a new all-Irish secondary school for Contae na Mí because there is no sense in laying the foundations if you do not build on them.
Bord na Gaeilge should investigate new developments and officers of the board should visit Baile Ghib, listen to the people and encourage them to follow in the footsteps of Gaeltacht Rath Cairn.
I appreciate the work of all Gaeltacht areas but the Gaeltacht in Contae na Mí, being so close to Dublin where one-third of the population of the country live, must be identified as a very important base for future development of the Irish language. I can see ever-increasing demands from people in city areas for this type of culture and education. They want to give their children the opportunity to learn the Irish language, not just because it is the national language but because its culture will stay with their children for the rest of their lives. We could develop Irish drama nights and Irish folk and singing nights in Gaeltacht Rath Cairn. Perhaps we could encourage people from the city to have meals there and we could also arrange family day trips as it is so near the city. This would not involve much expense and perhaps the Minister would consider giving some encouragement to the people in the city who would like to come out to the Gaeltacht by offering a small financial incentive. I am well aware that Government resources are limited but it is not a good enough reason, for giving nothing.
The Minister should keep a close eye on Raidio na Gaeltachta because, as local radio develops, it might be overtaken or replaced. As Gaeltacht Rath Cairn is the smallest Gaeltacht in Ireland and has no representation on the Údarás board, as their candidates failed to be elected under the democratic system, I appeal to the Minister to appoint representatives from areas not represented. I also appeal to the Minister to hold the Údarás elections on the same day as the European elections, thereby saving £40,000, which would go a long a way in encouraging people in the way I have outlined.
Údarás na Gaeltachta should work more closely with the Gaeltacht co-operatives and invest more finance through them. I see that £5 million is provided in the Estimates and possibly 20 per cent, or £1 million, of this should be channelled to the Gaeltacht co-operative system. It would be interesting to see what value the State and the taxpayer would get from this £1 million in that way, rather than going through the Údarás board.
There is more money being spent today on mountain land schemes than on the Irish language. It is time that the whole financial situation was fully investigated. It is no use only doing half the job, a motor car cannot function properly on a flat tyre.
I ask the Minister to consider that the suggestion which was raised in the European Parliament by John Hume, that money could be made available from the European Parliament to promote Irish culture and minority languages, be investigated further.
I have advocated that more action be taken, that new ideas be adopted and that we have belief and trust in those people who are doing a good job. I hope the Minister will take note of my suggestions and try to help those who are helping themselves despite having very little by way of financial resources available to them. Increasingly, people are placing more value on the cultural side of education and more people are interested in having their children educated through the medium of Irish. This is another reason for the Government to give more financial help to Gaeltacht areas and especially to the Gaeltacht area in Contae na Mí, to which I have referred, where the people are willing to provide these opportunities but are not in a position to do so without having extra financial aid available to them.
In Wales, Welsh-speaking people have their own radio and television networks and they are paying their way too. If a Welsh family wish to educate their children from the earliest stage right through university in the Welsh language, they are facilitated in that respect by the British Government. Is there anything wrong with making the same facilities available here to our people who wish their children to be educated through the medium of Irish? There is no use saying in 20, 30 or 50 years time, that we should have done this or that, now is the time.