Vol. 643 No. 1
49 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if existing inter-county Leader programmes will cease under the delivery of the new Leader programme in favour of single county structures; if existing rural development programmes will finish as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32628/07]
Arising from the joint ministerial initiative on the review of local and community development structures, the Government agreed a series of measures in January 2004 to improve arrangements under which community and local development initiatives are delivered and to improve cohesion and focus across various measures. This process is informed by the following guiding principles: improving on the ground services; streamlining structures to avoid overlaps, duplication and undue administrative overheads; bringing transparency, co-ordination and improved control to the funding and operation of local and community development measures; and strengthening the democratic accountability of agencies and providers in this area.
The core objective of the process is to simplify and improve local delivery of programmes operated by my Department through the integration and alignment of local delivery structures. The intention is that for the future, there will be one local development company in any given area and fewer local development companies overall. This will provide full county coverage and eliminate overlaps and previous fragmented arrangements.
Following exhaustive consultations with and between the local agencies to develop the most suitable configurations of groups, the Government decided on revised areas of coverage for local development companies in March of this year and clarified the arrangements in respect of the membership of the boards of these bodies in late July. Leader and partnership groups have been asked to give effect to these decisions and my Department has provided detailed guidelines to secure this outcome.
The realignment of local delivery structures will bring the overall number of local development delivery bodies to 55, comprising 38 integrated Leader-partnership bodies in rural areas and 17 partnerships covering urban areas. In most cases, the Government agreed that coverage areas would be aligned with county and city boundaries, with the number of structures in a county determined on the basis of population and overall geography. Some companies will continue to operate on a cross-county basis and there would be no objection to companies in separate areas taking a joint approach to the rural development programme.
The existing Leader+ and NRDP programmes for 2000 to 2006 have now effectively concluded and the process of closing the programmes is under way. Applications will shortly be sought from prospective local action groups with regard to the implementation of the new rural development programme 2007-2013. My Department is providing funding to Leader companies to enable them to meet their obligations regarding the administration and closure of the 2000 to 2006 programmes and maintain continuity and expertise pending the commencement of the new rural development programme. Transitional arrangements are also being put in place in respect of other development schemes, such as the rural social scheme, pending the necessary administrative adjustments arising from the boundary changes coming into effect.
How many current inter-county programmes will be affected by this change in the structure? Could the Minister also tell me how many people working with existing Leader companies will be affected by job losses? A suggestion has been made by Leader groups, particularly in Cavan-Monaghan, that what the Minister is doing breaches EU regulations. Will the Minister respond to this?
In response to the last question, I am confident this is not so. In respect of the number of groups that were cross-county and are now single county, off the top of my head, I cannot give the Deputy an answer. As far as I can remember, part of one of the groups in Mayo extended into west Sligo. That has now become a county group in Sligo. In respect of Leitrim north Roscommon, I understand that they are setting up a body in Leitrim and a body in Roscommon. There was already a Cavan partnership and a Monaghan partnership, while the Leader programme was a joint programme for the two counties. Since we are amalgamating the Leader and partnership programmes, they could not agree as to whether it would be a Leader partnership for the two counties or two Leader partnerships. That was where the difficulty arose there. There were a number of community partnerships in Kilkenny and south Tipperary so it does not just relate to Leader companies. There will be one in Kilkenny and another in south Tipperary.
One must understand that there were partnership groups involved in every part of this process as well. We are maintaining Duhallow, a programme in a part of County Limerick whose name escapes me at the moment and the Gaeltacht and the islands because the Gaeltacht does not lend itself to a county structure and it is important to provide services.
It is obviously up to new bodies in respect of employment but the intention was to employ everybody. Where some body stands outside the process——
I want to find time for another brief supplementary question.
Where a body is outside the process, its employees are its affair.
The Minister accepts that the Leader companies have done a good job where they have been working even if there were two in particular counties. Now that they are being amalgamated, people are concerned that there will be job losses but the Minister has confirmed that most of these people will move in with the company that is selected.
When is it expected to announce Leader IV and its funding? Many people, particularly in rural areas, wait to apply for grant aid and companies are waiting for their funding. When does the Minister expect to have it up and running?
Most of the companies have now been set up under the new structure. As the Deputy is aware, the Leader company in Cavan-Monaghan wrote to the EU. They wrote to us and we replied to them. I hope to move ahead very shortly and announce the programme. The good thing is that full funding for the programme is still preserved so no matter when we start, it is still there for the 2007-2013 period so the money is secured. I am very anxious to proceed with this.
Nobody has ever criticised any work carried out by Leader companies or partnerships. People always tell us that we have too many bodies out there. All I would maintain is that in the overall scheme of things, it is better to have the one agency delivering the partnership, the rural social scheme and the Leader programmes in any one given area. It is better for the community and at the end of the day, I always look to what the ordinary person on the side of the street would like and I think they like the idea of one community-based partnership agency being able to provide all the services.
50 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the details available to him in relation to recent events involving drug misuse; the proposals he has to highlight the problems encountered; if there are proposals or plans for an advertising campaign as the Christmas 2007 period approaches to warn against the misuse of drugs or illicit substances; if such a campaign will be a national or a locally based one through local radio stations and local media means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32627/07]
I assume the Deputy is referring primarily to the tragic cocaine-related incident that occurred in Ballybeg in Waterford last week. I express my condolences to the family of Kevin Doyle on their great loss and send my good wishes to John Grey and his family. I hope he makes a full recovery. The details of the incident available to me are those reported in the media.
Since I became Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy earlier this year, I have repeatedly warned of the dangers of illegal drug use. In that regard, I have a particular focus on prevention and believe that if we can prevent people starting a drug habit, we can help prevent the heartache and pain, as well as the social and financial problems that arise as a result.
The challenge is to change attitudes among problem drug users and potential users and this is not an easy task. At national level, responsibility for a national drugs awareness campaign rests with the Health Services Executive in the first instance but my Department is involved in developing proposals through the advisory group established in that regard. The upcoming campaign will focus on cocaine. Its primary aim will be to communicate the dangers of cocaine use, with a particular focus on so-called "recreational cocaine users" in the 15-34 age group. It will utilise appropriate media, such as social network websites, to target this age group. Other proposals include the use of billboard and bus advertising and targeted radio advertising.
It will not be possible to get the national campaign up and running for the Christmas period, although the health promotion unit of the HSE hopes to post "banners" advising of the upcoming campaign on several prominent websites. However, the campaign will kick off early in the new year. Furthermore, I am sure the Garda will be particularly vigilant regarding the risks of drug use over the Christmas period.
Meanwhile, a significant level of information in regard to the dangers of illicit drug use is disseminated at local and regional drugs task force level through specific projects, drug awareness weeks and other initiatives funded by my Department. Also, the main aim of projects funded by my Department through the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund is to attract "at risk" young people in disadvantaged areas into facilities and activities and divert them away from the dangers of substance abuse. In that context, it should be noted that under the fund, money is also being made available to five national youth organisations to disseminate drug prevention and awareness messages to young people.
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed reply. Obviously, we have seen in recent months the effort, time and dedication given in respect of road traffic deaths. A similar matter is coming on stream now. I wish to be associated with the sympathies expressed by the Minister of State to the Doyle family. I also wish the Grey family well. After a major level of debate, advertisement and involvement in road deaths, we need a similar effort in drugs and the deaths related to drugs. A chance meeting in a public house led to the person in Waterford going to a party and the young man, who fought cancer and had the world at his feet, is unfortunately dead. I acknowledge the Minister of State's point about advertisements but it is no use that the HSE will take steps in the new year. I ask the Minister of State to broadcast verbal warnings on the radio and an appeal before the Christmas party season begins. It would be of benefit and it should be done. I ask the Minister of State and the senior Minister to consider this. They have the lead in this and have the support of the Opposition, as seen in last week's debate. This should be a once-off measure, after which the HSE can undertake a campaign. Something should be done for the Christmas period.
The debate last week began that process. The Taoiseach called on anyone likely to get involved in drug misuse not to do so. I echo the call of the Doyle family that young people say no to drugs. A number of local radio stations are working in this regard. The cross care site seems to have attracted an enormous amount of attention when Members spoke of engaging with web-based technology in promoting awareness campaigns. I found it extraordinary that there were 5,000 new registrations on that site. Today I received an e-mail from another web-based organisation involved in drugs education, stating that it is prepared to co-operate with the scheme. I do not underestimate the challenge.
I call on anyone tempted to get involved in drug misuse to say no to the temptation. I ask people to look out for unusual behaviour in their work colleagues aged 20 to 35, including unusual attendance or absence patterns or missed repayments on the house, apartment, car or motorbike. At home, those living with younger people should look out for unusual patterns of coming, going, sleeping and eating or valuables disappearing from the house. It may be due to other factors but these are signs associated with drug misuse.
Excellent campaigns by transition year students throughout the country on alcohol and drug misuse have taken place. This is a lethal cocktail — alcohol and drugs, or polydrug use, is the new phenomenon we must address.
51 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way his Department spent the €200 million which the Government says it spent on problem drug use in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32629/07]
The estimated expenditure of over €200 million on problem drug use in 2006 refers to spending across all Departments and agencies, rather than the figure for my Department alone. Through the interdepartmental group on drugs, relevant Departments and agencies reported on their 2006 expenditure and the total was in excess of €200 million. Of this amount, €41 million related to expenditure under the drugs initiative young people's facilities and services fund, funded through my Department. In this context, the figures, which should be interpreted as indicative, relate only to services that are considered to be directly attributable to dealing with problem drug use. The figure does not take account of many mainstream services that also assist in tackling problems associated with drugs misuse. It has not proved feasible to accurately segregate the funding aimed at assisting problem drug users from that aimed at the wider community. A breakdown of the 2006 expenditure is set out in the following table.
|
Department/Agency |
Allocation 2006 |
|
€ million |
|
|
Department of Community Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs |
41.30 |
|
Department of Health and Children |
0.98 |
|
Health Service Executive |
83.18 |
|
FÁS |
18.60 |
|
Department of Education and Science |
12.14 |
|
Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government |
0.46 |
|
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform |
9.53 |
|
Irish Prison Service |
5.00 |
|
An Garda Síochána |
33.40 |
|
Revenue’s Customs Service |
6.53 |
|
Total |
211.12 |
Last week we stated that over €200 million was spent on drugs and, on the streets, there is reason to believe it is not working. Whatever is happening to this money, it is not being spent on services. The tragic loss of the young man celebrating his 21st birthday brings home the lack of knowledge and understanding of the misuse of drugs, even on a once-off basis. People in my area have asked what impact the local task forces have and the manner in which the money is distributed to local task forces. How is there a lack of initiative from the local drugs task forces to deal with people on a one-to-one basis? Is it due to funding or are there not enough people employed in the services? Why are we dependent on voluntary groups, such as the Lions Club, to fund the travel of people such as the chief executive of Tacade in England to give in-service days to teachers in the Dublin area? Why is this not funded by the Government? I stress how important it is to seek the alcohol and drug awareness programme for students of senior cycle in school. It has not been set up and the Minister's reply last week suggested it would be some time before it is set up. We cannot wait any longer.
There is still a serious misunderstanding of the magnitude of the problem facing us. I have never tried to minimise the challenge with regard to the scale of drug misuse. The local drug task forces and increasingly the regional drugs task forces have an impact. I am fairly conversant at this stage with their work. The local drugs task force work is a collaborative effort drawn up under the national drugs strategy. It is not the Government's strategy alone, it is a national drug strategy, primarily driven by the voluntary and community sector. I do not denigrate the input of State agencies but those working on the ground fully understand the impact the problem has on communities.
Deputy Byrne asked how the money is distributed. This happens through a process of submission, strategic plans and detailed submissions to the local drugs task force, in the first instance, which is then referred to the national drugs strategy team. A detailed assessment is done at that stage. Members of the national drug strategy team work full time and are drawn from State agencies and the community and voluntary sector. They make recommendations to me and, in my experience and that of my predecessor, the vast majority of programmes recommended are approved. The teams are aware of the allocation of money and the amount available to each local and regional task force is approved in consultation with them. The money available in the coming year will be no less than the amount for last year. All programmes are drawn down by prior agreement with those proposing them. Account is taken of value for money and a value for money audit has been carried out on most of them, with positive outcomes. The local and regional drugs task forces are the most efficient method of delivering services.
I agree with the Minister of State. I grew up in an area plagued by drugs. People ask questions, including whether the local drugs task forces are making an impact. I was informed by three different local drugs task forces last week that one of the biggest problems they face is that of young people taking ordinary pills. This is a major problem in every community, even that which I represent, and I am concerned about it. I accept that money is being channelled into the projects but I must question whether what is happening on the ground is sufficient. It is obviously not sufficient because, if it were, young people of ten or 12 years of age would not be taking pills of all sorts. They can get some of these in the medicine chests in their own homes.
The projects are having an impact. One of the best projects I have seen in recent times is the transition year project in the Deputy's area which is run in conjunction with the Ballyfermot youth service and local schools and which relates to raising awareness of drugs and alcohol misuse. The Deputy is well aware of Base and other projects in Ballyfermot, Inchicore and the south inner city and the impact they are having. One of our difficulties is that because there is a greater range of services available, more people are presenting in order to make use of them. This is a good sign of the effectiveness of these projects. It will be a long time before there is an entirely adequate response to many of the challenges we face.
52 Deputy Brian O’Shea asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the work that has been carried out in respect of the promised 20-year strategy for the Irish language since 1997 to date in 2007; if it will be published by the end of 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32762/07]
As I advised the House on a number of previous occasions in reply to related questions on this matter, and more recently during the course of statements in the House on 8 November 2007, the Government published its statement on the Irish language in December 2006. That statement provides for the development of a 20-year strategy for the Irish language, which is intended to be the foundation for practical action for supporting and promoting the language, based on a modern, integrated approach.
My Department, during the course of 2007, has been engaged in a public procurement process regarding the appointment of consultants to advise in respect of the strategy. This process is nearing completion and I expect that consultants will be appointed by the end of the year. It was envisaged at the time of the statement's publication that it would take up to two years for the strategy to be prepared. I am confident that this target will be achieved and that the strategy will be completed by December 2008.
The answer is more or less as I feared. It is almost a year since the statement on the Irish language and there is still no absolute guarantee that the consultants will be appointed before the end of the year. The Minister stated that he expects the strategy to be completed by the end of next year.
There is a need to examine the background to this matter. There are contradictory dates on the Department's website but in June or July 2004 Fóram na Gaeilge was established and charged with advising the Minister on the strategy. On 30 December 2005, Coiste Comhairleach na Gaeilge, the advisory council set up to advise the Minister on the Gaeltacht Commission's report, and Fóram na Gaeilge were amalgamated. The Department has been dealing with the Irish language since 1997 but there is still no firm date regarding when the strategy will be produced. The Minister has come around to the view — he was not always enamoured of it — that a strategy is fundamental.
Ceist, le do thoil.
Is the Minister in a position to provide a watertight date in respect of the publication of the 20-year strategy on the Irish language?
December 2008 or before.
Is the Minister categorically stating that, without fail, the strategy will be completed by the last day of next year?
Yes.
That is fine. Go raibh maith agat.
Seo an chéad dul chun cinn——
Dúirt mé é sin bliain ó shoin.
Molaim thú.
Ach milleann an gé go mall.
Go raibh maith agat. Tá an Nollaig ag teacht.
53 D’fhiafraigh Deputy Dinny McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé sásta leis an dul chun cinn atá déanta maidir le húsáid na Gaeilge san Eoraip ó tugadh aitheantas don teanga mar an 23ú teanga oifigiúil ansin; an eol dó an imní atá ar an gCoimisinéir Teangacha san Eoraip faoin easpa daoine oilte le hobair aistriúcháin a dhéanamh sa Ghaeilge, an géarghá atá á le graiméar nua Gaeilge a chur ar fáil agus cad atá á dhéanamh ag a Roinn leis na deacrachtaí seo a réiteach; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [32632/07]
Mar is eol don Teachta, tá stádas mar theanga oifigiúil agus oibre de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh ag an nGaeilge ó thús na bliana seo. Tá mo Roinn ag obair i gcomhpháirtíocht leis an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha, le Foras na Gaeilge agus le páirtithe iomchuí eile le cinntiú go mbeidh dóthain daoine oilte ar fáil ag institiúidí an Aontais Eorpaigh chun freastal ar a gcuid riachtanais ó thaobh na Gaeilge de.
I measc na gcéimeanna atá tógtha chun na críche sin, tá Foras na Gaeilge, ar iarratas uaimse, tar éis córas creidiúnaithe d'aistritheoirí Gaeilge a fhorbairt. Tá an caighdeán cuí bainte amach anois ag 98 iarrthóir agus tá sonraí iomlána an phainéil ar fáil ar shuíomh idirlín an Fhorais, www.forasnagaeilge.ie. Is cinnte go bhfuil an córas seo an-tábhachtach ó thaobh aistritheoirí Gaeilge a chur ar fáil don Aontas Eorpach.
Chomh maith leis sin, tá ciste ar leith bunaithe agam chun maoiniú a chur ar fáil do shainchúrsaí tríú leibhéal trí Ghaeilge d'fhonn líon na gcéimithe le scileanna sonracha Gaeilge i réimsí ar leith a mhéadú. I measc na gcúrsaí atá á maoiniú ón gciste agus atá tosaithe nó le tosú amach anseo, tá cúrsaí dírithe ar ateangairí, ar aistritheoirí agus ar theangairí-dlíodóirí.
Maidir leis an athbhreithniú ar an gCaighdeán Oifigiúil, tuigtear dom go bhfuil an obair seo idir lámha ag Foras na Gaeilge cheana féin.
Maidir leis an tagairt a rinne an Teachta don Choimisinéir Teangacha san Eoraip, tuigtear dom go bhfuil sé sásta go bhfuil comhoibriú maith idir na Ranna cuí anseo in Éirinn agus institiúidí an Aontais Eorpaigh ó thaobh chur chun cinn na Gaeilge ar leibhéal Eorpach de. Cinnte, tá dúshlán fós romhainn, go háirithe ó thaobh theangairí-dlíodóirí de, ach tá beartais praiticiúla idir lámha ag mo Roinn chun dul i ngleic leo. Sa chomthéacs sin, ba mhaith liom aitheantas ar leith a thabhairt d'Ostaí an Rí as an gcomhoibriú uathu ar an ngné tábhachtach seo den cheist.
An aontaíonn an tAire go bhfuil an coimisiún iltheangach sa Chomhaontas Eorpach an-imníoch faoin easpa réamhullmhúcháin a bhí déanta againn nuair a aithníodh an Ghaeilge mar theanga oifigiúl san Eoraip? Ceann de na gearáin a rinne sé, ná go bhfuil graiméar na Gaeilge as chló agus as dáta agus go bhfuil institiúdí éagsúla ag cur a chuid gramadaí féin ar fáil agus go bhfuil seo ag cur daoine ag leibhéal na hEorpa ar strae. Cén uair a chuirfear graiméar Gaeilge cruinn, ceart agus nua-aimseartha ar fáil? B'fhéidir gur féidir linn a bheith ag déileáil le canúintí sa tír seo, ach is léir nach féidir a bheith ag déileáil le canúintí ag leibhéal na hEorpa.
As the Commissioner said, the entire lack of an Irish grammar, interpreters, etc., is undermining the use of Irish at European level. He did not say that without good reason.
Tá an tAire i ndiaidh snas a chur ar an ábhar, ach ní shílim go bhfuil an cheist freagartha aige. Cén uair a bheidh graiméar úr Gaeilge ar fáil agus cén uair a bheidh go leor aistritheoirí agus lucht teangan ar fáil leis an obair thábhachtach a dhéanamh? We all bent over backwards to have Irish recognised at European level. However, we do not have the personnel or an Irish grammar in place. Is Irish joke atá ann.
An chéad uair gurb' fhios domsa go raibh suim ag an Eoraip i gceist na grammadaí ná ag deireadh na bliana seo. I bhfad roimhe sin, bhí mé taréis iarraidh ar Fhoras na Gaeilge breathnú ar an gcaighdeán oifigiúil. Aontaím leis an Teachta nár breathníodh ar os na 1950í. Tuigeann an Teachta an cúlra a bhaineann leis an gcaighdeán agus an caoi ina dtógadh isteach an chéad uair é. Chreid mé go raibh gá ann athbhreathnú a dhéanamh ar sin. Mar is eol don Teachta, tá mé tar éis iarraidh ar Fhoras na Gaeilge tabhairt faoi sin, os rud é go bhfuil an fhoras ag obair leis an bhfoclóireacht agus go bhfuil an choiste téarmaíochta faoina gcúram freisin. Tá an obair sin ar bun. Bhí sé ar bun i bhfad sula dhírigh éinne an Eoraip ar an gceist. Tá gá againn fhéin le caighdeán atá suas chun dáta.
Maidir leis an gceist eile, is cuimhin liom cruinniú a bheith agam le Conradh an Gaeilge agus na eagraíochtaí eile nuair a bhíodar ag éileamh stádas oifigiúil oibre don Ghaeilge son Eoraip. Ag an am, mhínigh mé dóibh gur chreid mé go mbeadh dúshlán ollmhór ann ó thaobh cúrsaí aistriúcháin de. Dúirt na eagraíochtaí nach raibh an ceart agam ach chreid mé go raibh. Mar is eol don Teachta, bhí an-deifir ar na bpáirtithe uilig sa dTeach seo go dtiocfaí ar aghaidh le seo. Glacadh leis, buíochas le Dia, agus d'aontaigh an Eoraip leis. Tugadh amscála an-ghearr — 1 Eanáir 2007 — don rud seo a chuir i bhfeidhm. Tá dúshláin ann, ach táimid ag teacht leis na dúshláin sin. Tá go leor céimeanna tógtha le déanamh cinnte go mbeidh daoine ar fáil le freastal ar na riachtanais. I gcás an Tí seo, ní gá duit a bheith i do abhcóide nó i do aturnae chun aistriú a dhéanamh ar reachtaíocht. Tá riachtanas ag an Eoraip gur chóir do oifigigh cáilíocht a bheith acu ó thaobh an dlí de, móide bheith in ann aistriú a dhéanamh go roinnt teangacha — ní díreach Gaeilge-Béarla — chun a bheith cáilithe le obair a dhéanamh ar Achtanna nó rialacha na hEorpa. Is dúshlán breise dúinn é sin. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta cé mhéad daoine leis na cáilíochtaí sin atá sa tír seo. Tá dúshláin ann, ach tá comhoibriú iomlán de chuile chineál á thabhairt ag an Rialtas sa gceist seo. Tá comhoibriú á thabhairt ag na Rannaí Stáit agus tá sé le fáil ón Eoraip. Creidim go n-éireóidh linn na dúshláin a shárú, ach beidh de deacair. Thuig mé ón dtús go mbeadh sé deacair.
Cén uair an mbeidh an grammadach nua ar fáil?
Ní féidir liom freagra a thabhairt ar sin. Cuirfidh mé ceist ar Fhoras na Gaeilge agus gheobhaidh mé amach cén uair a cheapann an fhoras go dtarlóidh sé. Ba chóir don Teachta bheith cinnte faoi rud amháin — ar an bpointe go bhfoilseofar dréacht grammadach nua, beimid i raic faoi. Is féidir linn a shamhlú céard a tharlóidh.
Muna féidir linn aontú, conas is féidir leis an Eoraip aontú?
Tuigim. Iarraidh mé ar an fhoras.
