Vol. 698 No. 4
21 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his view regarding the impact the recent cut to expenditure will have on front-line services in rural and Gaeltacht areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47196/09]
As the Minister for Finance stated when introducing the 2010 budget, in the past year we have been running to stand still in terms of spending on public services. Accordingly, in the 2010 budget the Government decided, as part of its strategy to manage its way through the current severe economic crisis and to return the country to prosperity, to reduce spending on public services by almost €1 billion in 2010 compared with the pre-budget estimates. To the greatest extent possible, the savings have been sought through efficiencies rather than through reductions in services.
In the case of my Department, gross funding at €415.426 million in 2010 is a reduction of 13% relative to the 2009 allocation of €475.701 million. Current funding is reduced by 9%, a decrease of €32.1 million, and capital funding is reduced by 21%, a decrease of €28.175 million.
In a joint statement with the Minister of State at my Department, Deputy John Curran, on budget day, we stressed that our primary concern is to make every effort to ensure the daily front-line services provided with funding from my Department are protected, especially those focused on the needs of the most socially deprived communities. Every saving that can be made from cutting down on overheads will be pursued so that the entire range of rural and Gaeltacht communities we serve, as well as urban and island communities, retain, to the greatest extent possible, the services that have been developed in partnership with them over the years.
The Minister lost the battle in the Cabinet. No doubt the cutbacks were savage. Community development funding is down €22.4 million, drugs funding is down €4.4 million, Gaeltacht and islands funding is down €23.4 million, and promotion of the Irish language funding is down €2.8 million.
I received many representations from the community development programmes, CDPs, in particular. The Minister is amalgamating some of them and getting rid of others. The timeframe is what is really worrying them. Some of them accept there must be changes and some of them want to work with the Department. First, they get a letter stating this will not be dealt with until March next; they then get a letter stating it must be done by December. I ask the Minister and his junior Minister to postpone any decisions on these CDPs and to sit down, talk to them, see if they can come to an arrangement. These are very important, both for city and rural areas.
Gaeltacht and islands funding is down €23.4 million. That would be a massive cutback in any Department. Can the Minister operate within his Department with such cuts?
Deputy Ring raised two questions. No doubt there are questions on the Order Paper for my Minister of State, Deputy Curran. However, 29 CDPs have received notice that the intention is not to continue with funding. They have been told why and they have an opportunity to appeal, which can be lodged any day up to 15 January next and which will be heard by an appeals board or group set up within the Department but which is separate from those who made the original decision. The view of those who assessed these CDPs is that they were not effective and, therefore, there was no point in continuing to fund them.
On the wider re-organisation, Deputy Ring has complained bitterly time and again about too many different bodies doing the same thing. What we are doing is streamlining it into one clear social inclusion programme. No doubt when the Deputy sees this work through, he will fully support it, as he has always supported rationalisation of that kind.
On the Gaeltacht and islands spend, it is true that there is a decrease in the funding but a large part of that decrease, approximately €12 million, relates to a decrease in island capital funding from the high level of €23 million. That is quite easily explained by the fact that the largest ever single infrastructure project on the Aran Islands will complete during next year. In addition, major infrastructure such as the airstrips on Inisbofin and in Cleggan are largely complete. There is some work outstanding, but the heavy infrastructure work is coming to completion. It was always planned that the funding would wind down once we had got over that peak of doing so many projects together.
There are still a number of projects that need to be done. We are still planning them. In particular, there is a pier upgrade needed on Inis Oirr, which will not be as expensive a job as those on the other two islands, and planning is going ahead. There is a pier in Rannach in Donegal for which planning is still going ahead. However, the kind of spend there has been in the past two years on the islands was never projected into the future and that is a large slice of the reduction in the Gaeltacht spend.
I would admit that the Gaeltacht spend is tight but, for example, there were recommendations that the Irish colleges were to close and I have funding for the Irish colleges next year. The main programmes will run even though there may be cutbacks here and there in the operational programmes.
On community development, I agree I have stated on many occasions I want to see the duplication stopped and I certainly would support the Minister on that. What I am saying is the Minister needs to talk to these community groups. He cannot just write to them stating this is what the Department is doing. He needs to talk to them, he needs to sit down with them. On the appeals mechanism, he must give them an opportunity to make their case and fight their corner, and then make the decisions. However, what is happening is they are getting letters one day stating it must be done before March and then they are told it must be done before Christmas. At least there is an appeals mechanism.
These CDPs are doing extremely good work and the Minister must sit down and talk with them. The other day the joint committee was trying to bring the Minister in again to stall the process and give them an opportunity to make their case. I agree that some of these groups must be amalgamated. They themselves know and are ready for change, but they need a little time.
What is the financial allocation for community supports for older persons for 2010? Is it the same as that for last year, or has it been increased? What is the up-to-date position? I am worried about that important scheme. We must ensure the funding is in place for that scheme to protect the elderly in their homes. That scheme has worked. The Minister opened up that scheme and closed it down again. Will that scheme be in place for 2010?
On CSOP, we have not finalised the exact allocation but the scheme will operate again next year. As Deputy Ring will be aware, the review is nearly complete and the scheme is open at present.
On the query on the CDPs, if I learned one lesson in the re-organisation of the Leader partnership companies, it was that drawing out these matters does not solve anything. Therefore, it is important to set finite dates.
There are two issues here. There is a small number, approximately 30 out of 180 CPDs, which are recommended for closure. There is a clear process in place. They have been told why, they get a date to appeal, the appeal will be assessed and that will finish that process. There is no point in dragging it out because a decision must be made. However, they are very much the minority. The rest of the CDPs will retain approximately the same funding next year as they had this year.
The third issue is the new overarching programme so that where there are CDPs and a partnership company operating in the same area, there is a coherent approach. The Minister of State has stated that the modalities of that will be worked out over the coming year but the decision on principle has been made and will be implemented.
22 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if the board of management structure for community development programmes is to be retained; if he has postponed any decision as a result of the recent correspondence from the Chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; if, as a result, he plans to meet with the representative group, Community Platform, on behalf of the CDPs; if further representations will be considered before a final decision is made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47194/09]
As I outlined previously to the Dáil and Seanad, my Department has seen the need to redesign its community development and social inclusion programmes, particularly the local development social inclusion programme, LDSIP, and the community development programme, CDP, drawing on best international practice, and to support their ongoing evaluation. The LDSIP and the CDP are my Department's two main social inclusion and community development programmes. They both have a community development element and are delivered through separate local delivery structures. These programmes come to an end on 31 December 2009 and will be superseded by a new integrated programme, the local and community development programme.
The centre for effective services recently presented the outline of the new programme to me, which I accepted. The aim of the new programme is to tackle poverty and social exclusion through partnership and constructive engagement between the Government, its agencies and people in disadvantaged communities. The new programme will preserve elements of good practice from the existing CDPs, community development programmes, and LDSIPs, local development social inclusion programmes, but will ensure a greater focus on outputs and outcomes and their evaluation.
The new integrated programme is a major step forward and I am especially pleased that, notwithstanding severe budgetary constraints, the case made for the programme was accepted in determining allocations and that it was possible to secure significant funding for it for 2010. In that context, I am pleased to say that I have been able to ring-fence funding for continuing CDPs and to maintain funding for these at 2009 levels.
We have taken care in the design of the implementation process for the new programme and allowed enough time to ensure the objective of integrated service delivery can be achieved. Once CDPs sign up to the new programme, the first tranche of 2010 funding will be provided. This allows for service continuity from day one. The existing CDP management structure, through the voluntary boards, will remain in place for 2010 and CDPs have been so informed, in writing.
As part of the implementation process, the key stakeholders will be asked to work together at local level from early next year to develop proposals for how the programme is to be delivered during 2010. My Department and Pobal will provide a range of supports to ensure the process is successful. At the same time, all stakeholders will be working together to put in place a plan to ensure integrated service delivery and structures for the period after 2010. My Department and Pobal will also be supporting that process and working with all key stakeholders.
We have set out a model for integrated service delivery and structures at a local level which would involve, among other things, the re-constitution of the voluntary boards from the end of 2010. The directors would continue to have a key role in that model. However, we have stated repeatedly that it is up to the CDPs and the local development companies to bring forward other models, if they have something better to offer. I have met CDPs, their networks and representatives throughout the country during the past year or more, as have my officials. We have made it clear that we will meet anyone who is prepared to work with us in a constructive way to ensure that the new programme is delivered to the benefit of the communities we all serve.
The statement from the Minister of State does not reflect what I have heard. The community platform has sought a delay in this process but I believe the Minister is bullying communities into submission. Such actions are a rebuff to the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs which sent a letter by unanimous decision. That letter was not acted upon by the Minister. Often, there is discussion on community involvement and activities. Some boards have been called upon to sign up to integration with development companies of which they are not even aware. They have been informed that they will be notified at a later stage of the details of the relevant local development company. This is a disgrace, given the commitment that the boards of management have displayed in respect of the communities. Many boards of management initiated the community groups but they are now informed that they are surplus to requirements and that they will be put to one side.
I refer to the appeals mechanism. Any appeal mechanism involved in this area should be independent of the Department, as should any process to provide for natural justice. This is no reflection on the people in the Department but no one could seriously suggest there should be an appeals mechanism put in place constituted of members of the Minister's Department to consider its decisions? It does not stand up. Immediately there is a doubt raised by anyone who makes a case using such a mechanism. The 30 CDPs would be under considerable pressure and the first thing they would suggest is that they have no hope because the appeals mechanism has no independent identity. Even if the chairman of the appeals board were from outside the Department I could accept it. However, I cannot accept it because the appeals board is made up of three people from within the Department derived from whatever section.
We are all keen for this to work. The Minister of State will be aware better than most people that we have supported this measure in every shape and form, despite the financial implications and so on. I call on the Minister of State to bring everyone with us, to re-examine the boards of management and the appeals mechanism and not to insist that CDPs sign up to an unknown local development company to which they have no links to date. These are three measures which can be done to move this project forward.
I will try to respond to several of the points made. I refer to the appeals mechanism. The staff involved in the appeals are from completely different sections and have not hand, act or part in——
It in no way reflects on——
I make this point specifically. While any appeal need not be submitted until the middle of January, the CDPs unsuccessful in the review were not only informed that they were unsuccessful, but they were informed of the reasons. This will subsequently assist them during any appeal. We have also made a commitment to these CDPs to help them with finance and funding during the course of their appeal, such that their funding would not come to an end at the end of the current year. I make the point that we are now in a different situation financially. Previously, when we cut funding to CDPs one comment they all made was that if they were subjected to another cut, they would be out of business. The idea of having a radical examination and implementing a new, single programme is to ensure we address the concerns highlighted in the McCarthy report and elsewhere such that we produce tangible and measurable outcomes, clear programmes, that we avoid duplication and to avoid excessive bureaucracy. There are in excess of 230 different legal entities delivering community development in the country along with all the associated burdens of administration and compliance with company law. The focus must be on addressing the issues of key concern to disadvantaged people in our communities.
Deputy Wall is correct to raise this matter and it is a shame there are CDPs in the country which operate in a way such that they are oblivious to and unaware of what other partnership and local development companies are doing. I do not blame the CDPs and this is why I seek a single, integrated programme and the reason the Government has made this commitment.
I refer to the request to meet individual CDPs. I have given adequate time to tease out all the detail. Implementation will take place over the course of one year and this has been clearly spelt out. I refer to the community platform. My officials and I have made it clear that we are quite prepared to meet any group. I will stand corrected but to the best of my knowledge I have not received a request to meet the community platform. However, I am available to meet to address this matter in the coming year.
I did not seek to cast aspersions on the people the Minister of State selects for appeals. However, from years of experience in various societies and associations with which I have been involved, I am aware that the one thing such a process must have is an independent voice for any appeals mechanism. I state again that the one thing that must be done is to appoint a person independent from the Department. We are all aware this is possible and that there are many people throughout the country with expertise in community development at their fingertips. I call for such an appointment because it would help to resolve the difficulties. As long as the current set-up exists, some doubt will remain and I do not care what case the Minister of State makes, if there are three officials appointed from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to hear an appeal, the rug could be pulled from underneath them immediately. I call on the Minister to consider my suggestion.
I understand the Minister of State will appear before the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs again in respect of this matter. I thank the Minister of State for his commitment to meet the community platform. If we are to progress this matter there is a need for such meetings. Everyone seeks to progress the matter and I will continue to argue until the matter winds up that the boards of management and those who created the initiative in many cases are being sidelined to the detriment of local communities. This will continue to be the case if the Minister of State does not change his position, which is a major error and mistake and amounts to a rebuff of their efforts. I call on the Minister of State to meet the community workers co-operative sooner rather than later to address their concerns. I also call on him to do something regarding the appeals mechanism. It would not be an excessively substantial measure but it would help the Minister of State to bring everyone on-side and he would certainly have me on-side with respect to the appeal mechanism if he responds to the request I have made.
I refer to the question of meeting various groups.
I wish to put that on the record because it is important. Both I and my officials, at different times and in different ways, do this.
To clarify one point, I did not select the staff within the Department who were to make the appeals.
The Minister of State is missing the point.
I take the Deputy's point but I wish to clarify this for the record. It was not a question of the Minister coming in and saying, "You, you and you". It was senior management within the Department.
23 Deputy Catherine Byrne asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his views on drug users participating in community employment schemes as part of the rehabilitation process; his views on the value of such schemes for recovering addicts and the need for even more incentives to help rehabilitate them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47013/09]
I strongly support the participation of recovering drug users on community employment schemes as part of the rehabilitation process. I am aware of the importance of such schemes in the recovery paths of many and I wish to acknowledge the role played by FÁS in that regard. Recovering drug users participate, for the most part, in special drugs-related CE projects, though some participate in mainstream CE schemes. The adjustments made for special drugs-related CE projects aim to facilitate the rehabilitation process.
The report of the working group on drugs rehabilitation, which was chaired by my Department and which reported in 2007, recognised the contribution made by CE and made a number of recommendations for improvement. These included a greater focus on the health and education requirements of participants, the expansion of the number of available places from 1,000 to 1,300 and greater inter-agency co-ordination to meet the overall needs of the participants.
Progress on these areas is being addressed through the national drugs rehabilitation implementation committee, NDRIC, chaired by the HSE and on which FÁS is represented. At the same time, FÁS has re-convened a CE working group on drugs-related projects, involving representatives of the various sectors who are working towards improving the overall outcomes for participants by having a sharper focus on inter-agency working, access to schemes, training and development opportunities, supervision ratios and opportunities for onward progression.
Special drugs-related CE projects are, of course, only one part of the rehabilitation effort. Effective delivery of rehabilitation requires an overall inter-agency approach based on a continuum of care that operates within the context of enhanced case management and a quality standards framework. It also involves addressing the broad needs of individuals, across medical support, training and employment, education, housing, prison-related issues and family-related issues. This broad approach is being encouraged through the work of the NDRIC, which has representatives of all relevant Departments and agencies, as well as the voluntary and community sectors. I have also established a residential rehabilitation group, chaired by my Department, to better co-ordinate the integration of the provision of residential rehabilitation services across the sectors.
Under the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, I will meet twice a year with a number of Ministers and various senior officials who are involved in implementing various key actions in the strategy. As part of my emphasis on rehabilitation, I will meet with both FÁS and the senior rehabilitation co-ordinator, who is based in the HSE, in this process. Last week I met with the director general of FÁS and had a very worthwhile exchange, with agreement on the need to focus on outcomes. I also met with the senior rehabilitation co-ordinator in the last few days and we discussed developments to date and approaches to expediting progress in the months ahead. Progress on rehabilitation will also figure prominently at the quarterly meetings of the oversight forum on drugs, which I chair. This forum will review progress across the strategy and will address any operational difficulties and blockages that arise. I believe that the structures we now have in place will facilitate significant progress on rehabilitation over the period of the strategy.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am pleased that his heart is in the right place on this issue.
I bring the Minister of State back some months to when he visited the Liberty Recycling place in Bluebell, Ballyfermot. He gave a speech and commented on how important the service was, especially for people going through addiction who were trying to get their lives back onto some kind of path. There is hope for them.
Last Monday after the "Would You Believe" programme which featured Liberty Recyling, I visited the place again. The President of Ireland came to see the operation and the 50 people working there, all of them on CE schemes. What came across from the President's speech was how important it is for all of us as a community to ensure that people who really want to get their lives back together are supported as much as possible. I know the Minister of State is fully supportive of this.
The difficulty about these projects is that they are very short-term. For the number of years Liberty Recycling has been going, since 1999, everybody who has come in on a CE scheme has been short-term only, working for three years. There might be the odd 55 year old who is able to stay for four years. What happens then is that the person is thrown back into the wilderness where it is very difficult for him or her to find a job, especially at this time. At the time of the "Would You Believe" programme, a girl worked in the office who had to leave because her time was up. The Minister of State probably saw her. I felt very angry because she had a real opportunity to stay there for another while, participating in that project, perhaps coming out in two years' time, in better condition than the way she is leaving now, and with more hope. She is going out now into a workforce where very many people are seeking work.
The Minister of State said he supports these schemes. Will he and his Government support them by trying to put in place a longer term for community employment schemes, especially for people in projects like this one? It is very important for them. As the Minister of State said, it is about education and health but is also about companionship and being part of a small community, namely, the CE workforce. It is when they are sent out into the bigger, wilder world that such people can fall down.
I ask the Minister of State, through his Government, to consider giving these people a longer work time and help them stay within these projects, fulfilling what they want to do, going out into the world eventually to take on their role again and be part of society.
I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I believe these particular CE schemes are crucially important, both for the individuals and their families but also for people who have a drug addiction because they are given hope for the future. I recently met Mr. Paul O'Toole, the director general of FÁS, to discuss this. A point the Deputy might not realise is that there are 1,000 ring-fenced places but until recently only 700 to 800 people were taking them up. We were not able to get the 1,000 people. That is a piece of work but we have improved. Since I became aware of these factors we have worked hard. Those who go onto these types of courses, who come from a background of addiction, need a degree of pre-preparation before they can go onto the CE schemes. I asked FÁS specifically to start looking at and monitoring the individuals who come in. Some drop out at early stages so there are a number of issues.
The schemes have huge potential. Deputy Byrne asked specifically whether those who had completed three years could be retained longer. From an ideological point of view I do not have a hang-up about that but have one concern. In itself, community employment is not the answer. It is a stepping stone and I do not want the focus to be taken away from that.
In my reply I mentioned the continuum of care. It is greatly important that a person should have a degree of preparation before going onto a CE scheme. The time spent in CE does not mean only doing that particular job but is a preparation for progression. One of the problems I constantly encounter dealing with drug-related issues is that sometimes we do not look at progression. We think providing more of the same is sufficient but it is not. We need to have higher expectations and goals by which we can move people along successfully and incrementally. The steps may be small but step by step they will move along.
In that regard, I view the weakness not as the three-year period but that we need to have clearer paths so that when a person completes the three years on CE there will be somewhere to go. I also emphasised that the period prior to going on to a scheme is equally crucial because I am aware some people enter CE schemes and do not last long on them. That is due to being ill-prepared and so forth. At both ends of the three-year period there is a piece of work to be done which falls into the category of continuum of care. I view CE schemes as being crucial for real rehabilitation for former drug users.
Before we move to Ceist 24, I wish to discourage Members, and indeed an t-Aire Stáit, and An Teachta Ó Cuív, from making long contributions. I ask them to make their answers short and succinct as possible.
With all due respect, it is 9.50 p.m.
That is the point.
We have waited all day, if the Ceann Comhairle understands me. May I respond to the Minister of State's reply?
Very briefly.
I agree entirely with the Minister of State. We do not want to see people's work being prolonged on a CE scheme. However, these are very different people. They have a real need and hunger to be part of a community and sending them back in to communities where there is no work is not good. Even if it were only a matter of extending those schemes for a further five years we could give people a proper chance to get back where they should be. We send them out into a workforce where thousands of people are unemployed, including people leaving college with degrees. What hope have these people got if they are sent away from a three-year scheme?
As I said, I met with FÁS to ask the organisation to review the workings of this scheme and in that context I shall keep this matter under review for Deputy Byrne.
24 D’fhiafraigh Deputy Brian O’Shea den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cén clár ama atá i gceist aige chun an straitéis fiche bliain don Ghaeilge a chur faoi bhráid an Rialtais le haghaidh cinnidh; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [47195/09]
Mar is eol don Teachta, tá an dréacht-straitéis foilsithe ag an Rialtas anois agus tá sí curtha os comhair an Chomhchoiste Oireachtais do Ghnóthaí Ealaín, Spóirt, Turasóireachta, Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta le breithniú. Tuigim go mbeidh an dréacht-straitéis le plé ag an gcéad cruinniú eile den chomhchoiste, a bheidh ar siúl i mí Eanáir. Mar a thuigfidh an Teachta, go dtí go mbeidh an próiseas sin críochnaithe ag an gcomhchoiste, níl sé ar mo chumas dáta a thabhairt maidir le cén uair a bheidh an dréacht-straitéis curtha os comhair an Rialtais arís le cinneadh críochnúil a fháil ina leith.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin a thabhairt dom. Tá fhios agam go bhfuil an dréacht-straitéis os comhair an chomhchoiste ach cuirim i gcás daoine agus eagraíochtaí go dteastaíonn uathu leasuithe a mholadh agus smaointí nua a thabhairt chun tosaigh chun go bhféadtar dul i ngleic leo, mar shampla, daoine atá ag rá go bhfuil an iomarca béime ar an nGalltacht seachas an nGaeltacht, rud a bhí mé ag caint leis an Aire mar gheall air, agus daoine eile a cheapann go bhfuil an eagraíocht don Ghaeilge atá molta sa Straitéis an-chasta.
Tá reachtaíocht geallta le fada chun déileáil le sainmhíniú nua ar cad is Gaeltacht ann, ar theorainneacha na Gaeltachta agus ar chumhachtaí agus feidhmeanna nua d'Údarás na Gaeltachta. Más rud é go mbeidh toghchán ann don Údarás i mbliana, caithfear an scéal a bheith soiléir go luath chun seans ceart a thabhairt do iomaitheoirí agus mar sin de a bheith ullamh. Tá eagla orm nach bhfuil rudaí ag tarlú chomh tapaigh agus is féidir. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach freisin go mbeidh lámh ag an bpobal sa straitéis seo agus i cur le chéile an dréacht deireanach a bheidh ag an Aire le dul os comhair an Rialtais.
Cén cosán reachtaíochta atá ar aigne ag an Aire chun dul go dtí straitéis deiridh agus an cinneadh Rialtais? Cad a tharlóidh ina dhiaidh sin? Dar ndóigh beidh roinnt mhaith reachtaíochta ag teastáil. An bhfuil plean agus cosán reachtaíochta ar intinn ag an Aire?
Ar an gcéad dul síos, ní fúmsa atá sé leagan amach don choiste cén chaoi a ndéanfaidh sé a chuid gnóthaí agus is mó tionchair i bhfad a bheadh ag an Teachta ar an gcúram sin ná mise. Tuigim an tábhachtach atá ann go mbeadh deis ag an bpobal ionchur a bheith acu. Ar an dtaobh eile den scéal, áfach, is féidir liom a rá go raibh dhá comhairliúchán poiblí cheana leis an bpobail i gcoitinne ar fud na tíre agus bhí ionchur nach beag acu go dtí seo. Is ceist don choiste anois cén fhad a thógfaidh sé ag déanamh scrúdaithe ar seo agus tá mise ar fáil am ar bith go dteastaíonn ón gcoiste dul ar aghaidh leis seo.
Níl aon cheist faoi, ag glacadh leis go gcuirfear straitéis mar é seo os comhair an Rialtais agus má ghlactar leis, go mbeidh gá le reachtaíocht. Tá dhá phíosa reachtaíochta i gceist go bunúsach, siad sin, Acht Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Acht 56. Is faoi sin a rinneadh ainmniú ar na Gaeltachtaí agus beidh leasuithe ag teastáil don dá Acht sin go dearfach má ghlactar leis an straitéis seo. Níl aon cheist ach go mbeidh an reachtaíocht sin le réiteach ach ní féidir liom dul ar aghaidh leis sin go dtí go mbeidh an straitéis deimhnithe
Mar sin, beidh súil agam go leagfaidh an coiste amach roimhe cosán soiléir faoi chéard atá i gceist aige siúd a dhéanamh agus go dtiocfaidh sé ar ais chugam le h-am scála. Beidh mise ar fáil le dul ag an gcoiste. Nuair a bheidh an obair sin déanta, tiocfar ar ais ag an Rialtas gan mhoill agus ansin leanfar leis an gcuid eile den obair a bheidh le déanamh agus beidh dhá phíosa reachtaíochta i gceist.
Idir an dá linn, beidh mé ag fógairt dé hAoine go bhfuil i gceist agam tosú ag déanamh athbhreithnithe iomláine ar na heagraíochtaí pobail bhunaithe Gaeltachta, na heagraíochtaí atá maoinithe ag Údarás na Gaeilge, ag mo Roinn féin agus go deimhin féin, faoin gclár CDP, le go mbeidh siad in oiriúint don chineáil cur chuige comhtháite atá i gceist leis an straitéis seo.
An rud atá ag cur isteach orm ná más rud é nach mbíonn reachtaíocht nua ann i leith an Údaráis, cad a tharlóidh mí Dheireadh Fómhair? Tá iachall ar an Aire go mbeadh toghchán ann roimh mhí Dheireadh Fómhair. Má tharlaíonn sé sin, chun na toghcháin a chur ar ceal, caithfidh an tAire reachtaíocht a thabhairt isteach ar aon chuma. Ón slí go bhfuil sé ag caint, tá eagla orm nach mbeidh agallamh leathan ag an bpobal i gcoitinne. Cé go raibh caidreamh ann go dtí seo, más rud é go ndéanfar an dul chun cinn is fearr don Ghaeilge, caithfear an iomad daoine——
Ta an t-am caite. An féidir leat brostú?
Déanfaidh mé iarracht brostú. An rud atá i gceist agam ná nach bhfuil an rud seo teann a dhóthain. Ní dhéanfar an dul chun cinn ceart muna ghlacann an tAire greim ceart ar an rud agus é a chur isteach. Ní fiú a rá go mbeidh an dualgas go léir faoin gcomhchoiste. Tá i bhfad níos mó ná sin ag teastáil uaidh an Aire chun go mbeadh an díospóireacht is fearr ann agus go mbeadh an pobal i gcoitinne in ann úinéireachta a thógáil ar an nGaeilge.
An rud atá i gceist agam ná go bhfuil mé ag fágáil go hiomlán faoin gcoiste cén chaoi a gcuid gnóthaí a láimhseáil. Níl i gceist agamsa aon chomhairliúcháín poiblí a chur ar bun roimh glacadh leis an straitéis. Is ceist don choiste go hiomlán agus tá súil agam go dtiocfaidh an coiste ar ais chugam go fíor luath le mapa bóthair sholéir faoin gcur chuige a bheidh i gceist aige siúd agus an cineáil am scála atá i gceist aige.
Ag dul ar ais ag an Rialtas ansin agus é ag glacadh leis an straitéis, b'fhéidir le leasuithe air agus sin rud a thiocfaidh aníos, cuirfear in iúl ansin don phobail céard atá i gceist ag an Rialtas a dhéanamh bunaithe ar an straitéis agus ar an bplé a bheidh againn sa chomhchoiste maidir le cur i bhfeidhm na straitéise.
Maidir le toghchán an Údaráis, is ceist í seo gur féidir linn a phlé ag an gcomhchoiste. Tá an cheart ag an Teachta go dteastódh reachtaíocht leis an toghchán a chur siar. Ag glacadh leis go ndéanfaidh an chomhchoiste a chuid gnóthaí réasúnta tapaigh, go mbeidh deis agamsa dul ar ais luath san earrach le go nglacfar leis an dréacht straitéis agus é a dheimhniú, agus go n-éireoidh linn an reachtaíocht a réiteach réasúnta tapaigh, b'fhearr na toghcháin a chur siar. Chuige sin, theastódh reachtaíocht. Ba mhaith liom tuairim an coiste an dtiocfadh sé liom nárbh fhiú bord nua Údaráis a thogha faoin sean réimeas agus laistigh de bhliain ina dhiaidh sin bord nua eile a thogha agus go mb'fhearr dúinn aontú ar phíosa reachtaíochta ag cur siar na toghcháin nó dáta deiridh na toghcháin ar feadh bliana eile. Is féidir é sin a phlé sa choiste. Ach an luí a bheadh agamsa ná, más gá, go gcuirfimid siar toghcháin an Údaráis le go mbeadh, sé bliana go leith ag an bord seo ar a mhéid nó rud éigin mar sin agus ansin go mbeadh deis againn an chéad bhord eile a thogha faoi reachtaíocht nua. Níl mé ag rá gurb é sin a dhéanfaidh mé mar éistfidh mé leis na tuairimí atá ag baill an choiste agus, dar ndóigh, is cinneadh don Rialtas é ag deireadh an lae.
25 D’fhiafraigh Deputy Dinny McGinley den Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad é an tionchar a bheidh ag na ciorruithe atá fógartha sa bhuiséad ar scéimeanna agus ar éifeacht a Roinne. [47197/09]
Mar a dúirt an tAire Airgeadais nuair a bhí cáinaisnéis 2010 á cur i láthair aige, táimid le bliain anuas mar a bheadh ag rásaíocht le go n-éireodh linn fanacht inár seasamh maidir le caiteachas ar sheirbhísí poiblí de. Dá réir sin, chinn an Rialtas i gcáinaisnéis 2010, mar chuid dá straitéis chun an tír a bhainistiú tríd an droch-staid eacnamaíochta reatha agus í a chur ar bhóthar a leasa arís, go ndéanfaí laghdú suas le €1 billiún ar chaiteachas ar sheirbhísí poiblí i 2010 i gcomparáid leis na Meastacháin réamh-cháinaisnéise. Chomh fada agus is féidir, tá gach iarracht déanta na sábhálacha a aimsiú ar bhonn éifeachtúlachtaí níos fearr agus ní trí sheirbhísí a laghdú.
I gcás mo Roinne féin, tá an t-ollmhaoiniú ag €415.426 milliún i 2010 laghdaithe 13% ina iomláine i gcoibhneas le leithdháileadh €475.701 milliún i 2009. Tá maoiniú reatha laghdaithe 9%, laghdú de €32.1 milliún, agus tá maoiniú caipitil laghdaithe 21%, laghdú de €28.175 milliún.
I gcomhráiteas ar lá na cáinaisnéise leis an Aire Stáit ag mo Roinnse, an Teachta John Curran, chinntigh muid gurb í an chloch is mó ar ár bpaidrín ná gach iarracht a dhéanamh chun a chinntiú go gcosnaítear na seirbhísí laethúla túslíne a chuirtear ar fáil tríd an Roinn, go háirithe na seirbhísí sin atá dírithe ar riachtanais na bpobal sin is mó atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste go sóisialta. Coinneofar leis an gcúram gach coigilt is féidir a bhaint amach trí ghearradh siar ar fhorchostais ionas go gcoinneoidh an raon uile pobal uirbeach, tuaithe, Gaeltachta agus oileán ar a fhreastalaímid na seirbhísí cuimsitheacha atá forbartha i gcomhpháirt leo thar na mblianta.
Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an eolais sin. Is cinnte gur ísliú mór é sin ó €475 milliún anuraidh go dtí €415 ar an bhliain seo chugainn. Is cinnte freisin go bhfuil impleachtaí móra aige sin do imeachtaí agus do éifeacht na Roinne.
Cad iad na himpleachtaí atá aige mar shampla do Údarás na Gaeltachta atá chomh tábhachtach sin do fhorbairt agus atá ag cur ar fáil fostaíocht sna Gaeltachtaí? Tá mé cinnte go n-aontóidh an t-Aire go bhfuil géarchéim airgeadais in san Údarás i láthair na huaire. Tuigim ón chruinniú deireanach a bhí ag an Údarás dhá seachtain ó shin go bhfuil cruinniú á lorg acu leis an Aire. B'fhéidir go n-inseodh an t-Aire dúinn an bhfuil an cruinniú socraithe. Deirtear go mbeidh sé ann Dé hAoine seo chugainn — ní amárach ach an tseachtain seo chugainn. An bhféadfadh an t-Aire é sin a dheimhniú agus an bhféadfadh sé aon eolas, treoir nó smaoineamh a thabhairt dúinn ar conas mar a bheidh an t-Údarás ábalta na hiarratais agus na hiarrachtaí atá á dhéanamh acu, fostaíocht a chur ar fáil sa phobal Gaeltachta a chur cun cinn nuair nach bhfuil na hacmhainní acu chun é sin a dhéanamh? Le bliain anuas is beag a bhí an t-Údarás ábalta a dhéanamh agus an bhliain seo chugainn beidh siad ábalta i bhfad níos lú a dhéanamh mar tá géarchéim ann. Ba chóir go mbeadh rud éigin le rá ag an Aire anseo le dóchas éigin a thabhairt don Údarás agus dá ndéarfainn do mhuintir na Gaeltachta.
Beidh an t-airgead thar a bheith teann an bhliain seo chugainn. Mar is eol don Teachta, bhaineamar airgead mór as buiséad caiteachais an Rialtais i mbliana don bhliain seo chugainn. Bhí orainn é sin a dhéanamh. Tá €11.5 milliún curtha ar fáil don Údarás don bhliain seo chugainn le haghaidh cúrsaí riaracháin, agus is laghdú de 3% é sin. Tá €3.973 milliún curtha ar fáil le cláracha reatha, mar shampla, na comharchumainn, na naíonraí agus mar sin de, agus is laghdú 5% é sin. Tá an dá laghdú sin beag agus ní dóigh liomsa go mba cheart go mbeadh aon fhadhb ag an Údarás faoin dá cheannteideal sin. Tuigim ó phríomh-fheidhmeannach an Údaráis go bhfuil riar mhaith de bhaill foirne tar éis an Údaráis a fhágáil, tar eis luath scoir a thógáil, agus mar sin ní cheart go mbeadh aon fhadhb ag an Údarás an t-airgead reatha a bhainistiú. Tá 5% de laghdú ar a mbuiséad reatha le haghaidh seirbhísí teanga, seirbhísí comharchumainn agus mar sin de. Ba cheart go mbeifear in ann iad a laghdú agus a bhainistiú.
Tá dhá áit a bhfuil an brú ar an Údarás faoi láthair. Thit an t-ioncam a thuill siadsan ó thaobh díol maoine de agus tá laghdú substaintiúil ar a n-airgead caipitil. Bhí an t-Údarás iontach cabhrach anuraidh ag bainistiú airgid a bhí ar fáil acu agus, mar is eol don Teachta, dhíríomar ar na tograí is tábhachtaí anuraidh a cheadú agus déanfaimid é sin arís an bhliain seo chugainn. Tá mise muiníneach le chomhoibriú iomlán idir mo Roinn agus an t-Údarás go mbeifear in ann clár foirfe a chur ar fáil, ach caithfimid déanamh cinnte agus muid ag déanamh sin go ndíreoimid ar na tosaíochtaí is mó dá bhfuil ann. Chomh maith leis sin ar ndóigh, meabhraím don Teachta go bhfuil airgead ag MFG le haghaidh tograí beaga. Bheadh an-bhéim ag an Údarás ar thograí beaga ach beidh MFG in ann cuid mhaith de na tograí sin a láimhseáil an bhliain seo chugainn. Ní bheidh sé éasca ach tá mé cinnte le comhoibriú go mbeimid in ann clár foirfe a chur i bhfeidhm.
Maidir le díol maoine, is dócha go n-aontóidh an t-Aire go bhfuil dhá dheacracht leis sin i láthair na huaire. Ní am é seo le maoin a dhíol mar go bhfuil laghdú tubaisteach ar luach maoine, agus is beag maoine atá fágtha ag an Údarás le díol mar go raibh siad ag brath ar díol maoine le roinnt blianta anuas de bharr na gciorraithe a cuireadh ar fáil go dtí seo. Is é an deontas caipitil an deontas is tábhachtaí mar gurb é sin an t-airgead is tábhachtaí. Sin an t-airgead a thugann deis do infheisteoirí agus do thionsclaithe teacht isteach go dtí na Gaeltachtaí agus obair a chur ar fáil. Mar sin de, ní shílim gur réiteach na faidhbe e nó go bhfuil sé de cheart agus d'acmhainn ag MFG miondeontais a chur ar fáil do mhiontionscal atá tábhachtach iontu féin. Sílim gur buile mór é nach bhfuil sé ar chumas an Údaráis mórdheontais a chur ar fáíl do mhórthionscal le fostaíocht a chur ar fáil.
Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta. An chéad cheist eile ná Uimh.——
Nach féidir liom freagairt?
Tá an t-am caite, a Aire.
Tá an Teachta ag aontú liom go hiomlán. Táim ag rá do bhíodh an tÚdarás ag déanamh miondeontais agus mórdheontais. Táim ag rá sa chuid is mó go mba cheart na miondeontais a fhágáil faoi MFG agus na mórdheontais do na mórthionscal a fhágáil faoin Údarás. Tagann an t-airgead tríd mo Roinn. Má tá an comhoibriú sin ann agus an comhtháthú sin ann, táim cinnte go n-éireoidh linn na tograí tábhachtacha móra a cheadú an bhliain seo chugainn agus a chur i gcrích.
Rud eile ba mhaith liom a mheabhrú don Teachta ná nuair a cheadaítear deontas, abairimís i lár bliana, an ghnáth rud a deireadh an t-Údarás ná go dtiteann b'fhéidir 10% den chaiteachas san bhliain reatha agus an chuid eile sna blianta amach anseo mar go mbíonn moill idir cheadú deontais agus tarraingt anuas an deontais.
Le bainistiú maith táim cinnte go mbeidh bliain rathúil ag an Údarás. Ní bheidh sí éasca agus beidh comhoibriú iomlán le fáíl agam ón Údarás. Mar is eol don Teachta, is iomaí uair a dúradh nach n-éireodh leis an Údarás ach chruthaigh siad chuile dhuine mícheart go minic.
