Vol. 961 No. 4
42. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the processes with regard to, and if an audit is in place for, the awarding of funding by Creative Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48143/17]
Will the Minister outline the processes for the awarding of funding by Creative Ireland and state whether an audit has taken place?
I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The Creative Ireland programme is not a funding body and does not administer any specific grant or funding schemes. Neither is it my intention that it will become such a funding body in the future. An enabling budget of €5 million was allocated to implement and promote the Creative Ireland programme from within my Department in 2017. To date, €4 million has been expended in this regard. This includes €1 million which I allocated to the local authorities to support their culture and creativity plans for 2017 and €1.1 million towards planning and rolling out Cruinniú na Cásca on Easter Monday. I allocated an additional €0.5 million to developing two websites to inform the public at home and abroad - creativeireland.ie and ireland.ie - and associated digital content and social media platforms to support these websites. This has been supported by extensive citizen engagement in the programme which to date has cost €600,000.
In addition, the opportunity was taken in 2017 which is its initial year to engage and collaborate with several key cultural partners at various important national events and festivals in order to promote the objectives and underlying values of this major new programme and to encourage deeper understanding and appreciation of the role of creativity. Among the considerations used to identify key cultural partners was a definitive creative element to their programme, their track record in delivering a programme and their capacity to attract and engage a significant audience. To date €250,000 has been spent on this element of the programme. The remaining €550,000 has been expended on administrative and everyday operational costs associated with the Creative Ireland programme office in my Department. All programmes administered by my Department are subject to public financial procedures and are monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure value for money. Programmes can also be subject to periodic monitoring through the Department's internal and external audit facilities.
In her reply, the Minister said she does not fund projects and does not intend to fund specific projects through Creative Ireland. Creative Ireland emerged from the Government's broad cultural 2025 strategy document. All of the Government initiative was welcomed at its launch in December 2016. The arts world welcomes the enhanced level of co-ordination that promised to put culture and creativity at the centre of public policy. Almost one year has passed since the launch and there is an air of ambiguity around the role of Creative Ireland, particularly when it comes to the distribution of its budget. Budget 2018 saw the allocation of €8.5 million to Creative Ireland. How will this money be spent? Has Creative Ireland become an alternative funding agency to the Arts Council? Is the allocation of €8.5 million the beginning of an attempt to usurp the role of the legislatively independent Arts Council?
The Creative Ireland programme did not get an additional €8.5 million in the budget. The €8.5 million in current funding across the cultural sector will assist in delivering the objectives of the Creative Ireland programme, including the €3 million of that allocation which is being provided to the Arts Council. I was delighted to increase the funding to the arts sector in budget 2018. I was able to increase the funding to the arts sector and to the cultural institutions right across the board. I increased funding to the Arts Council by a further €3 million. I increased funding to the Irish Film Board and all the different agencies that fall within my remit. I am glad to say that since 2014, I have been in a position to do that. I want to be clear not to conflate the Arts Council and the Creative Ireland programme because they are separate in terms of their funding. Creative Ireland is an enabling programme. At its heart is the creative children and creative communities programmes and building and working more collaboratively with all the stakeholders.
I am well aware of the fact that Creative Ireland is completely separate from the Arts Council. My concern is what Creative Ireland's role is in terms of funding. I do not think it is very honest to say that Creative Ireland is not funding certain projects. Creative Ireland has had its logo on many very reputable and distinguished arts festivals around the country, such as the Kilkenny Arts Festival and Galway Arts Festival. Will the Minister be clear with us because there is ambiguity and concern in the arts world? Which is the leading agency for artists and artist supports? Is it Creative Ireland or is it the Arts Council? The Arts Council got a mere €3 million increase in the budget. It is a far cry from what was promised by the Taoiseach, who promised to double the arts budget. The Minister took me up wrong. I did not say the Minister got an additional €8.5 million. Creative Ireland got €8.5 million from the Arts Council. On this issue, John McAuliffe, who is deputy director of the Arts Council, asked what kind of application processes, peer reviews and long-term planning will influence how taxpayers' money is spent. We do not know the answer to that. I am hoping the Minister can clarify that very important question for me.
Creative Ireland is not a funding body. It was set up to collaborate and work with all the different agencies. The Deputy mentioned a number of them. The creative children programme, which followed on from the arts in education programme, will get €1 million in 2017. The local authorities got €1 million in funding last year. I did not have an input in deciding how it was spent. The local authorities supported a number of different initiatives in their own counties. It has been very successful. Culture teams have been set up in every local authority. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government gave them a further €1 million so they had €2 million in total to support different initiatives within their own local authority. I had absolutely no input into that funding. The purpose of Creative Ireland is to work collaboratively across the different agencies to put culture and creativity at the heart of society. It is working very well. Creative Ireland had a presence at a number of festivals around the country. We engage with several key cultural partners at various important national events and festivals. The Deputy mentioned one that was in that group. Its purpose was to get the message out about Creative Ireland.
43. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on the review of records and engagements by her Department and the National Museum of Ireland; and the implications it has for the crisis unfolding in other cultural organisations such as the Gate Theatre. [48166/17]
In the last few weeks, a number of women have stood up and identified sexual harassment and bullying at the highest reaches of cultural institutions in the State. This takes strength and confidence because in Ireland to speak out normally means career suicide. These women have done massive service to workers everywhere and they must be applauded. Why, in 2017, must women use the front pages of newspapers to achieve justice and a workplace free of harassment and bullying?
I will answer the question the Deputy submitted which was to ask me about the review of records and engagements by my Department. That is the question the Deputy raised with me, so I will answer it first. A review has recently been carried out by my Department of all relevant records and engagements between the Department and the board, management and staff of the National Museum of Ireland and any third parties regarding certain issues that have arisen in recent years. The review is published on my Department's website and contains recommendations which I have accepted.
The review proposes that the Department should continue to support the chair and board of the museum in the introduction and implementation of measures to provide for enhanced HR capacity in the National Museum of Ireland, and in addressing issues raised in the recent staff well-being survey; and continue to be satisfied that the NMI is meeting the requirements set out in the code of practice for the governance of State bodies on risk management, internal control, internal audit, and audit and risk committees.
Regarding the first recommendation, my Department has already sanctioned three specific HR positions and two temporary positions for the corporate services area of the National Museum.
Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity, respect, fairness and equality in the workplace be it in the National Museum or anywhere else. In recent times, there have been a number of alarming allegations and reports of sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace relating to the arts community. While all workplaces are obliged to comply with employment legislation, I have identified a number of actions that I can take as Minister regarding the bodies reporting to my Department. I commend the women who have come out in recent weeks and told their stories. It is very brave of them and I am glad they did so.
I intend to help boards under the aegis of my Department fulfil their functions more effectively, and to support them in ensuring that policies regarding equality and respect in the workforce operate effectively in line with best practice. These actions include: arranging separate dedicated governance workshops for board members and senior staff with a particular emphasis on issues relating to bullying, abuse of power and sexual harassment in the workplace; working on a collaborative basis with the Arts Council to make similar training available to other cultural organisations and arts centres around the country at a series of regional information days; highlighting once again to bodies reporting to the Department the nature of their legal obligations by seeking assurances of their compliance with obligations under employment legislation; and accelerating a planned review of compliance by bodies reporting to the Department with the requirements of the code of practice for the governance of State bodies.
I am confident that these support measures will contribute to the further enhancement of existing governance structures in bodies reporting to my Department.
I have been raising this issue with the Minister for 18 months through parliamentary questions in the Dáil, through the media and in committee. This information should be in her hands. The report her Department has published is a whitewash. The Minister has seen a letter detailing the bullying that is happening in the National Museum and yet it has been dismissed in the Department's report as having no legal standing. The Department has received a self-identified protected disclosure and yet it employed a firm of solicitors to fight that protected disclosure. A large number of people have been to the High Court and received settlements - State money. Despite this, the Minister claims she has no responsibility in the matter.
Millions of euro have been paid to consultants and for reports with regard to psychologists on this issue and yet nothing of significance is being done. Stacks of surveys detail the massive amount of complaints of bullying. This weekend even the former director of the museum came out and said he had witnessed uncontrolled misogyny in the museum when he was leaving. He is concerned that it is still there.
We know that a psychotherapist, who had been employed by the museum, blew the whistle and sent a letter to the Department in 2011 identifying exactly what had happened. This weekend the front page of a newspaper reported another brave woman's experience of what has happened in the museum. There is a forest of signposts clearly pointing the direction on the issue and yet the Department's report states that there is nothing to see here.
The museum is dealing with a number of legacy HR issues relating to matters that happened a number of years ago and the board of management is taking steps to address these issues. I cannot get involved in HR matters, which are a matter for the executive and board of the museum. I have provided additional support in dealing with the legacy issues. I have been very supportive of the chair and the members of the new board, whom I appointed in July 2016. They are doing a wonderful job in implementing change in the museum as well as preparing new plans to improve the museum's services to the public in the coming years.
My Department has already sanctioned three specific HR positions and two temporary positions for the corporate services area of the museum to assist in this process. The report states that there is no evidence in the Department of the Department receiving any allegation of inappropriate sexual behaviour from June 2011-----
From June 2011.
-----nor of anyone making a protected disclosure to the Minister. Other staffing matters which came to the attention of the Department at that time were referred to the museum, as the employer. Under the Act, the museum has responsibility for its staff as is clearly set out. This is all dealt with in the review which specifically acknowledges that in 2012 certain allegations of bullying were referred to the museum, which rejected the issues raised. Referring the matter follows logically from the role of the institution as the employer. It refers and then any Minister is bound to respect the statutory independence put in place by the Oireachtas.
The Minister says that she cannot get involved in HR matters. That is a statement worthy of Pontius Pilate. The Minister operates the funding for the museum. In fairness, she responded to the crisis that developed in the theatres in recent weeks. She spoke about a master plan being developed for the theatres. What we need is a plan to deal with the disaster in the National Museum. There is a comparable gravity between the treatment of the staff in the National Museum and the other cultural institutions under the spotlight now. The Minister should ensure that no cultural institution is left behind in this process. We need a proper investigation into what has happened in the National Museum of Ireland.
The Minister needs to ensure that nobody in any of these institutions is ever again confused about being allowed to run institutions in this manner and still receiving money from the public purse. She needs to send the message loud and clear that money will not leave the public purse unless people get their houses in order on this issue.
The National Cultural Institutions Act 1997 establishes the National Museum of Ireland as an autonomous body. While I view it as an extremely important part of the heritage of the State, I have no involvement in the day-to-day running of the National Museum of Ireland. Section 29 of the Act provides that: "The Director of the Museum shall carry on and manage and control generally the administration and business of the Museum and perform such other functions as may be determined by the Board of the Museum." I do not have a role in the HR function of the museum.
I accept there are issues at the museum and I have provided support to the chair and the board in terms of additional HR people. I will continue to work closely with the chair and the board of the museum. I will support them in any way I can to resolve the issues that have arisen.
44. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps she will take to ensure that bodies in receipt of State funding have in place good governance structures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48144/17]
What steps have the Minister and her officials taken to ensure that bodies in receipt of State funding have good governance in place? I ask her to make a statement on the matter.
All bodies under the aegis of my Department are subject to the revised code of practice for the governance of State bodies which came into effect in September 2016.
The code, which is published on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's website, sets out the respective roles of parent Departments, boards and chairs of individual bodies, and includes details of the oversight and performance delivery agreements to be entered into by both parties.
The implementation of the oversight and performance delivery agreements by individual bodies is monitored by officials of my Department who meet the individual bodies on a regular basis to review progress on performance objectives and governance matters.
All recipients of State funding, either directly from my Department or through an intermediary funding body, are also subject to the provisions of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 13/2014, Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds, which outlines the public financial management principles, procedures and additional reporting requirements to be followed in the management of grant funding provided from public money.
In addition to the above, last week I announced a series of measures designed to support bodies in meeting their governance obligations. These include arranging training for board members and senior management staff of bodies directly reporting to my Department in the area of governance in general and on issues relating to bullying and harassment in the workplace - my Department is also working on a collaborative basis with the Arts Council to make similar training available to other cultural organisations and arts centres around the country at a series of regional information days; highlighting again to bodies reporting to the Department the nature of their legal obligations, by immediately writing to them to seek assurances of compliance with obligations under employment legislation - the Employment Equality Acts, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, and the Employment Equality Act 1998 (Code of Practice (Harassment) Order 2012; and accelerating a planned review----
Additional information not given on the floor of the HouseA further measure announced is the acceleration of a planned review of compliance by bodies reporting to the Department with the requirements of the code of practice for the governance of State bodies.
I am confident these support measures will contribute to the further enhancement of existing governance structures in bodies in receipt of State funding.
As the Minister is well aware, bullying and harassment allegations have been made against the former director of the Gate Theatre and have been widely discussed in print and broadcast media. Her Government colleagues have been at pains to emphasise that the Gate Theatre is not a State body but she and I both know it received significant funding from her Department to the tune of €860,000 in public money in 2017. Therefore, we certainly have a responsibility and a role to play in the context of this issue, given that the theatre has received that level of public funds. For example, the former director was the director of the theatre for 33 years, for more than three decades, and he was also a member of the board. Many of the board members served on the board for a long number of years alongside the director over the course of his more than three decades on the board. Many of the board members would have had a prior personal association with the former director. Does the Minister consider it is acceptable that a body in receipt of State funding would have in place such inappropriate governance structures? Will she outline her plans to review the governance structures of bodies in receipt of funding from her Department? Has she any future plans regarding the funding of agencies or organisations, such as this one, that do not have in place proper governance structures?
With respect to the Arts Council funding of the Gate Theatre, as the Deputy will be aware, HR issues are a matter for the board of the Gate Theatre. Boards and directors of theatres and of any of the other cultural institutions must take on board their responsibilities. There are legal obligations to which they must adhere. While the Arts Council is independent in its funding decisions, I understand a number of conditions related to financial assistance being operated by the council apply to its funding recipients. These conditions include a requirement that recipients must comply with all laws applicable to the body in question, including statutory obligations under employment law, statutes, regulations and revenue requirements. In addition, recipients must avoid any form of discriminatory practice and have regard for the need to promote equal opportunities in all areas of work in compliance with the provisions of the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011.
As I stated when introducing the question, this is about governance structures. In the context of the overview and oversight of that from the Minister's Department, it is important that good governance structures are in place in any organisation that is in receipt of funding, be it from the Arts Council or Creative Ireland and that receipt of such funding would be contingent on having proper procedures in place. It is not acceptable for a person to be a director and a member of the board because that comprises the board. As I have stated publicly, in terms of instilling public confidence in respect of governance, there are issues with a board having a serving chief executive officer also serving as a member of the board. I hope the Minister will address that issue in the context of any plans she may have to introduce guidelines on what is and is not appropriate because it is far from appropriate to have a person serving as a director and a board member and then expect the board to investigate what has been going on internally.
I wish to clarify that there is no Creative Ireland funding. I will arrange separate dedicated workshops for board members and senior staff of bodies reporting to my Department. I am happy to expand that to arts and cultural organisations across the country. I will provide training on corporate governance with a particular emphasis on bullying and harassment. This is unacceptable behaviour. I do not want to see this happening. Nevertheless, there are huge responsibilities on people in each of those organisations. There are rules and regulations in place with which they should comply, and they should have policies and procedures in place. I want to facilitate them and to make sure they put proper structures in place. I can only encourage them. It is their decision and at the end of the day they have to do that. I want to remind them that there are legal obligations in place. I want to work with the sector so that we can stamp out this sort of behaviour. What we have been reading in the newspapers in recent weeks is awful.
45. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the duties her Department has in regard to oversight of the governance of publicly funded theatres in view of the recent revelations in regard to the governance of publicly funded theatres. [47973/17]
Does the Minister appreciate the sense of crisis which has beset the Gate Theatre and its image, notwithstanding it having had a very long and successful period as a leading theatre in Ireland, and the implications this has for Ireland's reputation, nationally and internationally? What assurance can she give to the thousands of students who are potentially thinking of pursing a career in the arts that if they do so, they will not face harassment and bullying?
The governance of publicly funded theatres, as with all bodies, is a matter for the board of the theatres themselves. All boards have a duty to ensure their bodies comply with statutory requirements and that their staff can work in a safe and respectful environment.
In recent times, as we know, there have been a number of alarming allegations and reports about sexual harassment in the workplace relating to the arts community. That is why I have invited the group of eight leaders from Irish theatre organisations, who recently co-signed a statement condemning sexual harassment and abuse of power in the theatre in Ireland, to meet with me and the Arts Council this week. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss ways in which the Department and the Arts Council together can support the sector in creating a safe culture and environment for those working in the industry.
More broadly, I have been engaging with the Arts Council and the national theatre to facilitate an industry-wide consultation exercise to be held before the end of the month. As I have said, I believe that, working together, my Department, the Arts Council and leading members of theatre organisations can encourage a safe and respectful environment free from abuse of power and sexual harassment.
I have also identified a number of actions I can take as Minister in regard to the bodies reporting to my Department. The intention is to help boards fulfil their functions more effectively, and to support them in ensuring that policies in regard to equality and respect in the workforce operate effectively in line with best practice. These include arranging separate dedicated governance workshops for board members and senior staff with a particular emphasis on issues relating to bullying, abuse of power and sexual harassment in the workplace; working on a collaborative basis with the Arts Council to make similar training available to other cultural organisations and arts centres around the country at a series of regional information days; and highlighting once again to bodies reporting to the Department the nature of their legal obligations, by seeking assurances of their compliance with obligations under employment legislation.
Did the Minister get an opportunity to read an apology by Mr. Colgan, the former director of the Gate Theatre, in the Sunday Independent, part of which stated that he thought the staff were his friends and that may have been his mistake?
For somebody who has an enormous reputation in terms of the work he has done in that theatre to have been so misguided in respect of what he felt were his freedoms to interact with the women who came forward must have been quite harrowing for them and deeply worrying. I suggest to the Minister that this is quite a crisis in the Irish arts and theatre. We do not know how pervasive it is in other areas of the arts. Maybe it does not really happen or maybe it happens on a wide scale. What we know about artists and those working in the arts is that there is always a huge amount of energy, passion and commitment - they are all the good things. However, when it goes wrong, as it seems to have in this case, how is the Minister going to create an atmosphere in which people going into that career can be resilient enough in respect of somebody who tries to speak to them in this way and gives them their marching orders as soon as they even attempt to challenge it? The matter is definitely extremely damaging to our national arts reputation.
Before I call on the Minister, I advise Deputies - I think they know well - that they should not name persons outside the House, despite what might be in the media. I suggest that Deputies be careful.
Hear, hear.
The Deputy is right when she says we need to change the culture. It has to be changed and that is why I want to remind, retrain and highlight again the responsibilities that individual organisations have towards their staff. It is important that they are made aware of it. Sometimes practices creep in and become the norm although they are unacceptable. That is why people need to familiarise themselves with good practice and the law governing all of this - employment law and provisions in respect of harassment and bullying in the workplace. There is a lot of legislation there. In fact, we probably have some of the best legislation in Europe in that respect. It is about adhering to that legislation and changing the culture.
First of all, I am bringing in the heads of the theatre organisations who signed the statement. I want to have a conversation with them and to hear what they have to say. I am happy to work with them and I want to work with the sector to stamp out this type of behaviour. It is absolutely unacceptable. As the Deputy rightly says, we want to see that it is a safe environment for young people entering the industry.
Would the Minister give a commitment in principle in respect of all such institutions under her remit as well as organisations that are in receipt of significant funding, although they may not be under her direct control, to ensure that from now on - contrary to Fine Gael policy, I have to say - there will be a minimum of two members of the staff on each governing board or body, whatever form it takes, one a woman and one a man. There should be a mechanism whereby people can bring issues up at board level, yet in all the reports we have seen this seems to be what was totally missing. People were very unhappy about what was happening but they had no way to address it.
When my party went into government with Fine Gael, it wanted to combine all the artistic bodies into one entity. It wanted to abolish the boards of each of the national cultural institutions. Deputy Tóibín has raised the National Museum. If there was staff representation of, at a minimum, one woman and one man, at least there would be a vehicle whereby material could be raised at board level. We can talk about all the HR stuff we like. This is about people being really badly treated. They must have been very shocked even to have been spoken to or about in the manner reported. The same is true of the museum. Some of the quotes on the museum are really horrific.
Regarding the statutory bodies that are under my remit, I understand that in many cases they actually do have a staff member on the board.
Yes, but not in all cases.
Some of the requirements are set down in law regarding the make-up of the boards. Each of the cultural institutions has legislation governing-----
We can change that.
The Minister without interruption.
I am happy, of course, to look at it. I think in many cases they actually have staff members on the boards of the various organisations. It is something I certainly can look at.
I do not think they have them at the Gate Theatre.
The Gate Theatre is not under my remit.
I think the Minister can change that. Ultimately the Department is responsible. The Minister cannot wash her hands of it.
It is still the State's dollar.
We cannot continue the debate.
46. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Cultúir, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an raibh plé aici leis an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúille cinntiú go mbeidh soláthar faoi leith sa chreat náisiúnta pleanála don Ghaeltacht le go bhfásfaidh na ceantair Ghaeltachta agus ag an am céanna go láidreofar na ceantair seo mar cheantair labhartha Gaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [47974/17]
Tá an creat pleanála seo atá á bheartú ag an Rialtas ceaptha a bheith ann go dtí an bhliain 2040. D'fhéadfadh sé an-drochthionchar a imirt ar an nGaeltacht - pobal atá lag agus leochaileach i láthair na huaire. Cén plé a bhí ag an Aire leis an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil, mar atá ann anois, maidir leis an gceist seo, mar is beag dó atá le feiceáil sa gcreat mar atá sé foilsithe faoi láthair.
Mar is eol don Teach, d’fhoilsigh an Rialtas Éire 2040 – Ár bPlean i Meán Fómhair. Is ionann an plean seo agus an creatlach pleanála fadtréimhseach faoina ndéanfar cúram d’fhás agus rath na hÉireann. Bainfear leas as an bplean chun rianú a dhéanamh ar na deiseanna pleanála a bheidh ann go ceann scór bliain mar a bhaineann sé le gnóthaí pleanála ar bhonn náisiúnta réigiúnacha agus áitiúla.
Leagtar béim faoi leith sa phlean - a raibh an deis ag an bpobal a dtuairimí a thabhairt ina leith go dtí 3 Samhain - ar a thábhachtaí is atá sé an uathúlacht a bhaineann le cultúr saibhir na hÉireann a chaomhnú agus a chothú agus tá an Ghaeilge mar chuid lárnach den chultúr ar ndóigh. Is féidir leis an Teachta a bheith cinnte de go dtógfar san áireamh mar is cuí in ullmhúchán an leagain chríochnúil den phlean go bhfuil tábhacht faoi leith ag an nGaeltacht mar fhearann dúchais na Gaeilge agus go mbeifear ag féachaint chuige go dtapaítear le gach deis chun go n-aithnítear é sin mar is cuí sa leagan deiridh.
Mar a bhaineann sé lena bhfuil ar bun agus beartaithe sa ghearrtréimhse maidir leis an nGaeltacht go sonrach, beidh a fhios ag an Teachta go n-aithnítear sa chlár do Rialtas comhpháirtíochta go bhfuil tábhacht faoi leith ag na ceantair Ghaeltachta mar a bhaineann sé leis an ollchuspóir cúram céimiúil a dhéanamh d'fheidhmiú na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge. Sa chomhthéacs sin, beidh a fhios ag an Teachta go luaitear go sonrach sa chlár go bhfuil sé i gceist díriú ar fhostaíocht a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht trí Údarás na Gaeltachta agus spreagadh a thabhairt do leanaí freastal ar réamhscoileanna nó ar naíonraí trí mheán na Gaeilge sna ceantair Ghaeltachta.
Maidir le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta, is ábhar sásaimh é, mar shampla, gur éirigh leis an Údarás 559 post a chruthú anuraidh agus go raibh 80 duine breise fostaithe i gcuideachtaí an Údaráis sa Ghaeltacht ag deireadh na bliana 2016 i gcomparáid leis an mbliain roimhe sin. Tá sí mar aidhm ag an Údarás 500 post úra a chruthú sa Ghaeltacht sa bhliain reatha.
Chomh fada is a bhaineann sé le gnóthaí luathoideachais sa Ghaeltacht, tá obair fhónta ar bun agus beartaithe ag an eagraíocht Comhar Naíonraí na Gaeltachta a fheidhmíonn faoi scáth an Údaráis chun cúram a dhéanamh den earnáil luathoideachais Ghaeilge sa Ghaeltacht mar thaca d'fheidhmiú rathúil an phróisis pleanála teanga agus an pholasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta araon.
Ag croílár na hoibre seo ar ndóigh, tá an próiseas pleanála teanga. Ós rud é nach fada eile go mbeidh ullmhúchán pleananna teanga ar bun sa trí limistéar pleanála teanga in oirthear Ghaeltacht na Gaillimhe, is ionann sin agus an próiseas a bheith idir lámha i ngach aon cheann den 26 limistéar pleanála teanga sa Ghaeltacht.
Eolas breise nár tugadh ar úrlár an Tí.
Mar léiriú ar thiomantas an Rialtais chun cúram a dhéanamh den phróiseas, beidh ciste ionann le €2.65 milliún curtha ar fáil ina leith i mbuiséad 2018. Is ionann sin agus ardú €1.8 milliún thar an allúntas atá ar fáil don phróiseas sa bhliain reatha. Ó cuireadh tús le feidhmiú an phróisis trí bliana ó shin, tá arduithe céimiúla ceadaithe ina leith agus fágann sé seo go bhfuil an ciste pleanála teanga imithe ó €200,000 in 2014 go dtí €2.65 milliún an bhliain seo chugainn.
Níl anseo ach spléachadh ginearálta ar an obair fhónta atá ar bun agus beartaithe ar leas na Gaeltachta. Is léiriú é chomh maith ar dháiríreacht an Rialtais tacú leis na ceantair Ghaeltachta mar fhearann dúchais na Gaeilge. Ní call a rá go leanfaidh mo Roinn féin agus an tÚdarás ag obair as lámh a chéile chun an leas is fearr is féidir a bhaint as na hacmhainní suntasacha a bheidh ar fáil ón Státchiste chun tacú leis na ceantair Ghaeltachta agus go bhféachfar chuige go ndéantar é seo ar bhealach a luíonn isteach le mianaidhmeanna an chreatlaigh náisiúnta pleanála.
Tá an tAire Stáit ag déanamh magadh den Dáil. Chuir mé ceist simplí: cén plé a bhí ag an Aire Stáit leis an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil maidir le réiteach an phlean seo? Níor fhreagair sé an cheist sin. Mar sin, b'fhéidir go bhféadfadh sé a rá liom cé mhéad cruinniú a bhí aige leis an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil maidir le réiteach an chreathlaigh náisiúnta pleanála.
Ag éirí as sin, an bhfuil an tAire Stáit sásta leis an méid atá d'aidhmeanna don Ghaeltacht sa dréachtphlean atá foilsithe? Níl scríofa ann ach "Facilitate fostering and protecting the Irish language, particularly within Gaeltacht regions". Níl aon rud ráite faoi cén bealach nó cén cur chuige a bheidh ann ó thaobh pleanála de leis an nGaeltacht a chosaint. Cé mhéad cruinniú a bhí ag an Aire Stáit leis an Aire leis an gcás seo a phlé?
Tá plé ar siúl agam i gcónaí leis an Aire atá freagrach as an bplean seo. Mar atá a fhios ag an Teachta, bhí struchtúir fhoirmiúla i mo Roinn. Tóg, mar shampla, an próiseas pleanála teanga agus an straitéis 20 bliain agus, sa Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna, an polasaí oideachais. Chomh maith leis sin-----
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, an féidir leis an cheist a fhreagairt?
Níl dualgas ar bith ormsa treoir a thabhairt don Aire Stáit.
Tá plean againn sa Roinn fá dtaobh den teanga, an todhchaí agus poist úra a chruthú. Sin an plean. Níl an plean críochnaithe faoi láthair. B'fhéidir go raibh smaointe fós ag teacht isteach go dtí 3 Samhain.
An 10 Samhain a bhí i gceist.
Tá plé ar siúl agam i gcónaí leis an Aire atá freagrach as an bplean agus bhí cuid mhór cruinnithe againn fosta. Chomh maith leis sin, tá cuid mhór infreastruchtúir agus príomhbhealaí de dhíth dóibhsean atá ag iarraidh daoine a mhealladh ó Bhaile Átha Cliath go dtí Gaillimh, Daingean Uí Chúis nó ceantair i nGaoth Dóbhair. Mar shampla, tá comhlachtaí i gceantair Ghaeltachta ag iarraidh fostaithe úra a fhostú.
A Theachta, ní féidir liomsa brú ar bith a chur ar Aire ceisteanna a fhreagairt.
Nach é an trua é. Tráthnóna amárach pléifimid bóithre straitéiseacha Gaeltachta. Idir an dá linn, áfach, an bhféadfadh an tAire Stáit a rá liom an é dhá líne teibí, gan sprioc toradh na hidirghabhála a dúirt an tAire Stáit a raibh aige leis an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil? An ndearna an tAire Stáit nó a Roinn aighneacht oifigiúil maidir le cúrsaí pleanála agus an Ghaeltacht sa todhchaí a chur chuig an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil? Mar is eol don Aire Stáit, tá soláthar faoi leith sna hAchtanna pleanála a thug muid isteach leis an nGaeilge a chosaint sa nGaeltacht. Mar is eol dó, tá brú faoi leith, mar shampla, ar Ghaeltacht na Gaillimhe, an ceann is láidre sa tír, ó fhás chathair na Gaillimhe - rud atá an Rialtas ag iarraidh dlús a chur leis. An fhreagróidh an tAire Stáit an cheist? Cén plé a bhí aige leis an Aire Tithíochta, Pleanála agus Rialtais Áitiúil? An é seo an toradh atá ar an bplé sin? An bhfuil an tAire Stáit sásta leis an toradh sin? Ar chuir a Roinn aighneacht oifigiúil chuig an Aire mar chuid den phróiseas seo. Ceisteanna simplí. Freagraí díreacha, le do thoil, a Aire Stáit.
Freagraí simplí fosta. Níl an creat náisiúnta pleanála críochnaithe faoi láthair. Bhí plé cuimsitheach agam leis an Aire atá freagrach as an bplean seo. Bhí comhairliúchán cuimsitheach ar siúl go dtí 3 Samhain fosta agus níl an plean críochnaithe go fóill. Bhí seans ag an Teachta a thuairimí féin a chur isteach-----
Táimse ag iarraidh tuairimí an Aire Stáit.
Táim sásta leanúint ar aghaidh leis seo leis an Aire agus é a phlé roimh an phlean deireanach a fhoilsiú. Tá sé tábhachtach fá choinne ceantair Ghaeltachta agus poist a chruthú. Tá sé tábhachtach fá choinne an teanga fosta. Tá polasaí oideachais ag dul ar aghaidh sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Is é Údarás na Gaeltachta an dream atá freagrach as na rudaí a chruthóidh na poist. Tá an straitéis 20 bliain, an polasaí oideachais, Acht na Gaeltachta agus an próiseas pleanála teanga fite fuaite tríd an phlean don todchaí agus an creat náisiúnta atá á dhéanamh againn. Níl sé críochnaithe faoi láthair, ach táim sásta go leanfaidh an comhrá agus an díospóireacht seo inniu ar aghaidh. Ní an cóip deireanach den creat an crua-chóip atá ar fáil faoi láthair agus sin an fhírinne.
