Vol. 1089 No. 5
1. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht as the Minister with responsibility for rural proofing and Our Rural Future, the engagement his Department has with State agencies and semi-State bodies to ensure that transport services adequately meet the needs of rural communities. [53140/26]
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na ceiste. Is cúis mhór bhróid dom an cheist seo a fhreagairt ar son mo chomhghleacaithe, an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, agus go mórmhór an tAire Iompair, an Teachta O'Brien. I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and for his interest in rural transport. He will have a group from west Waterford here tomorrow. I hope we will get together.
The Government is of the view that rural transport plays a pivotal and important role in supporting rural communities and ensuring rural people and places are interconnected. While responsibility for the provision of transport services, including engagement with relevant State agencies and semi-State bodies, falls under the remit of the Department of Transport and the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, with me as the Minister of State with responsibility for rural transport, the Government’s Our Rural Future policy takes a whole-of-government approach to rural development, with the Minister, Deputy Calleary, leading on actions to support rural communities being delivered across a range of Departments and agencies.
The important point is that the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan has delivered significant improvements in rural transport services over the lifetime of Our Rural Future to date. Under the National Transport Authority, with funding from the Department of Transport, 185 new or enhanced services have been delivered or implemented in the past four years, linking more than 240 towns and villages to the public transport network. With funding for the rural transport programme, regular rural services increased by 32% between 2024 and 2025. More than €87 million was invested, boosting passenger numbers on regular rural services by 47%. The important point for all of us who understand the importance of rural transport is that under the Connecting Ireland programme more than 600,000 people now have access to useful daily public transport services for the first time. We can do more. We are ambitious to do more. I accept there are difficulties and lacunas and I will come back again on that.
Transport policy and funding for most transport modes rests with the Department of Transport but I specifically put this question to the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and the Minister, Deputy Calleary, because the onus is on Deputy Calleary's Department to advocate for rural communities with every Government Department to ensure the voices and needs of rural communities are heard and met. That is why I put the question in this context.
I will briefly tell the story of Grange in west Waterford. It is a rural community with a significant population which is spread out. A Bus Éireann intercity service that has served the community for a long time no longer serves it because the bus stop was taken away due to road safety concerns. It was not today nor yesterday that councillors on Waterford City and County Council - I was one of them-----
Thank you, Deputy.
A cross-party group raised issues about road safety there and looked for investment.
The Minister of State will respond and then the Deputy can come back in.
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht needs to engage with local authorities and agencies on funding for these schemes.
As the Deputy is aware, I have been in west Waterford and I hope we will find a solution to that impasse. Having visited the site and spoken to locals, what is happening there does not make sense to me. I have asked that it be looked at.
I will make the point in the round that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, has been proactive, as have I, in being an advocate for rural Ireland and rural communities. That voice is heard by the Minister and me and across the Government. We are close to the development of the next five-year Our Rural Future strategy. The Minister is undertaking bilateral meetings with other Departments at the moment about that document. It is important that it takes a whole-of-government approach because the Deputy is right. Rural communities have made significant advances over the lifetime of this Government and that of the last one. Now, 600,000 people are interconnected with access to 185 new or enhanced services and-----
Thank you, Minister of State. You can come back in.
-----we will continue to drive stakeholder engagement.
That is well and good but the community had a service for many years and it was removed because of a deterioration in road quality due to a lack of investment in road structures. This is on the N25, a road I have mentioned many times to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and to the Department of Transport. Due to the lack of investment - the lack of money available to local authorities to do safety works and put in infrastructure around bus stops - Bus Éireann and Waterford City and County Council had to take a decision, which they did not want to take, to remove the bus stop. A whole community has been left without connection to Dungarvan, Youghal and Waterford city and onward routes. While there absolutely has been progress on Local Link, for many people living in Grange to access Local Link and other transport modes and most public services, they have to get to Dungarvan or Youghal and that is not available to them anymore.
The Government and the Department of Transport have been proactive in their support of rural transport. I do not think the Deputy would dismiss the fact that this year €718 million has been allocated to investment in the regional and local road network. I do not think the Deputy will oppose that and Waterford, through its county council, has received significant funding.
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and the Department of Transport are committed to continued investment in our roads infrastructure, and in the critical piece of connectivity of people in our rural areas. I do not think the Deputy will disagree that there has been significant improvement in the provision of rural transport and growth in the use of it. I go back to the point about the number of people using it and the number of services. I accept there are difficulties and challenges and we must, as part of the budgetary process, work to ensure rural transport receives its allocation of funding to progress new routes.
2. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will approve capital funding for a community centre in Citywest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53391/26]
Citywest has been waiting for more than 20 years for a community centre. It was written into the local area plan in 2012. It was promised again when that plan was extended. It was made a binding condition of planning permission in 2018. Since then, nearly 4,000 homes have been built and hundreds more are now planned at Boherboy and there is still no community centre. The council's capital plan does not show any grant from the Minister's Department.
Is that correct? Why not? Will the Minister engage with the council to make sure the centre opens next year as promised?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I will begin by acknowledging the importance of having appropriate facilities in communities such as Citywest. Community centres are vital for bringing communities together and providing an outlet for services and for social, cultural and community activities.
The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced to provide high-quality community facilities that are available to all groups in all areas. Earlier this year, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I launched the fourth iteration of community centre investment funding. This round of the scheme is providing funding of up to €100,000 for the refurbishment of existing facilities. This is additional to the €80 million that has already been approved since 2022 for over 1,600 community centre enhancement projects.
Under the 2023 round of CCIF, over €30 million was approved for the construction of 12 new-build community facilities. These are substantial construction projects, with the scheme providing funding of up to €6 million. I hope to be in a position to announce funding for new-build community centres in 2027.
I have been informed that planning permission has been approved to construct a community centre and crèche in the Cúil Dúin Avenue area of Citywest. From contact with South Dublin County Council, I understand that the project will commence later this year and that the local authority is engaging with the developer. To date, my Department has not received any application for support for this project. I am happy to work with the Deputy, South Dublin County Council and the community in Citywest to ensure this facility delivers for the local community. My Department has funded eight different projects in south Dublin through the community centre investment fund. The Deputy's local authority has a very good record of delivering for us. We look forward to working with it on any potential application.
If you look up developer-led planning in a dictionary, I am sure you will find a picture of Citywest. It is quite incredible. It is one of the fastest growing communities in all of Ireland. Almost 4,000 homes have been built in a decade. More than 2,000 were built in just the last three years. What came with the houses? There is no community centre and no public crèche places. Families are on waiting lists for a long time across the area. There are no sports pitches. The couple of parks and playgrounds provided for tens of thousands of people are working overtime. Residents say they feel forgotten. They are absolutely right. This is just classic developer-led planning. It is about throwing up homes without providing facilities to allow people to integrate and build a community.
The story of this community centre has been a saga. In 2018, it was made a condition of planning permission. The developer built the homes but the community centre was not developed. The latest is that something is now happening but the Minister's attention would assist with that.
That is why the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, brought in the community centre investment fund. It is also why she expanded it to new builds. We will launch that again in 2027. To date, over €988,000 has been awarded to 23 community centres. Citywest sounds like a place that needs a community centre. We have a track record of investing. For example, Newcastle in Galway is an urban centre. We have worked with Galway City Council and with the local community. I had the pleasure of turning the sod on that development two weeks ago. That will be ready for occupation in late 2027. As I have said, I am certainly happy to keep the Deputy informed. We will have a call for funding in 2027. It is more than likely that will be around this time next year. I am happy to work with the Deputy and to put him in touch with other communities where new-build centres have been brought to their current stage. As I have said, 12 projects are nearly finalised. These are totally new builds and come on top of all the refurbishments.
This is not only an issue for South Dublin County Council. I obviously accept the point that an application for funding needs to be made if funding is to be granted. The reason Citywest has developed in the way it has, with homes but no adequate facilities, is the fast-track strategic housing development process. The local area plan, which included these kinds of requirements, was ignored. Developers went straight down the strategic housing development route, got permission for huge developments and then did not put in the facilities. They were sometimes promised. Community centres and crèches were often promised. They were often part of the planning permission. They ultimately were not delivered, however. The council previously said that the community centre would be delivered in June of this year. We are now in the middle of July and ground has not even been broken. I appeal to the Minister not to wash his hands of this, to engage with the council to track delivery and to make sure that this centre opens next year.
I assure the Deputy that I will not be washing my hands of it but, equally, the council has to show interest and intent. I am not going to spoon-feed the council. We have councils and, in fairness, South Dublin County Council is very proactive in relation to the scheme for the refurbishment of centres. When we launch the scheme next year, we will launch it in partnership with local authorities around the country. It is a very substantial investment programme on the part of the Department. It provides centres and places for the communities the Deputy has highlighted to gather. I hope to issue the call around this time in 2027. We will be preparing that call and engaging with local authorities through the CCMA and other groups in the meantime. I call on South Dublin County Council to step up and make that kind of investment in the Citywest community.
4. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his plans to scale up the delivery of essential services through social enterprises; if he plans to invest in not-for-profit delivery of essential services through the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, particularly for the delivery of community childcare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53636/26]
As is always the case with my questions, this question is very straightforward. I ask the Minister of State to concentrate his remarks on the delivery of community childcare. I am interested in knowing what plans there are to scale up the delivery of essential services through the use of social enterprises.
I do not think it is as simple as the Deputy thinks but I thank her for the question. It is an important question. The provision of community childcare is very important. The Deputy and I probably share a view on the issue. As she will know, this does not necessarily fall under the remit of the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP. I will come back to her again. I hope we will find common ground as we move forward.
Social enterprises have a substantive role to play in furthering the objective of the Department, the Minister and me to build inclusive, sustainable and empowered communities right across Ireland. The current iteration of SICAP for the four-year period from 2024 to 2028 contains a revised key performance indicator for goal 1 that explicitly includes the provision of social enterprise supports, both financial and non-financial, as working towards the achievement of goal 1 objectives. This is in recognition of the important role that social enterprises can play in effecting change, working with SICAP target groups. In 2025, SICAP supported over 500 social enterprises through capacity-building supports and small-scale grants of up to €2,500.
As Deputy O'Reilly will know, in July 2024, my Department launched Trading for Impact, the national social enterprise policy for a three-year period to conclude next year. This was developed in partnership with the social enterprise sector. Work is continuing to support and grow the sector through the strategy's stakeholder engagement group.
Funding of €4 million was announced in 2025 under the Dormant Accounts Fund growing social enterprise scheme. A further €4 million was allocated this year to a sustaining social enterprise scheme, which will support social enterprises to become more financially self-sufficient. I hope to announce the successful awardees with the Minister later this year.
SICAP's primary focus is the delivery of support to its 12 target groups and the provision of supports to strengthen the capabilities of organisations working with those target groups. The programme's broad parameters and wide-ranging supports have ensured that it has been and continues to be able to respond flexibly to that local need. However, while SICAP can provide some supports to community organisations and social enterprises, the programme is not designed for the direct delivery of services such as childcare.
Well, just design a programme that will do that because there is a really serious and pressing need for it. I will give the Minister of State an example. In the area known as Fingal, where my constituency is located, there are 63,000 children. Of those, 15,000 are living in poverty or are at risk of it. There are 800 community childcare places. I know from talking to the people on the community childcare committees that they are not hung up on any particular way to fund this. I am continuously struck by the capacity that exists within the social enterprise sector to do that really valuable work. The CSO statistics released in the last fortnight show that unemployment among women aged 35 to 44 has doubled. The rate is still low but it is increasing.
There is a real need for affordable childcare. The Government does not seem to be getting any closer to delivering the €200 per week childcare it promised. The way to do it is to engage with social enterprises.
I understand where the Deputy is coming from. I genuinely do. Empower is the community childcare provider in her area. It does phenomenal work. As the Deputy knows, SICAP does not directly provide that community childcare place. I am meeting John Logue and Richard Bruton from Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland, SERI, next week to have a conversation with them in terms of this piece. I will pose the question in a rhetorical and adversarial way right now. What is the community childcare committee doing in the case of Fingal? I will just ask that question. If we look at the overarching scenario, to be fair to the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Department of Social Protection and the Taoiseach and his Department, we are putting child poverty and its elimination and reduction at the heart of government. I was in Drogheda yesterday where I had a very profound conversation with women there in terms of the whole piece around childcare and poverty. The important point for us is that we are working in a whole-of-government way in assisting local communities in a variety of ways. I know the Deputy might disagree with me, which is fair enough. I get that we need to do more around childcare and particularly that community piece.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit.
Okay. I will come back again.
The Minister of State asked me what the community childcare committee in Fingal is doing. I will tell him that it is battling against the privatisation of childcare day in, day out. In our community centres, the vast majority - over 70% - are occupied by for-profit childcare providers. It is an area in which SERI has done fantastic work and has a lot to offer in this space. Unfortunately, when Mr. John Logue reached out to the Minister of State's colleague, the Minister, Deputy Foley, she did not come back to him. He wants to engage. I am absolutely delighted that the Minister of State is meeting with him next week and I hope he gets to discuss the issue of childcare because it is essential. There is so much more that can be done in the social enterprise space. There are areas in which the Government delivers services where profit has absolutely no place, home help being one of them and school meals provision being another. The profit motive does not lend itself well to the delivery of public services, but childcare is an area on which we could agree. There is definitely a need for it and there is definitely the appetite in SERI for it.
The important point is that there is a commitment by the Government. I share the Deputy's confidence in terms of the capacity of social enterprises to deliver. I will have that conversation next week, but it would be fair to say that we are seeing a co-ordinated response from the Government. We are tackling the key issues. There is a deficit in some places around the provision of community childcare places. In saying that, I do not agree with the Deputy in every respect. I do not share her view on the for-profit issue around home help, which was one example given by the Deputy. In my area of Cork city, home help is being provided by people through the HSE co-ordinator there. Phenomenal work is being done. I will talk to the Deputy again about it. We are committed to ensuring that people have access to childcare and community childcare places. I will talk to her ahead of my meeting next week with the two gentlemen in question. However, the important point is that, as the Deputy knows, we have done a census in the social enterprise space.
Go raibh maith agat, a Aire Stáit.
I will come back in again if I can.
No, the Minister of State is finished now.
Okay.
3. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé tar éis labhairt leis an Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta maidir leis an ísliú a thiocfaidh ar chéatadán na dtithe lena mbainfidh coinníollacha teanga i bhforbairtí ilaonad i gceantair Ghaeltachta mar thoradh ar an dréachtráiteas náisiúnta pleanála don tithíocht inbhuanaithe tuaithe agus Gaeltachta a fhoilseofar an tseachtain seo chugainn; an bhfuil sé sásta labhairt leis an Aire sin faoin ábhar sin, mura bhfuil sé sin déanta aige go fóill; agus an bhfuil sé i gceist aige aon ghníomh a ghlacadh chun tacú le daoine lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht a bhfuil Gaeilge acu bogadh go dtí an Ghaeltacht [53305/26]
Déanann an cheist seo déileáil leis na coinníollacha teanga a bheidh ann de réir an dréachtráiteas náisiúnta pleanála agus an dochar a dhéantar do cheantair Ghaeltachta má théitear ar aghaidh leo, go háirithe toisc go bhfuil ísliú i gceist. An bhfuil an tAire tar éis labhairt leis an Aire tithíochta maidir leis seo? An bhfuil aon dea-scéal le teacht maidir leis an gceist seo? An féidir linn a chinntiú nach ísliú a bheidh i gceist ó thaobh an choinníll?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as an mBille um intleacht shaorga. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as an obair sin. Mar is eol don Teachta, is í an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta atá freagrach as an dréachtráiteas náisiúnta pleanála ach is cinnte go bhfuil plé idir na Ranna éagsúla atá faoi mo chúram maidir leis an dréachtráiteas seo.
Faoi láthair, níl aon mhodh comhsheasmhach ann d'údaráis phleanála áitiúla nuair a bhíonn forbróirí ag cur céatadán d'fhorbairt tithíochta atá beartaithe in áirithe do chainteoirí Gaeilge. Beidh an modh seo chun íoslíon aonad a chur in áirithe bunaithe ar chéatadán na gcainteoirí lasmuigh den chóras oideachais móide 10%, mar atá molta, bunaithe ar chomhdhéanamh teanga reatha an cheantair seachas figiúr aonfhoirmeach náisiúnta a leagan síos i ngach ceantar Gaeltachta.
Is éard atá i gceist leis seo ná cinnteacht a thabhairt do phleanálaithe agus do dhaoine ar mian leo fanacht ina gcónaí ina bpobail tuaithe nó filleadh orthu agus, ag an am céanna, tacú le tuath bhríomhar inbhuanaithe in Éirinn. Léiríonn an cur chuige seo an treo ina bhfuil polasaí an Rialtais ag dul i dtaca le pleanáil i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Ar ndóigh, beidh plé le páirtithe leasmhara sna seachtainí agus sna míonna amach romhainn. Sa chomhthéacs seo, tá cruinniú faoin dréachtráiteas sceidealta idir m'oifigigh agus Conradh na Gaeilge níos déanaí an mhí seo.
I gcás cainteoir Gaeilge nach bhfuil aon cheangal teaghlaigh aige leis an nGaeltacht agus atá ag iarraidh bogadh ann, beidh feidhm fós ag an riail chónaithe cúig-bliana, le hais riail deich mbliana do chainteoirí Béarla. Cé go bhfuil sé inmhianaithe cainteoirí Gaeilge a bheith in ann bogadh go dtí an Ghaeltacht, ní féidir linn cás a bheith againn ina bhfaigheann cainteoirí Gaeilge cead pleanála toisc gur cainteoirí Gaeilge iad amháin. Tá obair le déanamh ar an dréachtráiteas. Tá suim agam obair leis an Teachta chun an obair sin a dhéanamh.
Tá roinnt samplaí anseo agam. Glacaim leis gur chuir an conradh agus BÁNÚ roinnt samplaí eile chuig an Aire ag léiriú an damáiste a dhéanfaidh sé sin. In ainneoin an méid atá ráite aige, i gceantair áirithe, tá coinníollacha ar leith ann ó thaobh forbróirí atá ag forbairt iliomad tithíochta faoi láthair. Mar shampla, i gCois Fharraige, tá coinníoll teanga i gceist le 80% de na tithe le 15 bliana anuas faoi phlean forbartha Chontae na Gaillimhe. Faoin ráiteas náisiúnta, ísleoidh sé sin go dtí 58%. Sna Déise, tá an rud ceannann céanna ann. Ísleoidh an figiúr ón 80% atá ann le 15 bliana anuas go dtí 37% faoin gcóras nua. Déanfaidh sé sin damáiste do cheantair Ghaeltachta atá ag teacht chucu féin. Beidh Béarlóirí á mbrú orthu. I gcás na Déise, beidh 63% de na tithe ar fáil do Bhéarlóirí. Tá damáiste le teacht má dhéantar é seo.
Tuigim é sin. Tuigim na buarthaí atá ag grúpaí cosúil leis an gconradh, BÁNÚ agus na Teachtaí féin ach níl aon chaighdeán náisiúnta ann ag an bpointe seo. Athraíonn sé ó údarás áitiúil go húdarás áitiúil. Táimid ag iarraidh caighdeán náisiúnta a chur air. Beimid in ann é sin a phlé tar éis sin. Chomh maith leis sin, cé go bhfuil na coinníollacha ann, an bhfuil na cainteoirí ann? Tá sé tábhachtach é sin a scrúdú freisin. B'fhéidir go bhfuil obair le déanamh againn air sin. Tá na coinníollacha pleanála ann ach an bhfuil daoine ag úsáid na Gaeilge tar éis bogadh isteach? Léiríonn na figiúirí atá againn ón census go bhfuil difríocht idir na figiúirí sin agus an líon daoine atá ag úsáid na Gaeilge gach uile lá. Nuair atá coinníollacha ann, tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil enforcement ann freisin. Tá brón orm. Níl an focal Gaeilge agam. Ní riail iondúil é. It is not a normal rule mar gheall go mbaineann sé le cúrsaí teanga. I gcomhthéacs an ráitis, tá obair le déanamh againn ar chóras nua i gcomhair enforcement.
Cloisim é seo. Chuala mé é thar na blianta ó dhaoine a bhí ag iarraidh go laghdófaí teorainn na Gaeltachta. Bhí siad ag iarraidh díriú isteach ar na ceantair a bhí in ísle brí ó thaobh labhairt na Gaeilge chun iad a chaitheamh amach ón nGaeltacht. Bhí siad ag iarraidh go mbeadh an Ghaeltacht srianta go dtí ceantair ina bhfuil 50% ann. Má dhéanann tú é seo, bheadh i bhfad Éireann níos mó ceantar ann a bhfuil brú mór orthu, go háirithe na ceantair atá lag. Níor chóir go mbeadh am ann riamh ina bhfuil an Stát ag brú go mbeidh tithíocht shóisialta nó tithíocht d'aon shórt ann a bhfuil níos lú ná 50% di ar fáil do chainteoirí Gaeilge. D'fhiafraigh an tAire an bhfuil na cainteoirí Gaeilge ann. Tá aithne agam ar a lán daoine i gceantair Ghaeltachta nach féidir leo teacht ar thithe. Ní raibh córas acu go dtí seo. Tá a lán Gaeilgeoirí lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht toisc go raibh orthu lonnú lasmuigh di toisc nach raibh aon tithíocht ann. Tá siadsan sásta dul ar ais go dtí a mbailte féin. Tá siad ann ach níor tugadh an deis dóibh mar ní raibh aon tithíocht ann.
Aontaím go mór leis sin. Tá na Gaeilgeoirí ann agus tá siad ag iarraidh bogadh abhaile nó go dtí an Ghaeltacht ach tá fadhb agus dúshlán ann le tithe saoire freisin.
Tá daoine nach bhfuil suim sa Ghaeilge acu atá ag iarraidh bheith sa cheantar. Dream níos tábhachtaí ná sin is ea iad daoine a rugadh sa Ghaeltacht nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu. Tá muid ag iarraidh balance a shroicheadh idir na daoine le Gaeilge atá ag iarraidh bogadh isteach go dtí an Ghaeltacht chun a gcuid Gaeilge a úsáid agus na daoine as ceantair Ghaeltachta nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu. Níl mórán suime agam i dtithe saoire. Tá mé ag iarraidh go mbeidh daoine ina gcónaí sna háiteanna Gaeltachta seo, go háirithe daoine le Gaeilge.
Tá an dréacht-ráiteas ann. Beidh mé ag obair leis an Aire tithíochta air seo, ach níl monopoly agam ina leith seo ach an oiread. Tá suim mhór agam oibriú leis an Teachta agus a chomhghleacaí, an Teachta McGuinness, air seo.
5. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Shane Moynihan den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta cén tacaíocht atá á cur ar fáil ag a Roinn maidir leis an gclár Gaeilge365; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh.. [53548/26]
Fiafraím den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobal agus Gaeltachta faoin tacaíocht atá á cur ar fáil ag a Roinn maidir leis an gclár Gaeilge365, faoi mar atá leagtha amach sa chlár Rialtais. Is clár é seo atá ar bun sna húdaráis áitiúla i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus tá sé i gceist é a leathnú amach ar fud na tíre. An ndéanfaidh an tAire ráiteas ar an ábhar seo?
Is é Gaeilge365 an chéad aonad nuálaíochta a oibríonn trí mheán na Gaeilge sa tseirbhís phoiblí agus é mar aidhm leis deachleachtais a chruthú i dtaobh na modhanna is féidir le húdaráis áitiúla a úsáid le tuilleadh deiseanna labhartha Gaeilge a chruthú don phobal.
Bhunaigh Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath Gaeilge365 mar thionscadal píolótach in 2023 le tacaíocht airgid ó chlár Éire Ildánach, tacaíocht a bhí fíorthábhachtach le tús a chur leis an tionscnamh. Ba é aidhm an tionscadail phíolótaigh sin cur chuige nuálach a chur sa siúl ionas go gcruthófaí breis deiseanna don phobal an Ghaeilge a labhairt trí sheirbhísí Chomhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath. Leis an gcur chuige nuálach a bhí ag Gaeilge365 ón tús, agus baill fhoirne ón gcomhairle cathrach trí chéile rannpháirteach ann, bhíothas in ann cruthaitheacht na Gaeilge a chur i láthair.
Tá Gaeilge365 leathnaithe anois go réigiún uile Bhaile Átha Cliath. Tá maoiniú os cionn €4.5 milliún bainteach leis an gclár seo don tréimhse 2025-2028. Tá 50% den mhaoiniú sin ag teacht ó mo Roinn féin, agus tá an 50% eile ag teacht ó na ceithre údarás áitiúla i mBaile Átha Cliath.
Tá leathnú ar Gaeilge365 leagtha amach mar ghníomh sonrach sa chlár Rialtais, mar a dúirt an Teachta. Táthar ag súil go mbeidh an deis ann amach anseo eiseamláir Bhaile Átha Cliath a chur i ngníomh sna húdaráis áitiúla ar fud an Stáit. Déanaim comhghairdeas le foireann Gaeilge365, a raibh an t-ádh uirthi duais a bhaint amach ag Gradam na Seirbhísí Poiblí Níos Fearr cúpla seachtain ó shín. Is project iontach é agus tá mé ag iarraidh é a leathnú amach go gach cuid den tír.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra chuimsithigh sin. Faoi mar a dúirt sé, is é ceann de na rudaí a dhéanann idirdhealú idir Gaeilge365 agus tograí agus tionscadail eile Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta de chuid an Státchórais ná an tomhas atá air maidir le haischur. Cruthaíonn sé deiseanna cainte do dhaoine dul i ngleic leis an Státchóras agus le seirbhísí poiblí. Is cur chuige nuálaíochta é sin. Ba chór dúinn an cur chuige sin a leathnú amach, ní hamháin i measc na n-údarás áitiúla ach i measc na n-áisíneachtaí Stáit agus na gcomhlachtaí pobail araon. Ní mór dúinn impí orthu féachaint ar líon na ndeiseanna cainte Gaeilge a chruthaíonn siad do Ghaeilgeoirí agus daoine atá báúil don Ghaeilge. Ar a bharr sin, nuair a chuireann muid maoiniú ar fáil dá leithéid de chlár, beidh muid in ann féachaint ar líon na ndeiseanna cainte atá cruthaithe de bharr an mhaoinithe sin. Cén sórt scála ama a bhfuil muid ag labhairt faoi chun é seo a leathnú amach go dtí na húdaráis áitiúla eile timpeall na tíre?
Ar dtús, ba é an aidhm a bhí agam le haghaidh Gaeilge365 ná airgead a chur ar fáil dó le go mbeadh sé in ann dul ar aghaidh leis an obair thábhachtach i mBaile Átha Cliath. Tá sé tar éis 150,000 deis chainte Gaeilge a thabhairt do dhaoine a bhíonn ag úsáid seirbhísí sna ceithre údarás áitiúil i mBaile Átha Cliath. Leis an airgead atá ag teacht ó mo Roinn, agus leis an obair atá idir lámha agam agus ag an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Buttimer, beidh an t-airgead sin ann agus beidh sé in ann leanúint leis sin. Gabhaim buíochas leis na húdaráis áitiúla atá rannpháirteach, go háirithe leis na comhairleoirí ar na húdaráis áitiúla a sheas i bhfabhar an airgid seo, atá ag teacht ó na húdaráis áitiúla féin sna ceithre áit sin.
Tar éis sin, tá muid ag scrúdú Gaeilge365 chun na cleachtaí a fhoghlaim le go mbeidh muid in ann dul ar aghaidh leo i ngach cuid den Státseirbhís. Mar is eol don Teachta, tá sprioc le haghaidh deireadh 2030 go mbeidh 20% den Státseirbhís in ann Gaeilge a úsáid. Is sprioc mhór agus dúshlánach í sin dúinn, ach beidh muid ag úsáid na gcleachtaí ó Ghaeilge365 chun é a oibriú amach.
Bogfaidh muid ar aghaidh go Ceist Uimh. 7 in ainm an Teachta O’Rourke.
Nach bhfuil deis agam teacht isteach arís?
Excuse me. The Deputy is correct.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht an fhreagra sin. Ag eascairt as an méid atá ráite aige, tá mé an-sásta cloisteáil go mbeidh deachleachtais á bhfoghlaim maidir lena bhfuil bainte amach ag Gaeilge365. Cuirim fáilte roimh an tomhas atá á dhéanamh ar dheiseanna cainte chomh maith.
An bhfuil sé de thuairim ag an Aire go leathnófar é seo amach go dtí na húdaráis áitiúla ar bhonn moillithe, is é sin, go dtosófar le cúpla údarás i gCúige Laighean, cúpla ceann eile i gCúige Mumhan agus, de réir a chéile, cúpla ceann eile i gCúige Connachta? Cén sórt cur chuige a bheidh an tAire ag cur chun cinn leis an gclár Gaeilge365 a leathnú amach chuig na húdaráis áitiúla eile sa tír?
Is é an rud is sonraí faoi Ghaeilge365 ná go mbogann sé amach an cur chuige a bhíonn ag go leor áisíneachtaí Stáit agus comhlachtaí poiblí go dtiteann sé faoin oifigeach Gaeilge polasaí na Gaeilge agus deiseanna cainte Gaeilge a chruthú. Ina áit sin, cuirtear rudaí mar chleachtaí snámha agus ióga trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fáil le go mbíonn daoine in ann plé le seirbhísí an údaráis áitiúil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Is é sin an rud a sheasann amach.
Tá deiseanna iontacha ag teacht as Gaeilge365 maidir le húsáid na seirbhísí. Léiríonn sé seo go bhfuil suim againn sa Roinn oibriú le daoine a bhfuil ideas nua acu. Níl gach rud ar eolas againn sa Roinn, agus níl gach rud ar eolas againn sa Teach seo ach an oiread.
Déanaim comhghairdeas le Daithí de Buitléir agus an fhoireann i nGaeilge365. Mar a dúirt sé, bíonn a lán rudaí ar siúl, cosúil le binse comhrá ina mbíonn binsí sa chomharsanacht áitiúil agus ar an trá. Tá an togra, snámh le spraoi, ann freisin. Baintear leas as spórt le go mbíonn na daoine a imríonn spórt ag úsáid na Gaeilge. Tá cleachtaí ó Ghaeilge365 a mbeidh aon údarás áitiúil in ann úsáid a bhaint astu ina gcathair nó ceantar féin. Tá mé ag cur brú ar gach comhairle áitiúil Gaeilge365 a scrúdú agus é a úsáid mar shampla agus teimpléad ina gcuid ceantar dúchais féin.
Bíonn a lán cruinnithe agam le príomhfheidhmeannaigh na n-údarás áitiúil maidir le tithíocht. Tá mé chun Gaeilge365 a chur ar an agenda chomh maith.
