The Deputy's assessment is an interesting one. In terms of getting this up and running, in the early stages we tried to bring as much clarity and understanding as possible in regard to the fee area. The feedback I have got in the past year in dealing with this is that a lot of people find administration fees and investment fees around pensions very confusing. It is one of the things that, certainly in my personal experience, would dissuade you from engaging with the pension provision. Therefore, we wanted the admin…

Certainly, I am happy to look at the Deputy's information. A realistic assessment of administration fees would have to be done over the lifetime of their participation in My Future Fund. Incomes will, hopefully, change and that incomes will increase over the lifetime of their fund. One of the great advantages of My Future Fund is that it is portable and that people can bring it with them to their next employment, as they change employment. Particularly in this labour market, we are all going to be working in many d…

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge ag tosú níos luaithe gach bliain. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus le Cléireach an tSeanaid as an gcuireadh a bheith anseo anocht. Ó achtaíodh Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2021 ceithre bliana ó shin, tá mo Roinn ag obair go dícheallach chun a chinntiú go gcuirfear i bhfeidhm go rathúil é ar fud na seirbhíse poiblí. Bunaíodh an coiste comhairleach um sheirbhísí Gaeilge faoin Acht i mí an Mheithimh 2022 chun cur chuige comhordaithe a stiúradh maidir le cur i bhfeidhm na re…

Gabhaim buíochas le gach Seanadóir a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht seo, go háirithe na Seanadóirí nach bhfuil Gaeilge acu. Glacann sé misneach seasamh anseo chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid. Senator Cosgrove's Irish is excellent. She should use it more. Má bhí fáinne ag an Seanadóir Craughwell sna seascaidí, tá Gaeilge líofa aige. I mo scéal féin, rinne mé Gaeilge go dtí an ardteist agus níor bhain mé úsáid as focal Gaeilge ó m'ardteist go dtí gur toghadh mé go dtí an Dáil - le haghaidh 16 bliain. Le cuidiú ó na hiriseoirí …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as an ábhar seo a ardú. I thank the Senator not just for raising the issue but for the rich history she has given us. The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht implements a range of schemes and initiatives available to communities across Ireland, including Monasterevin. The supports most relevant to today are those offered under my Department's rural development investment programme. This programme has seen unprecedented growth in funding in recent years …

There is no doubt that there is huge potential for projects such as the one the Senator referenced. They will provide services and supports that not only sustain communities in County Kildare and throughout the country, but also develop them and allow communities to enjoy the facilities that are there. We support projects across the Government to help with not just housing requirements, but also community requirements, and to help develop the sporting and recreational facilities that are used by people every day to…

I thank the Deputy for his question. Both the Minister of State and I agree and recognise that community centres can be at the heart of every community and that they are a vital resource for any city, neighbourhood, town or village. Since joining the Department, we prioritised investment in community infrastructure. As part of budget 2026, we secured increased funding for the programmes delivering on this priority, including an increase in the annual budget for the community centre investment fund, CCFI, of €3 mill…

I confirm that will be part of the iteration. We are trying to make it as broad as possible. As the Deputy and Deputy O'Reilly said previously, these centres provide very important services. Many of them were built at different times when energy costs were not quite causing the pressure they are now. Regarding the impact of the CCIF today, 93% of centres that have been funded under the CCIF have reported an increase in user numbers following the upgrades, with new improved accessibility, inclusivity and comfort. Th…

It is. It is my intention in 2027 to have a specific round of the CCIF for new-build centres. The then Minister, Heather Humphreys, announced a range of those in 2024. We are getting all of those into construction at the moment. There are about 12 nationally. Under the town and village renewal scheme, through the buildings acquisitions measure, local authorities can identify properties that are derelict within communities for a number of uses. We have funded the acquisition of properties for use as community facili…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá an Roinn ar an eolas faoi chás cúirte a tógadh i rith na bliana anuraidh, inar tarraingíodh ar ghnéithe bainteach le hAchtanna na dTeangacha Oifigiúla mar chuid de. Mar a luadh roimhe seo, bhí mo Roinn ag feidhmiú i gcónaí de réir comhairle dlí a bhí faighte ar an ábhar roimhe seo, ach mar bheart taca sa bhreis agus chun aon amhras a sheachaint sa tréimhse idir aisghairm na scéimeanna teanga agus teacht i bhfeidhm na gcaighdeán teanga, tá leasú molta ábhartha ar an …

Tá an-obair idir lámha ag mo Roinn ó achtaíodh an tAcht ar dhréachtú na gcaighdeáin teanga. Sa mhéid seo, táimid ag tabhairt aird ar chúrsaí níos luaithe go sonrach san Acht atá le háireamh, nithe atá le foghlaim ó thaithí na Breataine Bige, áit ina bhfuil córas ag feidhmiú go héifeachtach anois agus ar thóg sé roinnt ama an chéad dréacht a aontú. Tá an plean gníomhaíochta foilsithe anois. Tá sé i gceist tús a chur leis an gcomhairliúchán ar an dréacht ach tá an t-uafás oibre tar éis dul isteach sa dréacht sin agus…

Táimid beagnach réidh lena lán leasaithe a thabhairt chun tosaigh le haghaidh Bhille an údaráis. Tá leasú air seo mar cheann de na leasaithe sin. Tá mé ag plé an Bhille leis an bPríomh-Aoire chun é a thabhairt chun deiridh agus os comhair na Dála chomh luath agus is féidir. Beidh leasú ann faoin ndúshlán seo. Tá sé tábhachtach freisin go leanfaimid ar aghaidh leis an obair ar na caighdeáin agus go bhfuil muid in ann na dréacht-chaighdeáin a phlé. Táimid dírithe ar an obair sin - ní hamháin na leasaithe - freisin. B…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Hearne as an gceist. It should be noted that housing issues pertain to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The primary objective of Údarás na Gaeltachta is to ensure the Irish language endures as the main community language in Gaeltacht areas and is preserved for future generations. To that end, an t-údarás provides funding for a wide range of enterprise and employment development initiatives. The organisation also supports strategic actions relating to linguis…

I do not disagree with the Deputy's analysis in terms of rental properties and vacancies. We must work on this in a strategic way. I have met with the príomhfheidhmeannaigh of the local authorities in Gaeltacht areas on two occasions and will meet them again before the end of this month to discuss how we can work together. The appointment by an t-údarás of a vacant homes officer with a specific focus on Gaeltacht area is an important development. Following my meeting with the príomhfheidhmeannach of an t-údarás, we…

We are working with an t-údarás and, in particular, with the local authorities in the Gaeltacht areas, which are the planning authorities, to identify every possible opportunity and solution. The information will come through from the Gaeltacht vacant homes officer, the work of the local authority chief executives and the work of an údarás at both príomhfheidhmeannach level and board level. I want to ensure we bring all that work together, working with the Minister, Deputy Browne, to deliver on this major challenge…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na ceiste tábhachtaí seo. Tá maoiniú ar fáil faoin gclár tacaíochtaí pobail agus teanga agus faoin gclár scéimeanna tacaíochta Gaeilge de chuid na Roinne chun tacú le tograí caipitil laistigh agus lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht. Is é cuspóir an chúnaimh chaipitil a chuirtear ar fáil faoi na scéimeanna seo an Ghaeilge a neartú mar theanga pobail agus teaghlaigh i gcomhréir le cuspóirí an straitéis 20 bliain don Ghaeilge. Faoin gclár tacaíochta pobail agus teanga, cuirtear cúnamh cai…

Aontaím go mór leis an Teachta. Tá sé tábhachtach. Nuair a thosaíonn an turas Gaeilge ag aois óg cosúil leis sin, bíonn turas iontach ag an bpáiste on réamhscoil go dtí an bhunscoil, an mheánscoil agus an coláiste. Is iontach an rud é sin. Mar a dúirt mé, tá an t-airgead agus na scéimeanna ann. B'fhéidir go mbeidh plé againn maidir leis an dá scoil sin. Beimid in ann tacaíocht a thabhairt dóibh, go háirithe agus iad díreach in aice leis an mbunscoil. Is é an rud is fearr do thuismitheoirí go mbeadh an naíonra agus …

Beidh mé lánsásta na tograí tábhachtacha sin sna naíonraí a phlé faoi na scéimeanna tacaíochta Gaeilge. Má chuireann an Teachta ríomhphost chugam, beimid in ann é sin a dhéanamh. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go bhfuil an infheistíocht seo ag dul go dtí na naíonraí. Tá infheistíocht bhreise le dul isteach i mbliana go dtí na naíonraí agus go dtí an obair atá á dhéanamh ag tuismitheoirí na Gaeilge. Mar gheall go bhfuil an t-airgead is mó sa Roinn againn le blianta, beimid in ann infheistíocht a dhéanamh sna naíonr…

I thank the Deputy for his question. I am aware of the recent report of the GAA national demographics committee, and the presentation it made. The Deputy drew my attention to it some weeks back. The Minister of State and I engaged directly with the GAA on this issue. We met the national demographics committee last September in relation to its work and the report. We acknowledge the challenges for the GAA, but also for the communities that they serve that the report outlines, and the importance of their clubs as foc…

All of us will agree that without volunteers we would not have any society, particularly the GAA, but any organisation. I always take the opportunity to ask those who give out about volunteers what they would do on a Saturday if they had no GAA, no drama, no rugby, soccer, swimming or anything to go to and if their kids did not have those outlets. They are run by volunteers. The Minister of State and I are focused on the challenge outlined by the demographics committee that we met in terms of the disparities within…