Tá muinín agam i bpobal na Gaeltachta freisin. Tá muinín agam go mbeidh daoine in ann cur isteach ar an gcomórtas PAS. Tá muinín agam freisin go bhfuil tuiscint ann gur údarás é Údarás na Gaeltachta, rud atá tábhachtach, ach gur bord Stáit é freisin. Tá sé sin tábhachtach. Mar gheall gur bord Stáit é, tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh meascán de bhaill thofa agus baill cheaptha ann. Ní bheidh na ceapacháin ag teacht ó phóca an Aire ach ó chomórtas PAS. Is daoine leis na scileanna a cheapfar. Beidh a lán daoine ón nGaelta…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí. Mar is eol dóibh, níl an foráil seo ag teastáil mar tá sé clúdaithe sa phríomh-Acht cheana féin ó thaobh Comhaltaí don Dáil, don Seanad agus baill foirne na hEorpa. Maidir le comhaltaí d’Údarás na Gaeltachta, i gcás go n-ainmneofar é nó í mar Chomhalta de Seanad Éireann nó go dtoghfar é nó í mar Chomhalta de cheachtar Theacht an Oireachtais, nó chun a bheith ina ionadaí nó ina hionadaí i bParlaimint na hEorpa, nó é nó í a bheith tofa chun Parlaimint na hEorpa, stadfaidh sé nó sí d…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí. Cuirim fáilte ar ais go dtí an Teach roimh an Teachta Kyne. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a bheith tofa arís chuig an Seomra seo den Oireachtas. Nílim in ann glacadh leis na leasuithe. Leagann siad amach go bhfuil cumhacht agus taithí ag an údarás i leith cúrsaí tithíochta. Níl aon taithí ag an údarás ar chúrsaí tithíochta ag an bpointe seo. Níl scileanna aige chun déileáil le cúrsaí tithíochta. Tá ráite go bhfuil sites agus tograí ann go mbeadh sé in ann íoc astu. B'fhéidir go bh…

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí. Is tábhachtach comhthéacs a chur leis an díospóireacht seo. Bunaithe ar na figiúirí ó na húdaráis áitiúla, ceadaíodh, ar an meán, 90% d’iarratais phleanála le haghaidh tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht in 2025, rud a léiríonn go bhfuil a lán rudaí ag tarlú sa Ghaeltacht i réimse na tithíochta. Ina theannta sin, bronnadh os cionn €3 milliún ar iarratais i limistéir Ghaeltachta faoin deontas athchóirithe do réadmhaoin fholamh, is é sin, the vacant houses grant. More than €3 million was given…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Rachaidh na coistí réigiúnacha i gcomhairle le grúpa pleanála teanga sa limistéar faoi leith ina bhunófar an choiste chun comhairle a thabhairt don údarás agus chun cuidiú leis an údarás i gcomhlíonadh a aidhmeanna sa limistéar sin. Léiríonn sé seo an ról atá ag na coistí réigiúnacha ó thaobh na hionadaíochta de. Is fiú a rá chomh maith go bhfuil oifigeach pleanála teanga ar bhord reatha de chuid Údarás na Gealtachta agus iar-oifigeach pleanála teanga chomh maith. Mar a sheasann ru…

Tuigim agus aontaím leis an Teachta go bhfuil na hoifigigh phleanála teanga ag déanamh sárjab sna ceantair ina bhfuil siad. Tá muinín agam freisin go mbeidh siad lánpháirteach sna struchtúir seo agus i gcoiste réigiúnach an údaráis agus go mbeidh siad in ann obair leis an gcoiste sin. Ní bheidh an coiste in ann obair cheart a dhéanamh gan obair na n-oifigeach pleanála teanga. Táim sásta nach gcaithfimid é a leagan amach sa dlí agus go n-oibríonn sé.

I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2026: Vote 30— Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Supplementary Estimate). Vote 31 — Transport (Supplementary Estimate).

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "acknowledges that: — the State provides a broad range of income, education, health and other supports for disabled people, has increased investment in these supports and under the leadership of the Cabinet Committee of Disability Matters chaired by the Taoiseach, will continue to prioritise further improvements over the lifetime of this Government, including with respect to the introduction of a cost of disability paymen…

I am aware of the recent figures from the Vintners Federation of Ireland, which highlight the challenges faced by rural pubs and their importance as hubs for social connection and cultural life. I agree with the Deputy's analysis in that regard. I also acknowledge that the VFI made a written submission to the consultation process which the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I opened last year to inform the development of the next iteration of Our Rural Future. While specific supports for the sector would fall …

I assure the Deputy that we are very committed to investing in rural social infrastructure. That is why we will be opening the community centre investment fund for investment of €25 million in the coming week. That will assist community centres right across the country. When it comes to rural isolation, the Deputy is correct to identify rural men in particular. We have just invested up to €3,000 per shed for 369 men's sheds across the country. The rural pub is important. I welcome and thank VFI for its submission. …

We are very focused on rural transport. Deputy Buttimer is a Minister of State in the Department of Transport as well as being a Minister of State in my Department. The work being done by Local Link to expand its services and, more importantly, expand the flexibility of its services in recent years will continue. We will engage with the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Department of enterprise and tourism in the context of Our Rural Future policy to determine what can be done to sustain rural enterprises and economi…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist seo a ardú. Baineann an cheist seo le halt 18E(b) d'Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla a cheanglaíonn ar an Aire, le hordú, an dáta nó na dátaí a shonrú faoina gcuirfear gach seirbhís a sholáthraíonn comhlacht poiblí i limistéar pleanála teanga Gaeltachta, nó don limistéar sin, ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Mar atá luaite agam cheana maidir leis an gceist seo, is beart suntasach agus fairsing é, a bhfuil go leor le cur sa mheá faoi. Dá bhrí sin, tugadh faoi chomhairliúchán cu…

Tuigim an mífhoighne ach ní mór na dúshláin a thuiscint freisin. Tá muid ag obair ar na dúshláin sin le cinntiú go mbeidh daoine in ann na seirbhísí a sholáthar, ní hamháin do mhuintir na Gaeltachta ach dóibh siúd a labhraíonn Gaeilge freisin. Is gá go mbeidh taithí agus muinín ag na daoine a bhíonn ag obair sa Státseirbhís chun é sin a dhéanamh. Tá muid ag obair air sin. Agus mo hata eile orm mar Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí, tá sé sin tábhachtach dúinn. Tá muid ag obair go mbeidh daoine sa Roinn sin in ann seirbhísí a…

Tá muid ag obair ar na caighdeáin sin. Tá mé muiníneach go mbeidh muid in ann iad a fhoilsiú roimh i bhfad. Tá mé ag obair freisin leis na comhlachtaí poiblí chun go mbeidh tuiscint ag gach comhlacht ar na caighdeáin seo. Caithfidh siad iad a thuiscint agus a chinntiú go mbeidh na resources acu chun tabhairt faoi seo. Ní mór do na comhlachtaí sin freisin tuiscint a bheith acu ar cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé seo do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus don Rialtas araon. Mar Aire, tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go mbeidh n…

I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing interest in this area. The local improvement scheme, LIS, provides for the upgrading of non-public rural roads and laneways typically not maintained by local authorities. It was reintroduced in 2017. Since 2017, funding of over €200 million has been allocated to local authorities and over 5,500 roads have been improved. In February this year, I was pleased along with the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to launch the 2026 scheme. We confirmed base funding for 2026 of €17.5 mill…

Laois completed 18 roads in 2025 and 81 are outstanding on the list we have. We had a really successful visit to Laois with Deputy Stanley and with Deputies Fleming and Aird some weeks back. I saw the fantastic work Laois County Council is doing. I pay tribute to that work. I could literally throw the entire budget of the Department at LIS and still have waiting lists. Other Departments also have responsibilities in terms of regional and public roads funding in rural areas. It cannot just be this Department that ta…

We are very aware in the Department of the increase in costs, in particular over the past three months since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East. That directly impacts road costs in particular. That is why the Department will be flexible. If I can see underspends, LIS will be a priority. Our capital delivery teams are engaging with local authorities that are serial offenders as regards sending money back. We tried to get notification of the approval of schemes out to councils earlier this year so that they c…

Mar is eol don Teachta, is fiú a thabhairt faoi deara go dtiteann an fhreagracht maidir le cúrsaí tithíochta ar bhonn ginearálta ar an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta. Agus é sin ráite, tá soláthar tithíochta dóibh siúd atá ina gcónaí agus ag obair sa Ghaeltacht thar a bheith tábhachtach dom go pearsanta agus do mo Roinn. Go deimhin, tá tithíocht riachtanach chun an teanga, seirbhísí, fostaíocht, fiontraíocht agus deiseanna eile sa Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Agus é sin san áireamh, tá céimeanna tac…

Mar a dúirt mé, tá mé féin agus an tAire, an Teachta Browne, ag obair go crua air seo. Nílim in ann dáta a thabhairt don Teachta ag an bpointe seo. Caithfidh mo Roinn agus an Roinn tithíochta teacht ar aontú faoin mbealach le dul. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh scéim agus ráiteas pleanála againn a oibríonn ar an talamh. Tá a lán dúshlán ann. Caithfimid obair ar na dúshláin seo. Táimid ag obair air sin ach níl aontú ann go fóill idir mé féin agus an Aire, an Teachta Browne. Nuair atá an plean réidh, beimid in ann é a f…

Níl mé chun iad seo a leagan amach ar urlár na Dála. Táimid ag obair air. Tuigeann an tAire, an Teachta Browne, agus mé féin cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an ráiteas seo chun díriú ar an nGaeltacht agus go háirithe ar na daoine óga atá ag iarraidh tithe a chruthú inti. Táimid ag obair ar gach ceann de na dúshláin atá ann. Tá a lán oibre ar siúl ar a lán dúshlán sa Roinn. Tá na hoifigigh sa Roinn tithíochta atá ag obair liom ag obair ar roinnt de na dúshláin eile. Táimid ag obair ar chúrsaí taobh amuigh den ráiteas fr…