The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The basic income for the arts pilot research scheme began with the first baseline survey in October 2022 and will conclude in August 2025. The data from the pilot will feed into Government consideration of the next steps. The Department is currently working on a report examining the first 24 months of the scheme and this report will be available before the end of the pilot. A further qualita…

I am conscious of the concerns that people in the scheme have. I pay tribute to my predecessor in this area, Catherine Martin, who did a huge amount of work to initiate the whole concept. It was born out of a time when the country was bedraggled, with Covid and everything else, but it has proven its worth in terms of the qualitative and quantitative amount of work that can be produced by people who, as I said in the earlier part of the response, are protected from worry about the precarious nature of their finances…

Deputy Ó Snodaigh is right that a number of different things have to be considered. As Deputy Ó Snodaigh has said, these include whether it is the same group, a new group, a wider group, or a smaller group. All of this has to be assessed. The engagement I hope to have with the campaign will also help to inform me on this. Deputy Ó Snodaigh is also right that as two distinct political parties in advance of the election we made commitments on this. I am sure Deputy Ó Snodaigh will acknowledge that this was a very goo…

I join the Leas-Cheann Comhairle in welcoming the students from County Mayo to see the Dáil and their people's house in live action. They are very welcome. With regard to Deputy Byrne's questions I covered most of them when answering Deputy Ó Snodaigh but I can go back over them again. It is a priority of ours and it is in the programme for Government to do an evaluation. It was in the manifestoes that we would proceed with it. Obviously we will have budgetary discussions from the summer onwards, in which I will en…

This is why I am doing what I am doing. I am going to try to do this as quickly as possible. All Deputies in all parties on both sides of the House would say it would be foolish in the extreme for me not to at least evaluate all of the reports that are available and will be available to the Department before I make a decision. As soon as I can do so I will do it and I will be back to the House. I am sure both Deputies will be forthright in their views once I have made a decision.

Mar is eol don Teachta, tá cúraimí na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge ag aistriú chuig an Aire, an Teachta Calleary. Bhí sé le bheith anseo inniu ach ní raibh sé in ann teacht go dtí an Teach inniu mar gheall ar chúrsaí pearsanta. Rinne an Rialtas ordú Dé Máirt chun na feidhmeanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta a aistriú chuig an Roinn forbartha poiblí agus Gaeltachta. Tiocfaidh an t-ordú i bhfeidhm ar an 1 Meitheamh. Is é an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, a thabharfaidh freagraí ar cheisteanna Dála a bhaineann leis na réimsí seo…

Mar a dúirt mé leis an Teachta Connolly níos luaithe ar maidin, bhí an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, dóchasach go mbeadh sé anseo chun na ceisteanna sin a fhreagairt ach tá cúrsaí pearsanta aige faoi láthair agus níl sé in ann teacht go dtí an Teach ar maidin. Tá cruinniú aige an tseachtain seo chugainn le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta chun an ábhar a phlé. Tá an-suim aige i gcúrsaí tithíochta. Tá limistéar Gaeltachta ina Dháilcheantar i gContae Mhaigh Eo freisin. Tá an-suim aige san ábhar sin. Tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach is…

Tuigim an fhadhb. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta, nuair a bhí mé i m’Aire Stáit le cúraimí na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge fúm, rinne mé mo dhícheall an t-ábhar sin a phlé agus a réiteach. Níl aon amhras agam ach gur ceist dheacair í. Tá an-chuid oibre déanta ag an Roinn Gaeltachta agus an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta chun an ábhar sin a réiteach. Mar a dúirt mé níos luaithe agus mé ag labhairt leis an Teachta Connolly, tá sé seo ar ceann de na pointí is tábhachtaí don Aire. Tá sé ag iarraidh é seo a…

Aontaím leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta Ó Snodaigh maidir le cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an t-ábhar sin. Bhí ceist eile aige ar an ábhar sin ach tá an t-am caite againn. Beidh ar an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, déileáil leis an ábhar sin sa Bhille atá os comhair na Dála faoi láthair. Dúirt sé liom go mbeidh sé in ann é sin a phlé le hurlabhraithe Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne na bpáirtithe uile sa Dáil. Beidh sé in ann an obair sin a dhéanamh tar éis cruinnithe a bheith aige le hÚdarás na Gaeltachta agus leis na húd…

For today's vote on the Ceann Comhairle to be warranted, one would have imagined that she would have done something wrong last week. I was sitting in this seat, close to the Ceann Comhairle - the only other person in front was the Taoiseach - so I had the benefit of hearing the Chief Whip, the Taoiseach in his efforts to try to be heard and the Ceann Comhairle throughout all of it. The only people who could not hear what the Ceann Comhairle was saying were the people who were roaring and shouting at her in a scene …

Just let me finish.

You had a good run last week. Of all parties, Labour should remember what was done to its former leader, Joan Burton, another woman who held a constitutional officer position and who herself had to confront behaviour not too dissimilar from what we saw-----

Deputy Devine will have her chance in a minute. It was not too dissimilar from what happened in this Chamber last week. All our parties are trying to encourage women into politics, but all of a sudden, the united leader of the Opposition has emerged and the Labour Party just joined in as a kind of silent little lamb. In the process of doing that-----

Deputy Bacik today gave a great oration-----

-----about the importance of Ireland having a clear position with regard to trade and our position in the world. What have the Labour Party and other parties in here done? They have withdrawn pairs. Today's vote was always inevitable-----

-----because they could not accept the reality that a Government had been formed and we wanted to get on and govern. The main party opposite could never accept that-----

-----and now we have the two centre-left parties just coming along like mud flaps.

Less patronising now.

First, I congratulate Deputy Byrne and wish her well in her role as an Opposition spokesperson. I will make it clear from the outset that there is no intention to replace the television license fee. The previous Government made a decision last July that the licence fee should be reformed and enhanced, not abolished. It is in that context that the programme for Government sets out our commitment to a strong, independent media sector that provides essential public service broadcasting, supports local journalism and u…

The opening line of my reply made clear where the Government is on the previous Government decision but, to put it in context for the Deputy, in 2020 the total licence fee revenue was of the order of €222 million. The latest figure for 2024 is approximately €195 million. I am not sure where the Deputy thinks that money will come from in the absence of the licence fee. Does she think it should come directly from the Exchequer? If it is to come directly from the Exchequer, €200 million is a lot of money. Where does t…