I accept that the television licence is very important but €195 million is a fairly big hole. If Sinn Féin is now proposing I abolish it, I wonder where I will get €195 million. Should I get it from health, social welfare, housing or roads? That is a lot of money. If we are advocating for the abolition of a fee, the abolition of a charge, the reduction of a tax and that everybody gets everything for nothing, the Deputy might enlighten me as to where the money will come from. I do not see that substance in her quest…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta Farrelly. Go n-éirí go geal leis. I hope he has an enjoyable period of time here and I wish him the best of luck in his endeavours, along with the other Deputies across the House and the new Deputies I see around me. As Minister, I have recently brought, in quick succession, two annual reports of bodies under the aegis of my Department which have raised concerns in regard to the management of taxpayers' money. The first related to a major expenditure of almost €7 million on a f…

I do not disagree with the Deputy. The committee I have established to examine the governance of the Arts Council is being led by Professor Niamh Brennan. It includes Margaret Cullen and John McCarthy. They have all in their own right plenty of experience of examining corporate governance in other areas as well. I do not disagree with the Deputy with regard to the Department's role but I have to find out first of all the level of detail that is required here. I will bring a report to the Government first and I will…

To take the last point first, it is not my intention that anybody who is legitimately doing very good work on behalf of the arts community across the country should suffer. That is not my concern here at all. My concern is the same as the Deputy's concern, that is, that if there is voted expenditure from the Oireachtas to Government Departments, it must be for the purpose that it is for. I will also say - I said this in the course of an interview - that the Minister for Health does not know, nor should she know, no…

The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for artists pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The basic income for the arts pilot research scheme will conclude in August this year and the data from the pilot will be fed into the Government's consideration of the next steps. Recipients have been receiving payments and responding to surveys under the scheme since August 2022. Some 2,000 artists and creative arts workers have benefited from the payment of €325 a week since August 2022. T…

As the Deputy will appreciate, I have been rather busy since I went into the Department. The total cost of this scheme is €105 million. It was committed by the previous Government of which the Deputy was a member. Undoubtedly, this scheme has certainly had major benefits for the individual artists concerned. Now, we have an opportunity to do not only qualitative but also quantitative research regarding the output from the scheme. From the Deputy's time as the Minister for children, he will know that any decisions t…

I do not disagree with the Deputy, except on his last point. There is no point in having research carried out and then making the decision ahead of it. I have to bring this matter to the Government and, as a former Minister for children, the Deputy will know what this involves. I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of the research, which is looking at the scheme under a variety of headings, including practice development, well-being, deprivation, sectoral retention and others. The benefits of the scheme have been …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Mar is eol dó, tá cúraimí na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge ag aistriú chuig an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, go luath. Is é an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, a bheidh freagrach as polasaí a fhorbairt faoi na ceisteanna seo. Tá mé ag súil go mbeidh an obair go léir críochnaithe go luath chun na feidhmeanna a aistriú go foirmiúil ó mo Roinn chuig an Roinn nua, is í sin, an Roinn pobail, gnóthaí tuaithe agus Gaeltachta. Is í an Chomhairle Aireachta Thuaidh-Theas, CATT, a cheadaíonn buiséid do …

Tá a fhios ag an Teachta an méid oibre a rinne mé nuair a bhí mé mar Aire Stáit ag plé leis an ábhar sin. Tá sé an-deacair. Níl aon amhras orainn faoin bpointe sin. Tá sé an-tábhachtach freisin d’Fhoras na Gaeilge go réiteofar an fhadhb seo chomh luath agus is féidir. B’fhéidir go mbeadh seans ag an Teachta buaileadh leis an Aire nua, an Teachta Calleary, agus an t-ábhar sin a phlé. B’fhéidir go mbunófar na coistí go luath agus go mbeidh an Teachta Ó Snodaigh ina chathaoirleach ar an gcoiste Gaelainne agus Gaeltach…

Cinnte. Tá a fhios ag an Teachta go bhfuil an fhoireann Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne imithe ó mo Roinn agus mar sin is é an tAire, an Teachta Calleary, atá ag plé agus a bheidh freagrach as na polasaithe a bhaineann le cúrsaí Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne. Ach tuigim go bhfuil mé os comhair an Dála inniu agus beidh mé in ann an t-ábhar sin a phlé leis an Aire chomh luath agus is féidir. Níl aon amhras orm ach go bhfuil sé sin an-tábhachtach do na daoine ar fad sa tír seo a bhfuil suim acu i gcúrsaí Gaelainne agus Gaeltach…

The Arts Council business transformation project has cost almost €7 million and resulted in a significant loss to the Exchequer. This loss has highlighted governance issues in the Arts Council and significant lapses in oversight by the Department, which was informed from early 2021 of challenges in progressing the business transformation project and which received periodic updates at further stages of the project. I assure Deputy Ó Snodaigh and the House that I am not satisfied - quite the contrary - with the decis…

As Deputy Ó Snodaigh appreciates, I have asked Professor Niamh Brennan, John McCarthy and Margaret Cullen to ascertain once and for all what the Deputy is asking, because they are the same questions I am asking. I am not happy about this at all. I do not think anybody could possibly be happy about it. There is a big systems failure here. This is cold comfort when almost €7 million is gone, most of which cannot be retrieved. There is a big systems failure, not only in the Arts Council but also in the Department, tha…

I will take the final point Deputy Ó Snodaigh raised first. The existing system is working. It might not be great but it is working. It might be cumbersome and clunky but it is working. I will not be in favour of any further investment in ICT until, to put it in basic terms, I am assured those who are getting the investment know what they are doing. Of the €7 million spent on this, to be honest about it for the benefit of the House, I do not think any of it can be recovered, and I am being very honest. There are al…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Teachta as ucht a thoghcháin. Tá súil agam go n-éireoidh leis anseo sa Dáil ar son mhuintir Phort Láirge. Mar a dúirt mé ar ball, tuigfidh an Teachta go bhfuil cúrsaí Gaeltachta agus Gaelainne le haistriú chuig an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, sna seachtainí amach romhainn nuair a dhéanfar na horduithe cuí a shíneadh. Tá an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú), 2024, a chríochnaigh an Dara Céim i nDáil Éireann roimh ollthoghchán na bliana seo caite, curtha ar ais le déanaí le cur san áir…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Mar is eol don Chathaoirleach Gníomhach agus don Teachta Ó Snodaigh go háirithe, rinne mé a lán oibre maidir leis an gceist seo nuair a bhí mar Aire Stáit le freagracht as an nGaeltacht sa Rialtas deireanach. Tuigim cé chomh tábhachtach atá sé ach, ar an gcéad dul síos, is ceist don Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta é. Tá an-chuid oibre déanta ag Údarás na Gaeltachta agus ag an aonad i Roinn nua an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, le linn tréimhse an Rialtais dheireanai…

Tuigim an cheist atá á cur os comhair na Dála ag an Teachta ach is ceist don Roinn tithíochta ceist na dtreoirlínte ar an gcéad dul síos. Beidh na hAirí, na Teachtaí Calleary agus Browne, ag obair go luath chun an t-ábhar sin a réiteach. Mar is eol don Teachta, agus mar a dúirt mé cheana féin, tá an t-aonad atá ag obair le cúrsaí Gaeltachta agus Gaeilge imithe ó mo Roinn. Níl amhras orm go bhfuil sé an-tábhachtach don Aire, an Teachta Calleary, an t-ábhar sin a réiteach mar tá Gaeltacht ina Dháilcheantar féin i gCo…

Tá an t-ádh ar an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, mar níl aon cheist faighte agam faoi láthair trí mheán an Bhéarla. Cé go bhfuil roinnt de na ceisteanna trí mheán na Gaeilge, tá mé ag déanamh mo dhícheall na ceisteanna a phlé amach. Ar aon nós, tá scéim na mbóithre áise curtha ar fionraí le roinnt blianta anuas. Faoin scéim sin, chuirtí airgead ar fáil do na húdaráis áitiúla ar mhaithe le hobair dheisiúcháin a dhéanamh ar bhóithre cáilithe faoi leith sa Ghaeltacht. Idir an dá linn, bhí agus tá maoiniú ar fáil faoin scé…

Níl mé in ann an cheist sin a fhreagairt. B’fhéidir go mbeidh seans ag an Aire, an Teachta Calleary, an rud sin a réiteach nuair a bheidh sé ag freagairt na gceisteanna eile maidir leis an Roinn nua, a mbeidh freagracht na Gaeltachta faoina cúram. Tuigim, áfach, cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an cheist sin maidir leis na mbóithre sna ceantair Ghaeltachta mar chaith mé tréimhse sa Ghaeltacht nuair a bhí mé i m’Aire Stáit leis an Teachta Moynihan agus leis an iarTheachta Creed agus an pobal i gCorcaigh. Mar sin, tuigim …

Tuigim an cheist. Mar a dúirt mé cheana féin, tá sé soiléir sa chlár Rialtais go mbeidh an t-ábhar sin réitithe ag an Rialtas. Ar an gcéad dul síos, is ábhar é a luíonn leis an Aire nua, an Teachta Calleary, agus é ag obair leis an Roinn caiteachais phoiblí i bpróiseas an bhuiséad. B’fhéidir go mbeidh seans aige nuair a bheidh sé ag labhairt sa Dáil agus ag freagairt ceisteanna níos mó eolais a chur os comhair na Dála mar a bhaineann leis an scéim seo.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Go n-éirí leis mar Theachta Dála do Bhaile Átha Cliath. I hope he has a very enjoyable time here as a Member of the Dáil. Our Department is a member of the interdepartmental group on the report of the Dublin city task force, which is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach. This group is devising a roadmap for delivery of the recommendations contained in the task force’s report. The membership of the group includes Dublin City Council, which leads in the area of meanwhile-use in…