Léirigh urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, a iontas ar maidin faoi chinneadh glactha ag an Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán ceist faoi ról a Roinn sna treoirlíntí Gaeltachta a shéanadh agus a sheoladh chuig an Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta.

Dúirt Ó Snodaigh:

“B’ait liom nach raibh Roinn na Gaeltachta sásta mo cheist a fhreagairt.

“Ceist sonrach a bhí ann, bunaithe ar an méid atá ráite ag an Aire Darragh O’Brien, nach bhfuil na treoirlínte pleanála don Ghaeltacht réidh toisc go bhfuil sé ag fanacht ar eolas ar ais ón Rannóg Gaeltachta de Roinn Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán ag an tAire Catherine Martin.

“Thriail mé fáil amach cad ba chúis leis an moill i Roinn na Gaeltachta, ach ina áit glacadh leis an cheist le bheith freagraithe ag an Aire Martin and tseachtain seo chugainn sa Dáil, diúltaíodh dó agus sheoladh chuig an Aire Darragh O’Brien é chun freagra a thabhairt arís an seachtain seo chugainn.

“Chun a fhiafraí den Aire Turasóireachta; Cultúir; Ealaíon; Gaeltachta; Spóirt agus Meán cad is cúis leis an moill ar an eolas a theastaíonn ón Aire Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta a fháil ó Roinn na Gaeltachta chun na treoirlínte pleanála geallta a fhoilsiú; cathain a bheidh sé curtha ar fáil aici dó; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh.

“Chun a fhiafraí den Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán cur síos a dhéanamh ar an ról atá, má tá, ag a Roinn in ullmhúcháin do threoirlínte maidir le cúrsaí pleanála sa Ghaeltacht, agus ar labhair sí féin nó Rannóg na Gaeltachta le haon eagrais Gaeilge nó Gaeltachta maidir leo.

“Tá muintir na Gaeltachta tar éis fanacht beagnach dhá bliain ar na treoirlínte seo ó d’fhógair an Aire O’Brien go foilseofar iad. Níl muintir na Gaeltachta in ann tithe a thógáil ina gceantair féin toisc nach bhfuil na treoirlínte ann, rud atá ag brú daoine óga agus teaghlaigh ón Ghaeltacht, agus ag cur leis an meath teanga inti.

“Seachas a bheith ag imirt ‘pass the parcel’ lena ndualgas an Ghaeltacht a chosaint, ba chóir go mbeadh an tAire Martin agus an tAire O’Brien ag obair le chéile chun gníomhú de réir a mbriathar – agus na treoirlínte a fhoilsiú gan mhoill.

“Léiríonn polasaí foilsithe ag Sinn Féin conas deileáil leis an gceist seo, agus dá mbeadh an Rialtas dáiríre faoi bheadh na moltaí againn curtha i bhfeidhm faoin am seo.

Ministers playing ‘pass the parcel’ with Gaeltacht planning guidelines – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, expressed his surprise this morning at the decision taken by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to refuse a question on her Department’s role in Gaeltacht guidelines and to instead send it to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Ó Snodaigh said:

“It strikes me as bizarre that the Department of the Gaeltacht was not happy to answer my question.

“This was a specific question, based on what Minister Darragh O’Brien had to say, that the Gaeltacht planning guidelines are not ready because he’s waiting for information back from Rannóg Gaeltachta of Minister Catherine Martin’s Department for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.

“I tried finding out what was the reason behind the delay in the Department of the Gaeltacht, but instead of accepting the question for reply by Minister Catherine Martin in the Dáil next week it was refused and instead forwarded to Minister Darragh O’Brien for reply again next week.

“Gaeltacht people are after waiting over two years on these guidelines since Minister O’Brien announced he would publish them. People in the Gaeltacht can’t build homes in their own areas because of the lack of guidelines, which is pushing young people and families out of the Gaeltacht, making the language decline worse.

“Instead of playing pass the parcel with their responsibility to protect the Gaeltacht, Ministers Martin and O’Brien should be working together to put their words into action and to publish the guidelines without delay.

“Sinn Féin’s published policy demonstrates how to address this question, and if the Government were serious about it, they would have implemented our proposals by now.”

CRÍOCH/ENDS