Nochtann TG4 Géarchéim Tithíochta Gaeltachta a dhiúltaíonn Fianna Fáil dul i ngleic leis – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Tá buairt tromchúiseach léirithe ag urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon, Cultúir, Turasóireachta agus Meán Shinn Féin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, maidir le torthaí de chuid Iniúchadh TG4 ar an easpa tithíochta ar fáil ar cíos sa Ghaeltacht fad is atá Airbnb ag fás as cuimse sna ceantair labhartha Gaeilge, agus chain sé Aire Tithíochta Darragh O’Brien de chuid Fhianna Fáil as diúltú dul i ngleic leis an ngéarchéim.

Dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh:

“Tá a fhios ag cách faoin ngéarchéim tithíochta ag cur isteach ar dhaoine fud fad na tíre, ach tarraingíonn an iniúchadh seo ag TG4 aird ar an éigeandáil ar leith atá ann sa Ghaeltacht is gá a aithint agus a réiteach le práinn más mian linn go dtiocfaidh pobal labhartha na Gaeilge slán.

“Cé go bhfuil na figiúirí scannalach – gur fógraíodh os cionn 100 oiread líon na dtithe atá ar fáil ar cíos go fadthéarmach mar Airbnb i rith an tsamhraidh – ach ní haon nuacht é seo do na teaghlaigh a bhfuil cónaí orthú i bpobail Gaeltachta agus dúinn atá tar éis gníomh a éilimh leis na blianta.

“Sheol Sinn Féin ár bpolasaí féin dírithe ar Thithíocht agus Pleanáil Gaeltachta sa bhliain 2022, “Ag Pleanáil don Athchóiriú”, a leag amach 10 príomh-mholtaí chun dul i ngleic leis an ngéarchéim. Bhí sé seo i measc na céad cáipéis polasaí ar leith curtha le chéile againn sa téarma Dála seo ar chúrsaí tithíochta agus pleanála, díreach toisc gur thuig muid an práinn a bhaineann leis an nGaeltacht a chosaint ón meath leanúnach.

“Tógann Plean cuimsitheach Tithíochta Shinn Féin, “Teach de do Chuid Féin”, a foilsíodh le déanaí, ar an obair seo, agus leagtar amach ann ár dtiomantas 300,000 tithe nua, príobháideach agus phoiblí, inacmhainne agus ar cíos a sheachadadh i rith an chéad téarma rialtais eile – a chuimseodh tithíocht sóisialta agus inacmhainne do Ghaeilgeoirí sa Ghaeltacht – chomh maith lenár dtiomantas daoine a chumasú tógáil ina bpobail féin, príomhéileamh ag an bhfeachtas Bánú a d’eascair ón ngéarchéim reatha sa Ghaeltacht.

“Is léir nach dtuigeann an rialtas cé chomh mór is atá géarchéim na Gaeltachta. Tá líon na gcainteoir laethúil Gaeilge sa Ghaeltacht tar éis titim sa dara daonáireamh as a chéile, agus níl ach teaghlach amháin Gaeltachta as gach cúig ag tógáil a gclainne trí Ghaeilge. Má ligeann muid do phobail Gaeltachta a bheith bánaithe, gan ach tithíocht do lucht saoire amháin agus faic do Ghaeilgeoirí áitiúla, ní mhairfidh an Ghaeltacht.

“Tá sé seo ráite agam féin agus ag Eoin Ó Broin leis an Aire Darragh O’Brien go rómhinic. Tá sé ráite freisin ag pobail Gaeltachta, oifigigh pleanála teanga, agus fiú ag údaráis áitiúil. Sheol muid an Pholasaí Tithíochta agus Pleanála Gaeltachta i 2022 mar fhreagra ar gheallúint an Aire O’Brien treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta ar leith a fhoilsiú sa bhliain 2021. Tá 2024 linn anois, agus muid fós ag fanacht. Dhiúltaigh sé freisin dár leasuithe chun riachtanais na Gaeltachta a lárnú sa Bhille Pleanála agus Forbartha.

“Léiríonn “Teach de do Chuid Féin” conas a rachadh Sinn Féin i gcomhairle le pobail agus go n-achtófar na treoirlínte pleanála Gaeltachta atá de dhíth laistigh de 12 mhí chun stop a chur le meath inár bpobail Gaeltachta agus chun tacú le fás daonra sna pobail se oar bhealach inbhuanaithe, go sóisialta, go heacnamaíoch, agus don timpeallacht. Teastaíonn gníomh ó ghéarchéim, seachas tuilleadh moilleadóireacht. Is sinne an t-aon pháirtí le plean.”

TG4 exposes a Gaeltacht Housing Crisis which Fianna Fáil refuses to address – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD

Sinn Féin Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts, Culture, Tourism and Media spokesperson, Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, has expressed grave concern at the findings of Iniúchadh TG4 on the lack of available housing for rent in the Gaeltacht alongside the proliferation of Airbnb in the Irish speaking regions, and has called out Fianna Fáil Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien for refusing to address the crisis.

Teachta Ó Snodaigh said:

“We all know about the housing crisis affecting people the length and breadth of the country, but this investigation by TG4 highlights the specific emergency which exists in the Gaeltacht and needs to be recognised and addressed with urgency if we intend for the Irish speaking community to survive.

“While the figures are shocking – that over 100 times as many Airbnbs were advertised in the Gaeltacht this summer than houses available for long-term rental – this is not news to families who live in Gaeltacht communities and those of us who have been demanding action for years.

“Sinn Féin launched our own dedicated policy on Gaeltacht Housing and Planning back in 2022, “Ag Pleanáil don Athchóiriú (Planning for Rebuilding)”, which set out 10 key recommendations to address this crisis. This was one of the first dedicated policy papers we produced this Dáil term on housing and planning, precisely because we understand the urgency of protecting the Gaeltacht from further decline.

“The comprehensive Sinn Féin Housing Plan, “A Home of Your Own”, published in recent weeks, builds on this work and sets out our commitment to delivering 300,000 new homes, private and public, affordable and to rent over the lifetime of the next government – which would include social and affordable housing for Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht – as well as our commitment to enabling people to build in their own communities, a core demand of the Bánú campaign which has emerged in response to the ongoing Gaeltacht crisis.

“The government clearly does not understand the scale of the crisis in the Gaeltacht. The number of daily Irish speakers in the Gaeltacht has fallen for two censuses in a row, and only one in five Gaeltacht families are raising their children through Irish. If we allow Gaeltacht communities to be gutted, with housing only for holiday-makers and nothing for local Irish speaking residents, the Gaeltacht will not survive.

“Both myself and Eoin Ó Broin have made this case to Minister Darragh O’Brien on countless occasions. So have Gaeltacht communities, language planning officers, and even local authorities. We launched the Gaeltacht Housing and Planning Policy in 2022 in response to Minister O’Brien’s promise to publish specific planning guidelines for the Gaeltacht in 2021. It’s 2024, and we’re still waiting. He also rejected our amendments to enshrine Gaeltacht needs in the Planning and Development Bill.

““A Home of Your Own” sets out how Sinn Féin would consult with communities and enact the necessary Gaeltacht planning guidelines within 12 months to halt population decline in our Gaeltacht communities and to support population growth in these communities in a manner that is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. Crisis demands action, not more delays. We’re the only party with a plan.