Ghuí Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, urlabhraí Gaeilge, Gaeltachta, Ealaíon agus Cultúir Shinn Féin agus Cathaoirleach ar Chomhchoiste Oireachtais na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus Phobail Labhartha na Gaeilge, gach rath ar chainéil nua Cúla4 agus TG4+1 agus ghabh sé comhghairdeas thar cheann a pháirtí le TG4 as an éacht atá bainte amach acu.
Dúirt an Teachta Ó Snodaigh:
“Léiríonn TG4 arís agus arís eile gur féidir éacht i ndiaidh éacht a bhaint amach ar bheagán maoiniú i gcomparáid le RTÉ nó fiú a mhacasamhal sa Bhreatain Bheag, S4C. Ar lámh amháin, tá ceacht le foghlaim ag RTÉ ón deá-shampla seo, ach ar an lámh eile caithfear a shamhlú cad a bheadh TG4 in ann a dhéanamh dá mbeadh cothrom na Féinne taispeánta dóibh sa bhuiséad.
“Tá Sinn Féin ar bís go mbeidh cainéal iomlán teilifíse anois ar fáil don aos óg amháin trí mheán na Gaeilge. Cabhróidh sé seo go mór le teaghlaigh atá ag iarraidh clainne a thógáil trí Ghaeilge, le scoileanna lánGhaeilge agus Gaeltachta, chomh maith leis an dream óg iad féin a bhainfidh taitneamh agus tairbhe as na cláracha suimiúla, spreagúla, cruthaitheacha.
“Cuirfidh TG4+1 go mór freisin leis na deiseanna atá ag daoine teacht ar na sárshaothair atá á craoladh ag craoltóir náisiúnta na Gaeilge, idir scannáin, cláir faisnéise, cláir spóirt agus cúrsaí reatha.
“Tréaslaím le foireann go léir TG4 as na cainéil seo a sheachadadh. Tá ardchaighdeán craoltóireachta TG4 aitheanta go foirleathan, agus beidh muid go léir ag súil go mór leis an aschur nua a fheiceáil go luath ar thrí chainéal an ghrúpa.
“Ré nua atá ann don Ghaeilge ar an teilifís agus don aos óg. Ba chóir don rialtas an deis seo a thapadh chun borradh a chur le húsáid na Gaeilge sna meáin – táimid fós ag fanacht ar stáisiún raidió náisiúnta don dream óg mar shampla, mar atá geallta le fada, agus tá an teanga anois san iomaíocht ar ardáin nua craoltóireachta san fhís-sruthú agus ar líne.
“Impím ar an Aire Turasóireachta, Cultúir, Ealaíon, Gaeltachta, Spóirt agus Meán Catherine Martin an maoiniú cuí a chinntiú do TG4 ionas go mbeidh siad in ann a’ mhéid agus is féidir a dhéanamh leis na stáisiúin nua seo agus freastal ar lucht labhartha agus lucht foghlama na Gaeilge agus ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta uile.
‘A New Era for Gaeilge on TV: Sinn Féin congratulates TG4 as they launch Cúla4 and TG4+1 – Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD
Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD, Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts and Culture and Cathaoirleach of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish Speaking Community, wished the new channels Cúla4 and TG4+1 every success and issued congratulations on behalf of his party to TG4 on this achievement.
Teachta Ó Snodaigh said:
“TG4 demonstrates again and again that achievement after achievement can be attained on little funding compared with RTÉ or even their Welsh counterparts S4C. On the one hand, there is a lesson to be learned by RTÉ from their good example, but on the other hand we must imagine what TG4 could do if they were given fair treatment in the budget.
“Sinn Féin is delighted that there will now be an entire TV channel just for young people through the medium of Irish. This will greatly assist parents who want to raise their children through Irish, with Irish medium and Gaeltacht schools, as well as with young people themselves who will both enjoy and benefit from the interesting, inspiring and creative programming.
“TG4+1 will also greatly add to the opportunities people will have to engage with the superb work being broadcast by the national Irish language broadcaster, from films to documentaries, sports and current affairs.
“I commend the entire team at TG4 for delivering these channels. The high quality of broadcasting by TG4 is recognised far and wide, and we will be very much looking forward to seeing the new output soon on the group’s three channels.
“This is a new era for the Irish language on television and for young people. The Government should seize this opportunity to grow the use of Irish in media – we are still waiting for a national youth radio station for example, as has long been promised, and the language is now competing on new broadcasting platforms in terms of video-streaming and online.
“I call on Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin to guarantee appropriate funding for TG4 so that they can make the most of these new stations to unleash their potential and serve the Irish speaking and learner communities and on all the people of the Gaeltacht.”
