98. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Conor D. McGuinness den Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht an bhfeiceann sé acmhainn i bhforbairt líonraí nua pobail Ghaeilge agus i dtabhairt aitheantais fhoirmiúil do phobail taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht; agus an bhfuil scrúdú déanta ag a Roinn ar thacaíochtaí nó ar bhearta beartais do cheantair ina bhfuil pobail láidre Ghaeilge agus Ghaelscolaíochta. [38387/26]

Sentiment score: 0.00

If invitations to the Minister and the Minister of State are what gets things done and gets investment happening, they are both very much invited to Dungarvan, hopefully with-----

Sentiment score: 0.40

-----a load of funding to build a community centre. If it is big enough, we might even name it after the pair of them. An cheist ba mhaith liom a chur ar an Aire ná mar gheall ar phobal láidir Gaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht. Tá pobail nua ag fás ar fud na tíre, mar is eol dó, go minic bunaithe ar Ghaelscoileanna agus ar eagraíochtaí pobail. An bhfeiceann an tAire acmhainn i scéimeanna nua tacaíochta agus in aitheantas foirmiúil do phobail den chineál sin, áit a bhfuil an Ghaeilge á húsáid mar theanga phobail agus oideachais?

Sentiment score: -0.17

Aontaím leis an Aire go bhfuil an Ghaeltacht lárnach agus go bhfuil pobail Ghaeilge breá bríomhar fud fad na tíre seo ó Thuaidh agus ó Dheas. Caithfimid an Ghaeltacht a chosaint, a chothú agus a neartú. Níor cheart go mbeadh cosaint agus fás curtha i gcoinne a chéile. Tá gá le seasamh cosanta cinnte mar gheall ar an 100 bliain d’fhaillí an Stáit seo i dtaobh na Gaeilge agus na bpobal Gaeltachta. Tá gá freisin le fís fháis - fís atá uaillmhianach. Ní leor a rá go gcaithfimid an méid atá fágtha a shábháil. Caithfimid oibriú i dtreo pobal nua, líonraí nua, spásanna nua agus todhchaí níos leithne don Ghaeilge. Nílim ag déanamh glaoch inniu mar gheall ar theorainneacha na Gaeltachta a athrú nó a leathnú láithreach, ach táim ag iarraidh go mbeidh an tAire ag glacadh leis an bprionsabal go bhfuil pobail láidre Ghaelacha taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht ar fiú iad a aithint agus tacú leo. Baineann sé sin le stádas chomh maith, b’fhéidir stádas Gaeltachta nó stádas ar leith taobh leis an nGaeltacht. Táim ag smaoineamh ar na bailte seirbhíse Gaeltachta atá taobh leis an nGaeltacht, agus, i gceantair áirithe, laistigh den Ghaeltacht, agus na líonraí ó Thuaidh agus ó Dheas.

Sentiment score: -0.06

Cé go bhfuil an dualgas orainn an Ghaeltacht a chosaint agus tá an Ghaeilge rófhada faoi chosaint ar pháipéar agus faoi bhrú sa saol fíor amach ansin, tá gá anois an chéim uaillmhianach chun tosaigh a ghlacadh. Tá an-taithí agam ar na scéimeanna, na tionscadail agus na heagrais ar leith atá ag obair ar an talamh agus atá ag fás an phobail sin agus ag tacú leis an bpobal leis an nGaeilge a bheith mar theanga chumarsáide inár dteaghlaigh i mbailte, i sráidbhailte, i scoileanna agus sa phobal i gcoitinne. Caithfimid an stádas agus an t-infreastruchtúr a chur timpeall air sin ionas gur féidir linn a rá go bhfuilimid ag cosaint ár gceantair Ghaeltachta agus an fás nua seo chomh maith don todhchaí ionas gur féidir linn an Ghaeltacht - pobal mór lucht labhartha teanga na tíre seo - ní hamháin a chosaint ach a mhéadú amach anseo agus an fhís uaillmhianach sin a bheith ann. Is cinnte go mbaineann sé sin le hacmhainní, agus acmhainní sa bhreis ar an méid atá dáilte amach ag an Rialtas go dtí seo. Tá sé bainteach le cúrsaí stádais agus aitheantais chomh maith.

Sentiment score: -0.38

101. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he is familiar with the farmers' yards initiative; if he sees potential for the initiative as part of wider rural regeneration and rural enterprise development; and if he has engaged with any Government Departments or State agencies regarding its future development. [38389/26]

Sentiment score: 0.13

I ask the Minister of State about the farmers' yard initiative developed - in this country in any case - by Dr. Shane Conway and Dr. Maura Farrell, and piloted successfully in Mountbellew mart. I met recently with Dr. Shane Conway to discuss the model. It uses marts as trusted social spaces for older farmers, combining peer-to-peer support, information sharing, social contact and discussion around issues such as succession, ageing, isolation and farm life. As we discussed earlier, social isolation, particularly in rural Ireland, is reaching crisis levels, so this is a timely initiative. Is the Minister of State familiar with the initiative and does he see its potential as part of rural regeneration and rural enterprise development?

Sentiment score: 0.11

I would welcome that engagement. The strength of this initiative is that it is not asking anybody to go where they would not ordinarily go or to go outside their comfort zone. It is meeting people where they are at, where they feel comfortable and where they are turning up anyway. It is not just about isolation among older farmers; it is also about connecting younger farmers and giving people who are still farming but would love to retire a way to find somebody who might take on the enterprise. They can share skills that they have learned throughout their life. It is a critically important initiative. I welcome the Minister of State's engagement. It would be good to discuss this to see how the State and society can support it.

Sentiment score: 0.58