Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Is fiú a thabhairt faoi deara go dtiteann freagracht as cúrsaí tithíochta ar bhonn ginearálta ar an Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta agus nach bhfuil ach ról tánaisteach ag mo Roinn féin i mbeartas tithíochta. É sin ráite, tá soláthar tithíochta dóibh siúd atá ina gcónaí agus ag obair sa Ghaeltacht thar a bheith tábhachtach dom. Go deimhin, tá tithíocht riachtanach chun an teanga, seirbhísí, fostaíocht, fiontraíocht agus deiseanna eile sa Ghaeltacht a fhorbairt. Agus é sin san áireamh, tá céimeanna tacaíochta á dtógáil chun na críche seo. Tá an Bille um Údarás na Gaeltachta (Leasú), 2024 le tógáil ar Chéim na Tuarascála go gairid. Cé gurb é athbhunú toghchán bhord an údaráis príomhchuspóir an Bhille seo, ar mhaithe le tacú le soláthar tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht déanfar leasú sa Bhille ar alt 8 den Acht um Údarás na Gaeltachta chun cead a thabhairt don údarás talamh a dhíol le comhlacht tithíochta ceadaithe nó le húdarás tithíochta nó a dhiúscairt ar shlí eile chun tithíocht a sholáthar sa Ghaeltacht. Tá mé féin agus mo chomhghleacaí, an tAire, an Teachta Browne, ag obair go dlúth lena chéile ar an gceist seo lenár gcuid oifigeach agus tá obair shuntasach déanta ag an Roinn ag forbairt ráiteas pleanála náisiúnta don Ghaeltacht. Tá sé beartaithe go bhfoilseofar an ráiteas pleanála náisiúnta don Ghaeltacht sa chéad leath de 2027 ach beidh sé ag tarlú roimhe sin. I bplean tithíochta an Rialtais a fhoilsíodh le déanaí, gealltar an ráiteas a fhoilsiú agus moltar scrúdú a dhéanamh ar fhéidearthachtaí Údarás na Gaeltachta oibriú le hUisce Éireann agus le húdaráis áitiúla chun tacú le tithíocht a thógáil do phobail labhartha na Gaeilge. Reáchtáil mé cruinniú le gairid idir Údarás na Gaeltachta agus Uisce Éireann chun a chinntiú go ndéanfar dul chun cinn gan dua maidir leis an fhéidearthacht seo a scrúdú. Is fiú a nótáil go bhfuil obair thábhachtach ar bun ag Údarás na Gaeltachta chun fostaíocht a chur ar fáil do phobal na Gaeltachta. Ní bheadh sé cuí béim agus fócas na heagraíochta i gcomhlíonadh an róil sin a laghdú. Beidh ról tánaisteach ach tábhachtach ag Údarás na Gaeltachta maidir le soláthar tithíochta sa Ghaeltacht i dteannta ról na Roinne Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta agus go háirithe ról na n-údarás áitiúla.

Sentiment score: -0.16

Aontaím leis an Teachta. Tá an obair sin ar siúl. Bhí cruinniú agam le príomhfheidhmeannach an údaráis. Tá liosta déanta agus tá muid ag déanamh oibre ar an liosta sin faoi shuíomhanna cosúil leis sin. Níl sé chomh éasca sin, áfach. I roinnt de na suíomhanna sin, tá cúrsaí séarachais agus uisce réasúnta láidir, ach níl aon seirbhísí i suíomhanna eile. Maidir le ceadúnais pleanála sa Ghaeltacht, i mbliana, bhí 53 teach nua ceadaithe as 62 iarratas i nGaeltacht na Gaillimhe. I nGaeltacht Mhaigh Eo, sa bhliain seo, bhí 25 iarratas agus gan aon teach diúltaithe. I nGaeltacht Phort Láirge, i nDáilcheantar an Teachta McGuinness, níor diúltaíodh aon cheann as trí iarratas go fóill. Anuraidh, bhí 25 iarratas ceadaithe sa Ghaeltacht sinn agus diúltaíodh dhá iarratas. Tá a lán oibre ar siúl. Tá daoine ag iarraidh a rá nach bhfuil aon rud ag tarlú ach tá a lán rudaí ag tarlú. Ag féachaint ar na deontais le haghaidh na dtithe folmha, tá rudaí ar siúl ansin freisin. Tá obair le déanamh againn leis an údarás agus tá muid ag déanamh na hoibre sin sula dtiocfaidh an Bille os comhair na Dála, rud a tharlóidh roimh an samhradh.

Sentiment score: -0.22

Tá muid go léir le chéile air seo. Is é sin an fáth nach ndeachaigh muid i gcoinne an rúin mar tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil guth láidir sa Dáil seo faoi thithíocht sa Ghaeltacht. Tá muid ag oibriú uirthi. Tá a lán freagraí ann, agus tá sé sin tábhachtach. Bhí cruinnithe agam leis na príomhfheidhmeannaigh sna húdaráis áitiúla. Chuir mé brú orthu agus chuir mé an scéal seo os a gcomhair leis na sonraí sin a fháil. Déanfaidh mé obair eile maidir leis na sonraí atá leagtha amach ag an Teachta Ó Snodaigh faoi na scoileanna atá faoi bhrú sna ceantair Ghaeltachta. Déanfaidh muid staidéar air sin le feiceáil má tá suíomh in aice láimhe ina mbeidh muid in ann rudaí a dhéanamh. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go bhfuil an infreastruchtúr sin iontu, lena n-áirítear infreastruchtúr oideachais, spóirt agus saoil do dhaoine sa Ghaeltacht. Tá muid, mar Rialtas, tar éis infheistíocht mhór a chur i scoileanna. Tá muid dírithe air seo. Beidh muid i dteagmháil leis an gcoiste tar éis na Cásca mar caithfidh muid na cáilíochtaí a ligfeadh do dhuine teach a thógáil sa Ghaeltacht a phlé. Ní mór dúinn na caighdeáin teanga agus cúrsaí mar sin a phlé. Tá muid ag súil leis sin a phlé leis an gcoiste. Tá muid ag oibriú air seo. Tá muid ag oibriú go díreach agus tá mé ag cur an-bhrú ar mo chomhghleacaithe Airí.

Sentiment score: -0.24

I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this question. We are very aware of rising energy costs, which are being driven by the global uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. These are affecting everybody in society, including communities and civil society organisations. This week, the Government agreed on a €250 million package to alleviate the impact of the rise in energy costs caused by this conflict. These measures, which include measures administered my other Department, the Department of Social Protection, will assist those most in need of financial support. As regards the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, significant levels of financial support are currently being provided by Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to community organisations under a number of different programmes and schemes. With a budget estimate for the Department totalling €611 million, funding of €260 million is available for community development programmes in 2026. A particular focus of community development is to support marginalised and disadvantaged communities and those who are most likely to be hit hardest by rising energy costs. An allocation of €74 million is being provided to the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and other social inclusion measures in 2026. The community services programme, CSP, currently supports the delivery of 445 local services via 426 organisations, and we have announced new funding for CSP this year. The scheme to support national organisations, SSNO, currently provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of 82 organisations that address poverty, social exclusion and promote equality. The local enhancement programme, LEP, is providing small grants to community groups to enhance their facilities, with supports available to community centres, local development associations, social clubs, senior citizen groups, men’s and women’s sheds. The financial package introduced by the Government will reduce the pressure being experienced by households and communities. At present we do not have any plans at present to introduce additional funding supports for community and voluntary organisations but we continue to monitor the situation very closely.

Sentiment score: 0.15

There was consensus on the vote and Sinn Féin was the only party to oppose the reduction in excise duty. Every other party in the House supported it. A total of 467,204 people will get fuel allowance and there is an extension of four weeks. That is an investment of €71 million. The majority of the recipients of the fuel allowance payment live in rural counties. That is €152. My understanding, which I will clarify for the Deputy, is that it will be paid weekly. We want to get it to people as quickly as possible. That €152 extra will make a difference and will bring in fuel allowance season right to the week ending 1 May. There was a €5 increase this year as well. For the first time, just under 50,000 families in receipt of the working family payment will also get the fuel allowance. Again, the working family payment is right across the country, including in rural Ireland. We have said we will keep the position under review. Were we to adopt Sinn Féin's position and react to every crisis by throwing cash at it, we would not have the capacity to deliver, keep things under review and put further investments in if this situation in the Middle East continues.

Sentiment score: 0.08

In relation to the LEADER companies, I assure the Deputy that they have substantial administration budgets. We are working with them closely to make sure they invest it. As I said, we continue to monitor the position and we will continue to do that. We can do that because we have a strong economy. We can do that because we have made decisions that are sensible and evidence-based over many years. The €250 million investment is one of the biggest in Europe when we look at what is happening in the UK where they have invested, I think, £35 million. This gives us a sense that we are doing this in a targeted way. Those 467,000 people are families on fuel allowance, and this makes a big difference to those families. For the first time, fuel allowance has been extended to working families. They are spread right across the country, in rural areas and in cities, and this is making an immediate difference. Our economic policies that are focused and ambitious mean we are in a position to put €250 million in at this point. We continue to keep the position under review. The Deputy’s party’s position is to throw money at everything. Were we to follow that position, we would not have the resources available that we have now.

Sentiment score: 0.14