asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht the method of deciding whether a child speaks Irish fluently and naturally for the purposes of qualifying for the £10 grant to Irish-speaking schoolchildren; if he considers it possible for a child, coming from a non-Irish speaking home, to accquire such a degree of fluency; and, if so, if he will pay the grant to such children.

Is amalaidh a scrúdaíonn cigire scoile an dalta, agus an teaghlach más gá. Dá líofacht dá mbeadh an teanga ag dalta ní bhainfeadh an scéim leis murarbh í an Ghaeilge gnáth-theanga an teaghlaigh aige. Níl i gceist scéim de shaghas eile a thabhairt isteach.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary say——

Cuir an cheist i nGaeilge.

You will be getting them in French in two years time.

We will answer them too.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary say why this area was not designated as a Gaeltacht prior to 1967?

Is iad Fianna Fáil a chuir sa Ghaeltacht é. Nuair a bhí Fine Gael i gcumhacht d'fhág siad amach é.

Will the Parliamentary Secretary say why these people were living in this area and speaking Irish from 1939 until 1967 and it was not until 1967 that the Government got around to designating the area as a Gaeltacht?

Fágadh Gaeltacht na Mí ar lár as Ordú na Limistéirí Gaeltachta, 1956. Ní rialtas de chuid Fianna Fáil a bhí ann an uair sin: Aire agus Rúnaí Parlaiminte de chuid Fine Gael a bhí i mbun Roinn na Gaeltachta ag an am sin. Is é Rialtas Fianna Fáil a rinne ordú na mbliana 1967 a thug aitheantas oifigiúil do Ghaeltacht na Mí.

Ceist a 17.

Cuir é sin id phíopa anois agus caith é.

If this is an example of the speed with which the Fianna Fáil Government move it is no wonder the country is in the state it is in today.

Ceist a 17.

The dead hand of Fianna Fáil decended on the Gaeltacht.

(For reply to Question No. 17 see under Written Answer.)

18.

asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht if he is satisfied that there is full employment at acceptable rates of pay for those wishing to live and work in the Meath Gaeltacht area.

19.

asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht if, in view of the apparent failure of the mushroom factory project, he has any other plans to provide well paid employment in Meath Gaeltacht areas for local people who wish to live and work there.

Le do cheadsa, a Cheann Comhairle, tógfaidh mé Ceist a 18 agus Ceist a 19 le chéile.

Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil lánfhostaíocht i nGaeltacht na Mí go fóill. Dá bhrí sin leanfaidh Gaeltarra Éireann dá chuid iarrachtaí chun tionscail a bhunú ansin a thabharfaidh fostaíocht shochrach do na cainteoirí Gaeilge a bheidh á lorg. Ní foláir a thuiscint, áfach, nach mbíonn fonn ar dhaoine dul ar aghaidh le tionscal mura mbíonn siad sásta go mbeidh oibrí go leor le fáil.

An bhfuil an Rúnaí Parlaiminte ábalta a rá linn cathain a thabharfar monarcha do na daoine sin?

Céard é?

(Cur isteach.)

Labhair as Búarla.

Níor chuala mé an cheist.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary tell me when Gaeltarra Éireann will put a factory in Meath?

Ní féidir liom an Teachta a chloisint.

Ní thuigeann tú an Ghaeilge is dócha.

Tuigim idir Ghaeilge agus Béarla.

An bhfuil an Rúnaí Parlaiminte ábalta a rá liom cathain a bheidh monarcha ag Gaeltarra Éireann i nGaeltacht na Mí?

Tá Gaeltarra Éireann ag déanamh a ndíchill chun ceann a chur ann. Ní feidir liom a rá cathain ach tá siad ag déanamh a ndíchill chun ceann a chur ann.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the vacancies to which he referred in the earlier reply in relation to this question are only available for people who are teenagers or in the very early twenties and that there are no vacancies for people in the mid-thirties or older who are seeking work in the Meath Gaeltacht areas?

Ní aontaím le sin.

That is true, if the Parliamentary Secretary will look into it.

Maith go leor.

20.

asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht why the people with whom Gaeltarra Éireann intended to enter into association to establish a joint mushroom industry in the Meath Gaeltacht do not now wish to proceed with the project.

Ní dóigh liom gur cóir a iarraidh ar dhaoine príobháideacha cúiseanna a fhoilsiú i gcás mar sin.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is no female employment available in the Meath Gaeltacht? If you want to keep the men at home in the Gaeltacht you should start by keeping the women at home.

21.

asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht the amount of grants provided by Gaeltarra Éireann specifically for the training of workers in the Meath Gaeltacht; the qualifications attained as a result of such training by those involved; and the authorities by whom those qualifications have been recognised.

Is chun go mbeidh cainteorí Gaeilge in ann a gcuid oibre a dhéanamh go héifeachtach i dtionscail sa Ghaeltacht a thugann Gaeltarra Éireann deontais oiliúna. Ní dóigh liom gur cóir mioneolas a chur ar fáil in aon chás áirithe.

Who approved the qualifications which have been attained as a result of the grants given by Gaeltarra Éireann for training?

Gaeltarra Éireann a chur ar fáil iad.

Would the Parliamentary Secretary consider getting AnCO to investigate the qualifications that have been attained to ensure that they are genuine and not bogus ones?

Déanfhaidh mé é sin.