Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

341 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 342Dormant Accounts Fund.26. Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Community,Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when thenext round of grants from the dormant accountsfund will be allocated; and if he will make a statementon the matter. [5803/05]Minister of State at the Department of Community,Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Mr. N.Ahern): Decisions on the disbursement of fundsfrom dormant accounts moneys are currently amatter for the Dormant Accounts Fund DisbursementsBoard, an independent body establishedunder the Dormant Accounts Acts. Theboard engaged Area Development ManagementLimited, ADM, to administer the initial round offunding on its behalf.In June 2004, the Government announced anincrease in the overall amount that the DormantAccounts Fund Disbursements Board may spendfrom \30 million to \60 million under this initialround of funding. To date the board hasapproved 420 projects for funding totallingapproximately \42 million. Over the comingweeks further allocations will be made by theboard up to a total figure of \60 million. In thisregard, I understand that the board at its meetingtoday considered a number of further applicationsrecommended for funding.The Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Bill2004 was published on 24 June 2004 fulfilling acommitment given by Government in December2003 following its review of arrangements inrelation to dormant accounts funding. The Bill iscurrently before the Oireachtas.Forbairt na Gaeilge.27. D’fhiafraigh Mr. Sargent den Aire GnóthaíPobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta an ndéanfaidh sécur síos ar thionchar na rialachán a rinne sé abhaineann le comharthaí bóithre, fógairtí béil,stáiseanóireacht agus le fógraí i gcoitinne, agus anbhfuil feabhas suntasach ar mhéid agus ar chaighdeánna Gaeilge a bhíonn le feiscint mar a raibhsé ag súil leis. [5786/05]Minister for Community, Rural and GaeltachtAffairs (Éamon Ó Cuív): Mar a thug mé le fios ibhfreagra ar Cheist Dála Uimh. 79 ar 14 Nollaig2004, tá mo Roinnse ag obair, i gcomhar le hOifigan Dréachtóra Parlaiminte, ar dhréacht de naRialacháin a dhéanfar faoi Alt 9(1) d’Acht nadTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003. Tuigfidh an Teachtanach mór do mo Roinn-se, mar chuid lárnach donphróiseas, dul i gcomhairle le Ranna Rialtais eilemaidir leis an ábhar seo sula gcuirfidh mé na Rialacháini bhfeidhm. Ó tharla gur rialacháin cuimsitheachaa bhaineann le hábhair éagsúla atá igceist, níl i gceist agam teora ama sonrach a lualeis an bpróiseas comhcomhairle seo. Tá sé marsprioc agam, áfach, go mbeidh na Rialacháindéanta roimh lár na bliana reatha agus tá súilagam go gcloífear leis sin.Cé nach féidir liom mionsionraí a tabhairt godtí go mbeidh na Rialacháin déanta, is féidir liomarágo bhfuil dhá bhunphrionsabal lárnacha sacheist seo. Tá sé i gceist agam go mbeidh roghaidir Ghaeilge, nó Gaeilge agus Béarla, a úsáid. Níbheith an triú rogha — Béarla amháin — dlíthiúilníos mó. Beidh forálacha ar leith ag baint leis annGaeltacht. An dara rud ná go gcaithfidh anGhaeilge a bheith ar a laghad ar chomh-thaispeántachtleis an mBéarla ar aon chomhartha sachás go roghnófar an dá theanga oifigiúilaúsáid.Question No. 28 answered with QuestionNo. 10.Question No. 29 answered with QuestionNo. 7.Question No. 30 answered with QuestionNo. 18.Question No. 31 answered with QuestionNo. 10.Oileáin amach ón gCósta.32. D’fhiafraigh Mr. McGinley den Aire GnóthaíPobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta cad é an dulchun cinn atá déanta maidir le haer-stráice a churar fáil ar Oileán Thoraí, agus an ndéanfaidh seráiteas ina thaobh. [5817/05]Minister for Community, Rural and GaeltachtAffairs (Éamon Ó Cuív): Faoi mar is eol donTeachta, le cúpla bliain anuas tá Údarás na Gaeltachtai mbun oibre réamh-phleanála i gcomhairaerstráice ar Oileán Thoraí. Ag eascairt ón obairseo, fuarthas Cead Pleanála ó Comhairle ChontaeDhún na nGall i leith thógáil an aerstráice seo.Chun an togra seo a bhrú ar aghaidh, d’iarr moRoinn anuraidh ar an Údarás dul ar aghaidh lecuardach ar an suíomh don fhorbairt ar mhaithele húinéirí na talún a aimsiú. Ach an obair seo abheith críochnaithe, déanfar cinneadh maidir leisan ngá le hOrduithe Ceannacháin Éigeantaigh achur i bhfeidhm ar an talamh don togra.Decentralisation Programme.33. Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Community,Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if any newinformation is available to him in regard toadditional applications through the central applicationsfacility for posts in his Department to betransferred to new locations under the Government’sdecentralisation plan; and if he will makea statement on the matter. [5810/05]Minister for Community, Rural and GaeltachtAffairs (Éamon Ó Cuív): My Department hasreceived information from the central applicationsfacility, CAF, on a number of occasionssince September 2004.The information received relates to numbers ofcivil and public servants who have expressed aninterest in decentralising with my Department toKnock Airport and na Forbacha, the gradebreakdown of these numbers, the names of servingstaff in my Department who had opted tomove with my Department or who had expressed