It’s time to restore Údarás elections as we promised in manifesto – Aindrias Moynihan
FIANNA Fáil TD Aindrias Moynihan has said that he wants to see Gaeltacht people choosing their own representatives to sit on the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta.
The Cork North West TD was speaking on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta’s morning show, Adhmhaidin, when he made the call for the restoration of elections for members of the Údarás na Gaeltachta board.
“I would like to see members of the Údarás board chosen by local Gaeltacht people,” he said.
While this was a manifesto pledge in the Fianna Fáil pre election document, it was not included in the Programme for Government agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party. Since Údarás na Gaeltachta was established as a Gaeltacht development agency forty years ago in 1980, at least half of the board members were elected by Gaeltacht voters once every five years.
The other board members were nominated by the sitting Gaeltacht Minister. This system was replaced in 2012 with a mechanism whereby county councils with Gaeltacht areas would nominate a representative to sit on the board of the Údarás. Smaller Gaeltachtaí, including Múscraí and Oileán Cléire in Cork; An Rinn in Waterford and Ráth Chairn in County Meath nominate representatives to sit in rotation on the board, meaning they get to represent their smaller Gaeltach for two years out of every six. Additional members and the Chairperson would be nominated by the Minister.
Pressure to restore the Údarás elections has been mounting for a number of years as there is a great sense of dissatisfaction with the current system, particularly in the smaller Gaeltachtaí with rotating representation.
It remains to be seen whether this can be achieved with Catherine Martin of the Green Party as senior Gaeltacht Minister and Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers appointed just this week to the Junior role.