Murchadh MacLeoid: RET: deagh rud: coma leosan a bhith a' càineadh

Published on Saturday 1 March 2008 18:37

CHAN eil dà dhòigh air. 'S e e deagh naidheachd a th' ann gu bheil na h-Eileanan an Iar gu bhi a' faighinn RET gus cuideachadh le cosgaisean carbaidean is bathar.

N e feum dha companaidhean, n e feum dha na bithtean, n e feum dha luchd-turais. Tha an naidheachd seo a' cur nan Eilean Siar ann an suidheachadh r a thaobh a bhi a' cruthachadh companaidhean is oibrichean.

Chan eil an colbh no am pipear-naidheachd seo a' riochdachadh no a' sanas son prtaidh poilitigeach sam bith. Tha leisg orm a bhi a' moladh luchd-poilitics de dhath no prtaidh sam bith. Ach rinn Stibhart MacStephein agus an sgioba aige an rud ceart an treub seo.

Tha RET a' tighinn bho na facail Beurla son Co-ionnanachd ri Prsean Rathad. 'S e a th' ann digh anns a bheil taicean-airgid gan toirt seachad ann an digh a bhios a' ciallachadh gun cosg e an aon rud dha carbad a bhi a' dol air soitheach is a bhiodh e nan danadh e an t-aon astar air rathad. Sin a' ciallachadh prsean mran nas saoire na na tiocaidean a th' againn an-drsta.

Tha e a-nis gu bhi mran nas saoire craichean a thoirt tarsainn dha na h-Eileanan Siar. N sin feum do-labhairt dha luchd-turais. Mar a tha cisean an-drsta, tha e a' cosg crr is 150 gus carbad is draibhear a chuir eadar Ulapul is Sternabhagh agus air ais. Tha sin ro dhaor. Tha mi coma d chanas feadhainn ma dheidhinn mar a thinig piseach air busaichean nan Eilean, cha dan luchd-turais - gu h-raid an fheadhainn le teaghlaichean - a' chis air na h-Eilean mura bi cr aca.

Ged nach biodh cil ann ach sin fhin, 's e rud math is feumail a bhios ann an RET. Bidh muinntir tr-mr nas denaich a dhol tarsainn ann an carbadan - bidh e a' ciallachadh gum bi iad nas denaich a dhol tarsainn anns a' chiad ite. Thig barrachd dhaoine.

Tha fios gu bheil ceistean ann. Tha fios gum bu chir an RET a thoirt a-steach dha carbadan a' dol eadar Barraigh is Uibhist a Deas. Tha fios gu bheil cuid ann a chanas nach eil na tha sin de dhiofar eadar na prsean ra agus an fheadhainn a bha rim faotainn nan ceannaichear na leabhraichean de sia tiocaidean.

Tha sin ceart. Ach bidh na prsean nas fherr na bha an fheadhainn anns na leabhraichean de tiocaidean saoire a gheibhear an-drsta. Agus cha robh na leabhraichean sin cho goireasach dhan h-uile duine, gu h-raid feadhainn nach biodh a' siubhal cho tric.

Cha thuig mi rim mhaireann an argamaid seo a chanas gum bu chir a' phrs seal a bhi ann dha muinntir na sgre a mhin is gun fheum luchd-turais is daoine eile bho taobh muigh a bhi a' pigheadh suimean nas irde. Chan eil mran dhighean ann a tha cho ifeachdach air buidheach a chuir air daoine. Tha gearanan gu ler ann bho mhuinntir nam bailtean mra gu bheil an t-airgead acasan a' dol gus coimhearsnachdan Gidhealach is Eileanach a chuideachadh. Ma gheibh iad beagan den sin air ais le a bhi a' dol air na saor-lithean dhan na h-Eileanan, chan eil cil cerr air an sin. Bithear an dchas gun caith iad beagan a bharrachd airgid anns na bithtean eileanach.

Chan eil an luchd-cinidh ga thuigse.

Nochd buill Arcaibh is Sealltainn, na Lib-Dems Liam MacArtair Is Tavish Scott a ghearan mun sgeama agus iad ag rdh gu robh e cerr nach robh an leithid a' tachairt anns na sgrean acasan.

Gl mhath. Agus tha fios gur e daoine onorach a th' annta. Ach cite an robh iadsan anns na h-ochd bliadhna a chaidh seachad nuair nach do thachair cil a thaobh seo?

Bha anns na prtaidhean a bhuineadh dha Riaghaltas na h-Alba. MacArtair mar fear-comhairleachaidh snraichte aig ministearan, is Scott na bhall-prlamaid. Bha e greis na mhinistear son cmhdhail. An dil carson nach do rinn e cil mun t-suidheachadh an uairsin?

Agus chin ball Lbarach an sgeama cuideachd, ag rdh gum biodh na h-Eileanan na b' fherr leis an sgeama a mhol iadsan gus prsean dha luchd-siubhail a thoirt a nuas - sgeama nach buaileadh air carbadan.

Ach cha bhiodh.

Chan iad cosgaisean nan tiocaid dha luchd-siubhail an trioblaid, ach cosgaisean nan carbad a chuir tarsainn.

English summary

Road Equivalent Tariff which slashes ferry prices for cars and lorries, has the potential to draw tourists and to cut the cost of living in the Western Isles. It is impossible for tourists with families to get round the Isles by car, this move will make it much more affordable for far more mainland Scots to get there and spend their cash in the shops instead of shelling out cash on ferry fares. Critics miss the point, passenger fares are not the big problem, freight and vehicle charges are.

TEACH YOURSELF GAELIC

Cus: too much

A short simple word, pronounced koos, and meaning too much as in a quantity of food, drink, money, pressure or work. A drinker might be told: Na h-l cus – nah h-awl koos – don't drink too much. A dieter might tell a host: Chan eil mi ag iarraidh cus – khan yul mee ig ee-yarr-ee koos – I don't want too much. Combine the word with fada, fad-da, meaning long – to get fada cus – fad-da koos – meaning far too much. You could say of a stressed-out colleague – tha fada cus uallach air – hah fad-da koos oo-wa-loch ur – he's under far too much pressure. Another use is with verbs. Tha an an duine sin a' dol cus ro luath – hah in din-na shin uh dol koos ro loo-hah – that man is going too fast.