Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. The sub-committee will proceed to consider the Estimate programme by programme, with each programme to be considered under the headings of its context and impact indicators, key outputs, financial and human resource inputs and the allocation and targets for 2015. Administration costs will be considered under these headings when each of the programme areas has been disposed of.

I am sure there will be plenty of questions, as the Minister's opening statement covered a great deal. Before handing over to members, I will confine myself to two questions.

On the storm damage to which the Minister referred, I come from a part of the country that was heavily affected. This issue cuts across a number of Departments, including the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Environment, Community and Local Government and Agriculture, Food and the Marine. They all are connected in another way in that I met a group of farmers whose access to their farms was affected because of the damage done to local improvement scheme roads to their farms which were washed away. Will local authorities have flexibility, in respect of the funding the Department allocates to them, to attend to these issues to provide access for the farmers affected to allow them to continue to earn their livelihoods? That is the best way I can put it.

Second, the Minister mentioned the Rugby World Cup and its importance to the country. I invite him to outline the current position in this regard. While I acknowledge we are still in the early stages, it will entail a lot of forward planning.

After the Minister responds to these two questions, I will hand over to members straightaway.