Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take the view that even if she were to get it half a mile, we should just nibble away at it until we get it finished. It is of strategic national importance and if we could connect Coleraine, where I was the other day and where my poor car is getting mended, all the way down the coast through Lough Neagh down to Shannon and back up the canals, it would be a fantastic facility for the island. I will not be heard complaining in any way that it is in the Minister's constituency - that just happens to be a happy coincidence in this case.

Ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Aire Stáit go bhfuil tuilleadh bunstruchtúr ag teastáil ar na hoileáin. Tá cé d'Inis Thiar ag teastáil go géar. Tá pleanáil ann don chéibh sin. B'shin an chéad chéibh amháin fágtha ag an Rialtas le déanamh. Tá an chuid eile ar fad déanta.

Níl sé sabhálta. Má théann an Aire Stáit ann i lár an gheimhridh, tuigfidh sé é sin. Beidh na tonnta cearta ar chuan na céibhe, isteach ar an gcéibh agus caithfear duine sa fharraige. Maraíodh beirt in Inis Meáin ach cuireadh cé nua ann. Ach tarlóidh tubaiste in Inis Thiar fós. Agus cuirfí an cheist ansin, "Cén fáth nuair a bhí gach rud eile déanta nach ndearna an chéim sin". Teastaíonn clár forbartha bunstruchtúr ar na hoileáin. Mar a dúradh cheana, dá mbeadh €3 milliún nó €4 milliún in aghaidh na bliana ann, dhéanfadh sé.

Luadh bád Inis Oírr. Tá fadhb ollmhór fós ann. Glacaim leis go bhfuil an bád ann ach tá muintir na n-oileán seo ag íoc i bhfad níos mó ar na ticéid ná mar atá na daoine ar aon oileán eile. Tá sé sin le feiceáil go mormhór i leith leanaí scoile ag dul go cluichí peile agus imeachtaí eile ar an mórthír. Teastaíonn sé go géar go mbeidh na ticéid ar aon phraghas leis na ticéid do na hoileáin eile. Mé féin a thug isteach an coincheap nach féadfadh an ticéad d'oileán dul ós cionn praghas áirithe. Bhí sé €8 nuair a bhí mise ann. Tá sé €10 anois. Glacaim le sin. Ach tá sé i bhfad nios mó ná sin. Tá sé €15 nó €16 ticéad fillte ar Inis Mór a cheannach, ainneoin gur as an oileán sin is mó a thagann phaisinéirí. An féidir leis an Aire Stáit a rá cén uair a lorgófar tairiscintí nua don tseirbhís aeir go dtí na trí oileán Árainn?

Can the Minister give me an assurance that, in the event that Bord Fáilte decides not to stump up the money, the Government will just take the money from somebody, including Bord Fáilte, and give the money to the project? This is Bord Fáilte spending State money and, in such cases, an agency should have the choice of something that is a keystone in the commemoration programme. Therefore, we need a simple statement by the Government that full funding will be provided, that an agency, whether Údarás na Gaeltachta or Bord Fáilte, will be given the money, and that it will be ring-fenced for Teach an Phiarsaigh. Once and for all, this should finish the uncertainty about the funding of the project.

Finally, I noticed today that there has been very little discussion about hen harriers and bog cutters. The total non-acceptance by rural people of EU regulations on habitats is a major challenge. One farmer in Connemara put it graphically when people were talking about the GLAS scheme. He said that Cromwell sent people to Connacht but at least he did not put any conditions on it. That says it all. Most rural people feel that the way the habitats directive is implemented, from Europe and in this country, inhibits people from becoming landowners and willing partners in conservation. Without the willing partnership, we will not get the desired conservation. We must think this out again and come up with a system whereby people are recognised as custodians of the national heritage. The Minister has a role to play, along with her colleague in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I was critical of the new Common Agricultural Policy because we paid lip service to high-nature farming, but when it came to-----