Mr. Mickey Brady:

Just a couple of things. Obviously we have the overhead renewal in those areas where people are in abject need. That is being changed from next April through a vote of councils so we live in hope to see how that will pan out. Just a couple of points. Because one comes from Portadown one had the Dickson plan and fortunately one's children did not have to go through the 11 plus. When I did the 11 plus, that was supposed to be the last year of it but my class did an experiment with us. We had the same teacher for four years, a Christian brother. There were 43 in the class and we all passed the 11 plus, mainly through fear, probably, and some through effort. The point I am making is that 50 years later we are still arguing about it. Instead of doing one examination, many children are doing five which, I think, is an absolute disgrace, but that is beside the point. One of the issues Deputy Smith mentioned in terms of young people is integration and trying to get together. Sport can be a way of doing that. A couple of weeks ago I was out in Newry Rugby club. When I was growing up rule 27 in the GAA was still in place. One could not even look at soccer, rugby, foreign sports and so on. Interestingly when I was growing up rugby was a middle class Protestant game in the Six Counties. When I went out to that club there were about 60 or 70 young people, boys and girls, all at different levels, being given very good sporting activities and the opportunity to integrate yet it is struggling for funding.