Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have not so much a question but want first to echo what Senator Walsh said and thank the witness for coming before the committee and being so open but also informatively honest in writing to tell us that he did not want to continue for the reasons he outlined, which in one way are terribly shocking but in another way are understandable. We are choked by bureaucracy to the point of inertia, jobs not getting done, obfuscation and hiding behind the language of it. What Departments are we talking about? I am sitting here now, but at one stage this committee was dealing with the beekeepers. We then had birds in the bushes, part of the arts, rural development, regional development and the Irish language. What Departments was Mr. McGuinness dealing with? That is the first question.

Will Mr. McGuinness outline the biggest choke of all in terms of bureaucracy? He mentioned turf wars and governance versus creativity. What Departments is Mr. McGuinness talking about? what does he believe our role here should be now, and would he be involved in it? Despite what Deputy Ó Cuív said, which is a brilliant idea, what would Mr. McGuinness do now?

From my knowledge of politics over the past five years, and even from writing a report, which is completely different, I believe that all roads lead to Rome. It seems to me that the most creative communities are closed down because of territory or funding, and that creativity is not even used or copied in other areas. The communities are not listened to. Will Mr. McGuinness talk about that? Did he come across a community that was doing something unique which did not get the funding or could not go forward?

How much does he believe the Minister, Deputy Ring, knows about this? Has he experience of it? He is a west of Ireland man. He has been involved in tourism and sport, both of which traverse politics and in which Mr. McGuinness plays a major part. How knowledgeable is the Minister of the choking of those areas? It is a type of put-down by Governments over creativity. Does the Minister know what Mr. McGuinness's organisation is saying? I do not know what Department we are in yet. The Chairman might inform us of the Department it would be best to contact. We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. It is literally a case of a bit of this, that and the other and whatever you are having yourself outside Tulsk. Mr. McGuinness might answer some of those questions because what he has had to say is a new sweep, so to speak. Rather than him leaving it all behind, we need him more than ever. Is Mr. McGuinness definite about the fact his contribution would be in the background? Would he be prepared to bring that experience to a new regime or does he believe that nothing will change? I am asking Mr. McGuinness to respond to what is a more general conversation.