Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise. I was discussing amendments at the finance committee meeting. I have looked at some of the paperwork already and it is interesting to see how some communities work. There are incentives there. Voluntary work is being done by amazing people around the country. Handing on the baton is another part of it. We need to get more young people involved, because no one lives forever. We have been at another committee nearby fighting for rural areas and incentives. Perhaps in some towns with vacant buildings, the stamp duty could be reduced for whoever opened the doors. There are many ways to go about it. As the Chairman said, we need a whole-of-government approach. I have said time and again, not only about small towns and villages but also rural farming communities, that we need to make sure that everything is rural-proofed and that it does not kick something when we make decisions here in Dublin.

I will not delay any further. I know there is a vote on. I am sorry I could not get into this discussion in detail, but we had a meeting with the Minister about the Cuisle centre in Donamon, which is under threat of closing, and Deputy Mattie McGrath and I also had to attend the committee meeting on the Finance Bill. My apologies.