Mr. Fintan O'Brien:

The Leas-Chathaoirleach mentioned the false dichotomy between rural and urban. We in the Department could not agree more with that. We are fairly confident that this is reflected in Our Rural Future. We do not see it as rural or urban, or rural versus urban. When we write a rural development policy we see it as issues of national development, national well-being and national growth.

On specific questions, the Leas-Chathaoirleach mentioned the health checks. We are very conscious that we are sitting on the foundation of those Heritage Council health check programmes that were put in place. That is a key focus for the national office and the town regeneration officers at the moment.

With regard to how we are moving on with the regeneration officers on the ground, at the start there was an element of announcing the funding and then actually going through the process of recruitment. That took a while, including the setting up of the national office and setting up the town regeneration officers. Certainly we feel there is real momentum there now. There is a real engagement at local level and the town regeneration officers have basically taken the ball and started running with it, which is fantastic.

I will hand over to my colleague Mr. Andrew Forde, who deals a lot more closely and directly with the national office and the town regeneration officers through the national network, to put a bit more flesh on those bones.