Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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I apologise for my late arrival but I was attending another meeting. I have relieved the Chairman to enable him to attend a third meeting. Even though the witnesses are from County Kerry in the south of the country, as I entered the room they were speaking on issues I hear about on a regular basis and I am from the heart of north County Tipperary in the midlands. As for the issues to which they referred such as flooding, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy also is from the midlands and we have debated this issue as it pertains to the River Shannon and the River Brosna at committee level. It is something on which the joint committee is working. The issues are the same right across the country, as indeed is the spirit about which the witnesses speak. It is very much alive throughout all counties in rural Ireland through the GAA. I refer in particular to volunteerism and when people are in trouble in the country, the response from the community is absolutely wonderful. We all have experienced tragedies of one kind or another and the manner in which the country people rally around their neighbours and the way they respond to crises is really what the witnesses were discussing today. Every encouragement should be given to that and this is the function of this joint committee. I speak for the members of the joint committee who invited the witnesses to attend today. The clerk has taken note of all the issues the witnesses have raised and members will follow them through at committee level as they also invite other representative groups to debate these issues. Ultimately, the members will compile a report which will be forwarded to the witnesses as well.