Mr. Peter Hynes:

Yes; it is a great music house.

Let me turn to the more difficult questions. The enterprise and investment unit is not that common and we think it is unique as currently constituted. To my knowledge, other local authorities are doing similar things in slightly different ways. The common denominator among the local authorities, which forms part of Government policy and is strongly supported by us, is the notion that a whole lot more Government services should be co-ordinated through the democratically constituted local government agency and rolled out by it rather than delivered directly from the centre. That is a shared theme and is where the thinking on the enterprise and investment unit came from.

The unit comprises a number of pillars. There is the tourism and diaspora element, which we have talked to the committee about; marine and renewable energy, which is why the point about the marine resource was included in what was ostensibly a tourism presentation; inward investment, which my colleague Ms Grehan will speak about; and microenterprise support, which is also part of Ms Grehan's brief in her official day job as CEO of the Mayo County Enterprise Board. We will move into that space as LEOs are rolled out nationwide. Ms Grehan will also deal with the question of key performance indicators.

With regard to the question on stand-alone companies, we had one called Mayo Naturally in the 1990s. Among its successes was the Mayo 5000 celebration concert in 1993, which led directly to the performance of Riverdance as the interval act at the Millstreet Eurovision Song Contest, because that was the first time its dancers and musicians came together. Sometimes there are unforeseen consequences. At present we are examining the future of the limited guarantee company. We will either stand it down and put the work back into the enterprise and investment unit or use it as a vehicle for the present enterprise and investment unit. The jury is out as we speak.

The most difficult question was on pylons, wind turbines and fracking. The council has tried to get a little ahead of the posse by developing a renewable energy strategy. It categorises areas of the county where turbines are welcome or not welcome and identifies difficult areas, and a consensus has been reached. I accept that the consensus will last until it is tested, when applications are received. The first two applications are going through the works as we speak and the consensus seems to be holding. Some areas have made it very clear that they do not want turbines. Pylons are a little more difficult because they provide power, which must be provided. The advice we have at present is that the project cannot be undergrounded. We understand that information to be correct. As a consequence we must choose either industry and jobs or preservation of the environment and emigration. The answer to the question requires a very large democratic decision which is way above my pay grade. It is a contentious and sensitive issue.

The county council is no expert on fracking but we know that fracking when properly managed, which is the consensus of the UK study, it will not and should not cause environmental damage. Unless a concerted opposition campaign to fracking takes place then fracking should not detract from the tourism product in perception terms. There is a danger that a backlash and opposition, regardless of the environmental impact, will damage and tarnish the image of the country. I am worried about the issue as we move forward.