Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State. As my party's spokesperson on agriculture in the Seanad, I am delighted to be here.

I support the call made by my colleague, Deputy Joe O'Reilly, that we look at targets set for the regions. I come from north Leitrim. The larger regions towards the east coast are doing quite well, whereas counties such as Cavan, Leitrim and Donegal may not be doing as well. Perhaps the setting of targets for these areas would prove beneficial.

In the agri-sector, we have just seen €12.5 billion agreed over the next term. That funding will go into all of the agri-sector, which, in turn, will development more jobs. I believe approximately 26,000 of the 60,000 jobs that have been created over the past number of months are in the agri-sector, I suppose, to do with the production of food, etc., which is positive. We must keep investing in that. On part of the Pillar II programme, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, was with us in Leitrim on Friday last visiting projects that had been funded by Leitrim Development Company up to a total of €3 million. Some of those projects are ongoing and others have been finished and were officially opened. This is positive. That is the way. We have to keep going. We will see more funding going into that area.

Wind energy is controversial in some parts of the country. Certainly, along the west coast, in counties such as Leitrim, I see considerable potential to develop more wind farms because we do not have that problem of them being close to dwellings. Donegal has done quite well over the years and quite a number of wind farms have been built. There are vast areas of mountains in Mayo-north Leitrim where one could build wind farms away from where people live. This would be a significant benefit to the area, not only when they are up and producing energy but in the construction phase where we would see much work for quarries delivering on road-making, etc., when a wind farm is being developed.

I was talking to somebody at the weekend who has ten to 12 employed almost on a full-time basis who would be earning €450 to €500 a week and whose tax and deductions would be paid. He finds himself in a difficult position where he owes €15,000 in PRSI. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, is looking at all of those areas. We should look more at helping such smaller companies to assist them to keep on their employees. I note there is considerable pressure. An overdraft will have to be got to pay this and it is difficult enough to find the wages every week for his employees. There should be a little more done for those who would have that sort of a problem.