Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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It is an extremely rich Department that includes heritage, arts, the Gaeltacht, the Irish language and North-South co-operation. A huge range of activities is involved. In that sense the Department is decentralised given the range of activities in which it is engaged throughout the country.

I wish to inquire about a couple of issues raised in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. I note that €8.6 million was transferred to the fixed asset register for airstrips. That seems strange for the Department, but I presume it relates to the Gaeltacht area. Could Mr. Hamill provide clarification on the background to the expenditure and why the airstrips were required?