Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for facilitating our request. Before calling other speakers, I have one or two questions. In her opening statement, the Minister of State mentioned the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA, report, and I have a couple of questions about it. What is the most challenging issue in implementing the report's recommendations? With the announcement from Bus Éireann, for example, in recent days, is there much co-operation at an interdepartmental level for the issues which are the responsibility of the Minister of State? Would one arm of the State, for example, make a decision that might militate against her objectives as Minister of State with responsibility for rural affairs? This is important as one of the main recommendations of CEDRA was the creation of that ministerial responsibility. People are mindful of tight resources and the consequences of the economic crash. There was generally a warm welcome for the Minister of State's appointment, particularly given her interest in many of the matters we have discussed here. I know the Minister of State as a colleague, and she pursued those matters with great vigour before her elevation to a ministerial position. That recommendation from CEDRA was very well received in my area in west Cork.

The questions concern the challenges facing the implementation of CEDRA and the state of interdepartmental support, bearing in mind the different arms of the State, including public transport and broadband. How realistic are the levels of assistance and how are these groups working to help the Minister of State achieve her aims in the Department?