Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht

Rural Communities: Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government

2:15 pm

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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We could also exploit the export potential of resource industries, such as the dairy, beef and extractive forestry sectors. Other options include investment in break-out industries and indigenous entrepreneurs and the potential to create 6,000 jobs in rural recreation and marine leisure. I note all the points made under the heading "Rural Recreation". When I left the Department five years ago, there were two rural recreation projects in place, including in respect of Carrauntoohil. No progress has been made in the period since. I hope the Minister of State will be able to advance that issue.

I do not believe in rural proofing. We already have a tick-box exercise for gender proofing where everyone ticks the relevant box at the end of Government memorandums. These are paper exercises and a total waste of time.

I am devastated by the inference in the Minister of State's comments to me and Senator Ó Clochartaigh that Comhar na nOileán from Inis Oírr will no longer provide the ferry service on the Aran Islands. If Comhar na nOileán does not provide this service, not only will the Government do a disservice to all the islands, but it will destroy the most vibrant wealth of the community in the whole country, namely, that on Inis Oírr.