Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

It was one of the most progressive decisions made in the interest of declining, rather than growing, rural areas. When a rural school loses its second teacher, it is inevitable that numbers will decline even further because, unless the school is on an island, parents are inclined to choose a larger school for their children and closure of the school becomes inevitable. Once an area loses its school, people do not want to settle there.

Many people are mistaken about what is being done in the health services. I do not intend turning this into a health debate. I do not expect that heart operations will be carried out in Cornamona or Clifden. However, I welcome that we will no longer have to travel to Dublin for radiotherapy services and heart operations. In that regard, there is a need for major regional centres. People do not understand a great deal of what is happening in terms of health services. The health authorities have directly funded the provision of X-ray facilities in Clifden, some 60 miles from Galway. We are now proceeding in conjunction with the CLÁR programme to put in place a similar facility in Belmullet. This will mean that those who fracture a bone will no longer have to travel to Castlebar for an X-ray. They will be able to have the bone X-rayed in Clifden, the results of which the staff will send to the hospital who in turn will contact the person regarding the prescribed treatment.

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