Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I have to hand it to an tAthair Micheál MacGréil and his colleagues. They refused to lie down; they preserved the line and they provided people like me and my colleagues, the Ministers for Transport and Social and Family Affairs, Deputies Dempsey and Cullen, with the opportunity to deliver on this project.

Having already spent €5 million — the sum will be fully expended by the end of the year — we have asked Iarnród Éireann to come forward with further projects relating to the preservation of the line in the CLÁR area north of Tuam so that works can continue there. This is of vital importance because the preservation of the right of way has been the key to this project, which, I have no doubt, will bring great benefits to the west in the future.

The Estimates also highlight our continued commitment to social inclusion, particularly in the form of the increased level of funding provided in respect of the drugs problem, a major scourge on society. Diversion from drugs and rehabilitation are extremely important. My Department is focused on this issue and is trying to deal with what can, at times, appear to be an intractable problem. In addition, we are bringing the local development social inclusion programme on to a new plane by extending it nationwide. In respect of Deputy P. J. Sheehan's constituency, I was lobbied by him and other Deputies and Senators over many years to extend the partnership programme to the area west of Bantry and to the Beara and Sheep's Head peninsulas. The good news is that, as far as this matter goes, the Deputy is a winner today because the local development social inclusion programme is going to be extended to the whole of west Cork. I am sure he will agree that this will prove to be of major benefit.

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