Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

Is it the intention to keep this Department together as a single unit? How does the Minister go to Killarney, to Kilkenny and to where ever the tourism section of his Department will be located? How can he possibly drive to Killarney one day and go from there to Kilkenny? Is there any intention of keeping a departmental presence in Dublin?

I wish to give an example of how the Department facilitates members of the public. I know of a club which was anxious to submit an application for a grant. The closing date for submission was near and a representative of the club took the train to Killarney to deliver the application form. He told me that there was quite a number of people who had also travelled to Killarney to reach the office. It does not make much sense that in order to submit an application form, people have to take the train to Killarney. Is there no way to organise a facility in the capital city to provide advice about grants or the lodgement of application forms or whatever may be required? I appreciate that, heretofore, people in County Kerry had to travel to Dublin but, by and large, a greater volume of people from the greater Dublin area would need the advice and assistance of the section of the Department dealing with sport.

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