Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)

I spoke to the Minister of State about some of the questions that were referred from his Department to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, but I did not realise that the oral question was also bisected. In my original question, I asked him if the €150 million community development fund promised in the programme for Government has yet been established, what was the total amount paid out to date from the fund, as well as the total amount paid out in the current year. However, that was deducted in transit and I hope the Minister of State can look at that as he has done for the other questions that were transferred.

The programme for Government determined that a number of things would be done to establish a vibrant rural community. Among those was the establishment of a community and development agency as a one stop shop for advice on grant supports, business opportunities and training and development to manage grant spending under new EU funding for rural development. It would conduct an enterprise audit to review the use of existing and redundant agricultural buildings and manufacturing plants in rural areas. In tandem with Fáilte Ireland, the Leader programme, agricultural associations, county enterprise boards and rural tourism operators, it would devise a new plan for farm-based rural tourism, including the development of farm-based niche visitor attractions.

How far advanced is that programme? There remains much work to be done on the proposals for farmers seeking to use their extra facilities or for rural groups that want to make applications. What has been done so far? Have any meetings taken place as was suggested in the programme for Government? Was an enterprise audit carried out? Is there a one-stop shop in place? What has been done to implement the major programme to promote rural countryside recreation? This is one of the questions that I thought was applicable to the Minister of State and I am grateful to him for investigating it. However, I find it difficult to understand why the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is involved with recreation.

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