Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The Minister of State was very welcome in Mayo last week but it is a pity he did not tell me he was coming as I would have met him. A new Fianna Fáil policy over the past few years has been not to tell anybody that they are coming in. The only time we are told about a public meeting is when there is trouble. We are brought in to deal with the problem. I was glad to see the Minister of State's photograph in the local newspaper. I would have liked to have been with there with him but it did not happen. Something needs to be done about the one stop shop as Deputy Wall has outlined very well. We have many agencies in different counties. When people come to a particular agency for information they are told that it only deals with one area and not others. Many people do not understand about agencies and believe they are all the one. They feel they are getting the run around. It is important that we have the one-stop shops so that when people come into a building they can get the information in that office regardless of the information sought and they do not need to go down the street. They do not understand the difference between them.

My next question relates to the islands. We talk about the Irish language, rural areas and communities. I must say that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, has supported the islands over the years. The islands should be given their own Leader programme in the next round. It is important that they be given that recognition and support. That grant aid should be available for them to try to get more people involved in the islands to create employment and get rural development up and running in the islands. In recent years the islands have issued a number of reports and it is important that the Leader programme should include them. I hope the islands will be treated independently of the Leader programmes on the mainland.

See this speech in context