Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

I am delighted with that answer because there is a very simple rationale behind this question. It encompasses the Departments of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Minister's Department, in terms of the partnership money which was set aside for alternative enterprises in coastal communities such as Inishowen.

The Government is seeking partnership across the floor of the House. It wants us to co-operate and work together because of our serious financial situation. The reason I tabled the question for the Minister is that I respect him as a west of Ireland man who has a cognisance and relationship with rural life and landscape, in terms of how it should be worked and lived on. I need the Minister to sit down and work with the Ministers from the Departments I mentioned. We can create jobs in Donegal tomorrow morning in alternative enterprises in the marine sector. We can create jobs in the white fish sector, not for large boats but for boats under 12 metres. We can create jobs in the aquaculture sector for mussels and oysters.

The Minister knows that as he is a west of Ireland man. However, we are crippled with regulation, legislation and a lack of responsibility at an interdepartmental level. All I have seen from my year and a half as a Deputy in this House is Departments pushing from Billy to Jack and saying, "That is not our responsibility". We need to create jobs in the country. With a little foresight and communication between Departments, we can create jobs. I am sick and tired of tabling parliamentary questions——

See this speech in context