Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Opposition for letting me get my breath back. Given the significant amount of funding invested in the rural development programme, a debate on how we spend that money would be worthwhile. We have not yet taken full advantage of the huge opportunities available in rural Ireland and the money will create at least 1,200 front line jobs as well as considerable spin-off employment. The programme could create confidence for the future in rural communities and a number of people have already come forward with innovative ideas.

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in rural recreation in Ireland. It is interesting to note, for example, that Bord Fáilte has indicated that the number of foreign visitors to Ireland who include walking in their activities is at a record high. Hardly a week goes by in which a group does not invite me to open a new walking route or other rural development. We have a fine countryside and many natural resources but we have not invested sufficiently in rural recreation projects which would maximise the potential of this industry.

As a Galway Deputy, the past several weeks have demonstrated the untapped potential for marine leisure activities. In the past two weeks, 600,000 people visited Galway for an amazing event. We should build on that success by developing the marine leisure sector to its full potential. There are great opportunities along our coasts to create jobs in this sector, and there is no part of Ireland too far from the coast.

Despite media reports that nobody in the Cabinet has worked in industry, I have worked in both manufacturing and services for many years. I was involved in setting up manufacturing operations and stores with limited resources and from the bottom up as the manager and first employee of a co-operative. All during this time, I explored the untapped resources of my area. This was done at a time when, according to the historians, nothing was happening. The late 1970s and early 1980s were barren years during which we were building up industries and I was not the only one at it. I know many people who started businesses in those times. They saw niches and opportunities that had not been exploited previously and established industries. I also know that they worked with the statutory agencies but I have to say the help available now far exceeds anything that was available at that time. Therefore, I believe that part of the employment fightback has to come from motivating by example, discussion and debate, opening up new sectors, having national plans for such issues as rural recreation and tourism and marine leisure, and motivating individuals to invest and develop.

The recent Volvo race in Galway was a perfect example of what statutory agencies and people with vision can achieve. We have to go along this route. Talking ourselves down all the time makes people dispirited whereas showing realistic opportunities creates sustainable employment. Many of the industries established in the 1980s survived and grew in all parts of the country. They were established by people who did not lie down when it got tough.

I fully recognise that people are hurting. I realise that it is not easy for public servants to take an effective drop in wages through the pension services levy. I particularly empathise with those who are made unemployed. To be true to those people, we have to work to restore balance in the Government finances and create employment at the same time. I am determined to maximise my resources to achieve these objectives. I know all other Ministers are working in a coherent manner in the same direction with the resources they have.

We have heard much from Fine Gael, which wants major cutbacks but it never tells us from where. Its Members come to the Estimates debates but never tell the Minister he or she is wasting money; all they ever ask is whether more could be spent on the various programmes. This is a pity. If Fine Gael really believes there are many savings to be made, it is time it spelled out where are the 5,000 they will let go from the public service. I am more aligned with the Labour Party on this issue than I am to Fine Gael. I do not know too many public servants who do not have a job of work to do. I know public servants who go way beyond the call of duty to do their work and who do an honest day's work. I know some public servants who perhaps do not perform as they should but I do not know of many jobs in the public service that are surplus to requirement. I am very anxious that if Fine Gael has a policy of letting public servants go that it spells out where all these surplus jobs are because every time there is a cutback the Fine Gael party, which wants major cutbacks, tells us not to do it.

One of the most recent interesting proposals from Fine Gael was to abolish the integrated Leader partnership companies we established throughout the country. They are stand alone companies with partnership boards and strong community representation which deliver a wide range of programmes. I agree there was a need to rationalise and we reduced the number of companies from 94 to 54. We also made the local development social inclusion programme nationwide and gave it charge of the rural social scheme and Leader companies. I would not agree with Fine Gael's proposal to abolish all of these companies, take away local empowerment and put them under the aegis of local authorities.

This is the wrong way to go. Local authorities would be better focusing on their existing areas of operation and ensuring the work they do there is done well rather then becoming so multi-functional that they become like an octopus with so many arms that it is impossible for ordinary people to interact with them and to get the community buy-in that we have in the integrated companies. However, I accept that Fine Gael is of a different view and I would be very interested in debating with its Members at committee meetings and teasing out these issues. Perhaps there is merit in their views but I cannot see it to be honest. However, I am of an open mind and if the Opposition comes up with good ideas, I am never averse to taking them as Deputies Ring and Wall know. If I disagree I will also say so. We can all learn from each other in this interaction and progress the country.

With regard to our mandate, general elections-----

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