Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I am glad the Deputy is singing from the same hymn sheet as me and I give credit to my colleagues in the Opposition for all the support and assistance they gave in the difficult task of trying to rationalise the structures, between the Leader companies and the partnerships. They are aware from working of the huge resistance and delays put up against that process. In recent weeks, I had to tell the three umbrella bodies there used to be for the community — partnerships, planning for the earlier partnerships and Comhar Leader na hÉireann for the Leader companies — that I wanted one umbrella body and that 1 November was D-day for that. This is after nine months. I credit the Opposition with supporting this type of rationalisation. As Members are aware, the Minister of State announced recently that we will do a comhtháthú and will bring the community development programme, CDP, and the local development social inclusion programme, LDSIP, into synch because there is duplication in that area.

I am working on the question of Údarás na Gaeltachta but this is difficult because issues have arisen with which I must deal. In the longer term, we should not have both Meitheal Forbartha na Gaeltachta, MFG, and Údarás na Gaeltachta in the Gaeltacht. There should only be Údarás na Gaeltachta. I have stated this publicly and am working slowly and steadily in that direction. However, we cannot bring this type of change about overnight. People have employment rights and there are various procedures to be gone through. There must be a reasonable time for consultation. I have taken the view, with my Minister of State, that when we have gone through a reasonable period, we will have a decision day, as we have now for the umbrella bodies. Decision day for them is 1 November. I look forward to the continuing support of the Opposition when we continue with the process of rationalisation.

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