Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

With regard to the McCarthy report, if one considers the Department's Estimate now and the Government's clear statement that it is committed to a 20 year strategy for the Irish language, one will accept that the Government did not accept the McCarthy report's recommendations on the Department and has solidified the importance of the Department in the decisions taken. I was always aware that the Government's view of the Department did not mirror the slashing proposed in the McCarthy report but we must allow these processes to go forward. Without boasting, if one examines the Department's Estimate it is in line with what happened in every other Department.

I agree with Deputy Wall's point on positivity. Last year, I created extra positions in the CSP scheme against the head and maintained them this year. I will meet the Leader companies tomorrow and I will beg them to get the money approved. I kept the administration money very tight; I cut it because I want to put the money into projects. Every euro I save in administration will go into a project. I want large projects and I want the Leader programme rolled out fast. I do not want €1,000 or €2,000 projects; I want €100,000 and €200,000 projects and community projects of €300,000, €400,000 or €500,000 so that in five or ten years people will state that something was done under the Leader programme between 2007 and 2013. Wherever we can be positive we are.

I am also working on the matter of rural recreation. I met a senior executive of Fáilte Ireland during the week to see how we can invest the wealth of resources in rural Ireland into rural recreation. The RAPID programme is extremely important and we are examining new ways of improving matters under this programme on a low cost basis. Recently, I visited DIT Kevin Street which had brought in local children. This was organised by private industry, a voluntary organisation and the third level institute at a low cost.

See this speech in context