Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the Minister mentioned local councillor, Ms Marie Casserly, but it seems that even she is not capable of getting the Minister, his departmental officials or the MSO to see common sense. The Minister would not be happy if the MSO had any input into Powerscourt, near his home, or the Bog Meadow, which is even closer to his home, and closed amenities, ensuring that owners, not to mention tourists, could not use the facilities. The Department is kicking this out on the never-never. The MSO has been intimidating boat owners, telling them that they will be reported to An Garda Síochána and prosecuted. Are there any brains in the Department at all? People have been going to Inishmurray island for 1,500 years. They raised and sold cattle, fished and supplied food to people on the mainland. Is the Minister so bland that he cannot use leadership and common sense to instruct that office to implement a derogation until such time as a solution is found?

The Minister exemplifies the fact that Ministers are increasingly like presidents of a golf club. They get to stand in for the photograph but they have no say, nor do they want a say, in terms of directing that to which the people are entitled. This is a disgrace. The Minister should not shirk his responsibilities to the people. I hope that his good colleague, Councillor Casserly, has registered the fact that the Minister is choosing to ignore what Deputies McLoughlin, Scanlon, Kenny and I have been demanding, namely, that he stick his head out of the Pale now and again and give people that to which they are entitled.

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