Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thought I had a grasp of the English language. I appreciate the Minister is doing his best but the new Department was to set up this co-ordinating unit. Whoever wrote that reply can go back and look at the paragraph in the programme for Government which states "within the new Department of ... Regional Development and Rural Affairs ..., we will task a coordinating unit to work with communities to develop co-operative structures". It is set out in black and white. Looking at a co-operative way forward is a laudable aim and a specific unit within the Minister's Department was to lead it. If I know anything from sitting on the Committee of Public Accounts it is that if there is no chain of command and responsibility, then nothing happens.

Has the idea of this unit been abandoned now? That is a simple question and I ask it in the context of impact assessment. For example, had an impact assessment been done on the issues pertaining to the recent post office closures? That is straying a bit from my question, so I will stick with my question. Has the new unit been abandoned? Is the Minister not going ahead with that?

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