Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this item for discussion. I hope the Minister is again responding on behalf of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy O'Donoghue, as I believe the matter is more relevant to that Minister.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The matter was allocated to me.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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I believe it is more relevant to tourism. An application was made to Fáilte Ireland on behalf of a voluntary organisation, which in the previous five years spent €500,000 of its money on this eco-tourism project, which complements the school curriculum very well. All schools in the neighbouring counties have expressed a keen interest in the project. There is a demand for such a project with the imminent introduction of the mandatory ecology practical projects for the junior and leaving certificate biology and geography courses. It has the capacity for cross-Border co-operation in attracting school students and other visitors from across the Border.

The grant aid sought has been fully indemnified enthusiastically by Monaghan County Council for the lifetime of the grant, which cannot be ignored. Private investors are involved and are willing to row in with a companion project to build eight ten-bed hostels there at a cost of €3 million. If the private investor believes a market exists, we cannot ignore it. We need to reconsider the project critically and objectively. The promoters are seeking fair play and due process. I wonder how we can ever develop or increase tourism in County Monaghan without projects to attract people. Tourism is currently worth about €4 billion annually, but County Monaghan gets a mere 0.25% of that. We also know that tourism is a diminishing market that is becoming more short term and tends more towards attracting people to cities.

I wonder what this BMW thing is all about, given that our region never seems to benefit from it. As Deputy Crawford pointed out, often only lip-service is paid to cross-Border projects such as those at Castle Saunderson, the Ulster Canal or the Ballybay wetlands project. The people in Fáilte Ireland seem to be untouchable and unanswerable to the democratic process.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for the opportunity to put on the record of Dáil Éireann issues relating to the Ballybay wetlands project.

The overall context of the motion is that tourism revenues and visitor numbers in counties Monaghan and Cavan are, if not the lowest, certainly among the lowest in the entire country, while there is a serious underspend on tourism projects in the BMW region with much of the funding being diverted elsewhere. It is therefore reasonable to expect that every help and assistance should be given to good and sustainable tourism projects in County Monaghan.

In my opinion, the Ballybay wetlands project is a good development with a hugely committed development association working to ensure its success. Of course my opinion — which is just an opinion — does not count, but perhaps Fáilte Ireland could take into account the opinion of others, such as the International Fund for Ireland, which has offered substantial funding for the project and Area Development Management-Combat Poverty Agency, ADM-CPA, which has provided funding for a worker for two years. It might also take account of the opinions of Monaghan County Council, which has totally indemnified the project, and of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has approved the legal agreement between Monaghan County Council and Ballybay Development Association. All those experts, groups and organisations have been willing to support the wetlands project, but Fáilte Ireland has not been able to come on board with the final piece of the jigsaw to start this worthwhile and much needed project.

I fail to understand why Fáilte Ireland will not accept the bona fides of Monaghan County Council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Perhaps the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing or perhaps the left hand is just ignoring the right hand deliberately. Whatever is happening, Ballybay wetlands project is in the middle and the project could be lost just because one agency will not take the word and assurances of another.

I am not sure what the Minister's role in the situation is, but we cannot continue to allow a community group to find itself in the middle between, on the one hand, a county council and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and, on the other, Fáilte Ireland. The community finds itself with no redress and no way out. That is just not acceptable. I do not know what the Minister can do, but someone must do something to move the situation forward.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies Connolly and Harkin for raising the issue. Senator O'Brien brought me one day to see the wetlands, but as someone who lives beside Lough Corrib and Lough Mask I was, I admit, a little bit disparaging about the lake. However, he forgave me because of the good spirit in which I made my remarks. It was a good time for the said Senator.

I have a bit of a problem tonight because the motion before us is "To discuss the funding of the Ballybay Derrvalley Wetlands Centre Project". To be honest, the matter was sent to my Department for answer because we presumed that the motion related to the application made under the Leader programme. I cannot throw any light on the application made to Fáilte Ireland. I suggest that the Deputies table a question to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism to ask why the grant has been held up.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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We wanted the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism to reply to the motion.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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My problem is that Deputies now have a copy of the speech I was going to read. They will already know the background to the projects, so I will skip the first page.

As the Deputies will know, when the Leader company in Cavan-Monaghan, the Cavan-Monaghan Rural Development Co-operative Society, evaluated the project in February 2004, it considered the project to be highly innovative and in line with the aims of the Leader programme. Clarification on the sources of the balance of funding was sought before a final recommendation to the board could be made. When the Ballybay Development Association clarified the proposal in August 2004, the amount of Leader funding sought was €65,000, out of a total cost of project of €915,000 excluding the site costs.

I understand from the local Leader company that Ballybay Development Association was at the time trying to secure additional funding for the project. The project secured €340,000 from the International Fund for Ireland but other applications for funding to the National Lottery and Fáilte Ireland were unsuccessful. The difficulties in raising additional funding for the project have meant that Cavan-Monaghan Rural Development Co-operative Society has been unable to allocate funding. The society has worked closely with Ballybay Development Association in the past on this and other projects, including the allocation of €20,000 for enhancement work in the Ballybay town environs, and it hopes to do so again.

It is open to the Leader company, subject to funds being available, to provide additional funding for the project. The development association should be able to go back to the Leader company. However, I cannot in any way influence the decision of a Leader company — the matter is its call — but that option is open to the group.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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The Minister seems to be sending the group to Leader for the full amount, but there is a vast difference in the amounts of money being requested. Leader can give only about €67,000, whereas the project is worth €800,000.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I can only suggest to the Deputy that, if he wanted to ensure that the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism replied to the motion, he should have tabled a motion to discuss Ballybay project's application to Fáilte Ireland. Had he done that, we would have known where to go looking. We were looking for a needle in a haystack and, unfortunately, we found the wrong needle.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Fáilte Ireland has not even looked at the project.