Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

Although I welcome the announcements about the CLÁR programme, I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, to come into the House for a discussion, as was done last year, because there is a feeling among community groups nationally that there is no transparent mechanism for obtaining funding from the programme. This is quite a worry, especially as it as one of the briefs for which the Government has money to spend. We need transparency. Will the Leader reinvite the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, to ask him what mechanism he proposes for the transparent drawing down of funding?

If there is no confidence in the CLÁR programme, it will have a knock-on effect on the INTERREG IIIA programme. The Minister has responsibility for a sum of €9.59 million for priority 3 of that programme but if there is no confidence in the CLÁR draw-down, there will be a deterioration of confidence in the INTERREG IIIA programme. Will the Leader use her influence to bring the Minister to the House to discuss the matter?