Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I refer to the new rural social scheme for 2,500 people announced in the budget. I welcome it but it does not go far enough to deal with rural development problems and there should be a debate on farming and rural development. Under the CAP reforms, farming and rural development will go hand in hand and it is important that we keep the portfolio under observation.

Will the Leader consider No. 17, motion 25 on the Order Paper, on fisheries? It is another portfolio that has been relegated to the second division. The location of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in County Cavan was a heavy psychological blow to fisheries. I am not being parochial but the headquarters of the fisheries sector could have been located anywhere from Killybegs to Castletownbere. The combination of the marine sector with communications eroded the democratic voice of fishermen. There must be a debate on this because we do not want the sector to be relegated to the third division.