Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I too believe that John Hume has earned a special place not only in Irish history but in the hearts of people of all traditions on this island. Not only did he display courage at an horrific time but the vision and confidence he displayed kept hope alive in the hearts of the people that a resolution to our problems could be found.

I ask the Leader to invite to the House the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, to discuss the decision of the Government to improve local and community development programmes, which would also give us a particular opportunity to discuss issues regarding rural Ireland. Many issues, such as decentralisation and planning, impact on the programmes which are now to be implemented. We have touched on some of them before but we need an integrated discussion on the issues regarding rural Ireland. Anybody living in urban areas, particularly Dublin city, will realise that we have over-saturated some areas with amenities and industry and need to consider how we can help rural Ireland.