James Bannon (Fine Gael)

Some time ago I called on the Leader to invite the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to the House for a debate on the BMW mid-term review. According to that document, there was an underspend of €680 million in the BMW region because of bureaucracy and red tape. The debate should include discussion on rural development and rural infrastructure. It is important to promote economic growth in rural areas. This is an urgent matter because time is running out if we are to spend this money. Perhaps the Leader will consider inviting the Minister to the House.

A typical example——