Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Yesterday's proceedings were an excellent example of the work of this House. It was a great honour to hear John Hume's contribution to the House. We were all enriched and benefited as a result of the process.

Will the Leader agree that wiser counsel should prevail in respect of the ongoing row and stand-off in Ballinamore concerning the local farming community and the Teagasc authorities? Will she agree it is now time for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to intervene in the dispute? Leitrim has suffered greatly in recent years. It is a small county, with a small population. Only recently we saw that the electoral commission wants to divide the county in two, in preference to the whole notion of balanced regional development and ensuring that facilities like the centre in Ballinamore, which I understand is a research facility for the whole region, should remain there. It is important to put on record that the farming representatives were against moving from Ballinamore. They made that point known vociferously and repeatedly when Teagasc made the decision. There is an argument here for balanced regional development and for ensuring that peripheral parts of the country, which have these services, should keep them in their community. We should support the farmers on this occasion.