Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

The information provided by the Minister of State will be useful to my contribution. Preparations started in September and the outcome of the meeting to which I refer was that rural housing would be the focus.

RTE facilitated the process by placing a good spin on the issue of once-off housing in September. A few weeks later, Brian Dobson travelled to Galway to interview the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, in respect of such housing. This created momentum, expectations were heightened and people thought that there would be a relaxation of rural housing laws. Between late December and early January, a quiet time for the media, the Minister, Deputy Cullen, and rural housing were the subject of a full front page report in one of the tabloids. I do not know whether it was The Irish Times or the Irish Independent.