Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Ó Cuív, to the House in view of the fact that during the week Teagasc, at its seminar in the midlands on rural development and rural decline, indicated the serious situation in regard to agriculture and the declining income from agriculture. In the 1990s, 14% of the population was solely dependent on an income from agriculture. This has fallen to just 5% since 2002. The Minister is responsible for rural development but he has done nothing other than administer slush funds in his own constituency. He has failed to indicate any policy to stem the flow out of agriculture. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to the House to outline his policy on support for rural populations and agriculture before it is too late. In County Galway, the pilot study area, there was a serious decline in population and we must tackle this.