Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

He has responded to our request on the Order of Business that he come to the House. However, let us be very clear on this point. I would be extremely sad if the suggestion was that we start dismantling something that has been successful, given value for money, been in close contact with the communities being served and brought together all the interests that I mentioned — the community, local authorities, central Government and so on. It has achieved all that and in any CLÁR area where I spoke to those proactively involved, they told me that, for the first time, they can specifically identify with a policy which relates to them. The difficulty in the past with all the great and grandiose schemes we had in this country was that most of them were not poised and they were not able to avail of them. These, however, are specifically designed for them and are there to reflect what they sought.

I hope the Minister can return to us someday when there is a different atmosphere in thisHouse and we can approach this positivelyand say that, at long last, rural Ireland isgetting recognition. We see it in the rural guidelines on housing, in rural development and in so many other issues. I have attended meetings for over 35 years where I heard the finest and floweriest of rhetoric to which one could listen. We were asked what we were doing about rural Ireland, which we were told was dying. We were told that no one wanted to live there. Now people want to go back and there are schemes to help them. We are giving assets back to people and the Minister has been providing leadership.

I put this to the Senator: if he ever wants to carry out a poll in rural Ireland and ask people which political representative best enunciates their views and helps them to bring them to fruition, I guarantee him that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, will be up near the top of that poll. I would feel extremely sad if no one else had their ear to the ground to hear that being said outside. He is regarded not as an emissary from Government, but as one of their own, a person first and foremost who sharpened his teeth in community work in Connemara. He went back there and developed the co-operative system. He brought all that experience with him and was able to put it at our disposal. Anyone who can say that he can go back to the Minister for Finance and achieve a 55% increase in funding from one year to the next must certainly have been doing good work. He must also have been making a very strong case.

I would never want anyone on the other side of the House to think that I would be personal. I will never be like that and it has never been my intention to do that here. However, if I feel animated on this issue, it is because of my involvement in rural activities down through the years. I am particularly happy that we have a Minister such as the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, who has given us leadership and brought results over the years.