Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

He is a very busy person and everyone is caught up in the local elections.

Further to our discussion on Europe, we are enthused about the new member states but we should recognise that they all have old cultures with histories stretching back thousands of years in some cases. While it is wonderful that they have shaken off the yoke of serfdom and have joined the European Union, it is equally important that we remember that they have long histories and distinctive cultures.