Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

A Senator cannot become Taoiseach or Minister for Finance but can get any other job. However, no matter who has the job of making decisions, whether it is a Leader company or a peace project, one is told a certain political group has control, does not follow fair criteria and decisions are upside down. A valid case was mentioned on the Adjournment last week, but I had to wash my hands of it because it involved a Leader company decision, not mine. I must accept the decision. The person who raised the question hoped I would be able to bring some influence to bear, but I explained I could not. The person, a member of the Opposition, was deeply unhappy with the decision. I explained it had been devolved and that I have no say as long as the company followed the criteria on a national level. No matter what structure is in place, these situations arise all the time. There is always an inherent danger.

I cannot abide the essay competition we have created in life because it means the professionals keep winning. It may not be the greatest project in the poorest area that wins. I have been involved in that sector for the past 20 years and I dislike that type of system. One should get funding as a matter of right.

Mention was made of capital sports grants. I had to get lessons on how to fill out forms for that grant and they were very beneficial. Of the nine applications I had to consider that year all were filled in incorrectly. The substance of the application was not changed but criteria such as disadvantage were added. A GAA club had to include criteria on free training and free transport to matches. While every GAA club provided such services it was taken for granted and not written down. They were also asked if they supplied food for the children following a match. Does anyone know of a club that does not do so? However, the fact they did not include such information on the form was to their disadvantage. I dislike that method of disbursing money because it misses those who are busy on the ground but not great at keeping records.

I would like to see a less open-ended system so that the person who writes the best essay does not necessarily become the winner. To be honest, that is what I think has been happening up to now. I would rather there was much more focus on disadvantage and that the system was simpler, similar to that operated for RAPID or CLÁR. We should provide for those who really need funding. I do not know what is the perfect system. The Government and Minister must have discretion in the matter. I accept the section as drafted is bare. While I studied it carefully I have not been able to come up with an amendment which would on the one hand provide the freedom to do the sensible thing and, on the other hand, would restrict the cherry-picking of favourite-son applications, a matter about which Senators are concerned.

I will not accept the amendments today but will reflect further on the matter to see if we can come up with a way of dealing with Senators' concerns which, I accept, are well intended. I believe there are enough guarantees and checks to ensure that does not happen but I will reflect on the matter. If an amendment is found, I will bring it before the Seanad. I am not promising the section will be amended. As I said earlier, I spent a great deal of time considering the section. It is not an easy matter with which to deal but I do not want to create a suspicion of a capricious view being taken to applications.