Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I am glad to have an opportunity to acknowledge the volume of work, the time taken and careful consideration given by the Minister for Finance, the Minister of State and staff at the Department in the preparation of the Estimates and gathering the facts and figures. It enables the country to continue to develop in the rapid way it has during recent years. Any assessment of the Estimates must acknowledge the huge amount of work done. It indicates the economic prosperity we have seen during recent years will continue and accelerate.

I wish to comment constructively on issues which arise and require further consideration. The points of view I will put across will be recognised as being held by many public representatives on issues we believe should be accelerated. I am conscious of the large volume of work which went into preparing the Health Estimate. The figures in the Estimate and the additional funding we hope will be in the budget indicate the Government's commitment to the provision of health services.

We must put in place an implementation body which will ensure the plans for next year laid down in the Estimates are implemented. I am aware money provided for certain matters and initiatives included in the Estimates last year has not worked its way down through the system. Sometimes it is necessary to ensure decisions made to undertake worthwhile projects are implemented and accelerated and not held up by red tape and bureaucracy.

This has happened with Ennis Hospital, where an outline development plan has been in place and funding allocated for a number of years. However, the expenditure has not been undertaken because of a necessity to rigorously re-evaluate a project which has already been re-evaluated on a number of occasions during the past five or six years. The longer re-evaluations continue the more likely it is that costs will increase. The total of €20 million set aside for Ennis Hospital a number of years ago has become €30 million. If this type of delay continues, it will increase to €40 million or €50 million. An implementation team should be established at the Department of Finance to ensure that when decisions are made on issues such as hospitals or other matters the projects are implemented.

Many voluntary organisations consider further funding is required to deal with issues such as Alzheimer's disease, depression and dementia. A recent conference held in Dublin indicated the problems which will arise in this country during the coming years. I am aware of people who work on a voluntary basis to provide facilities for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In particular, I mention the community in Clarecastle who provide a day-care centre for Alzheimer's disease and dementia sufferers from a large surrounding area. People are bussed in and return to their families at night.

Most of the funding is done on a voluntary basis with little, if any, funding from the Health Service Executive. The community has campaigned for a number of years and has done a great deal of work through voluntary effort. However, people cannot continue to work on a voluntary basis on such projects. The State must intervene and work in partnership with local communities. I am sure many other such communities exist throughout the country. In Clarecastle, approximately €500,000 is required to finish planning and building an extension. The community has done Trojan work but it requires support from the Health Service Executive.

I strongly urge the Minister for Finance to identify in the budget a fixed amount to plan for shortcomings in dealing with dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Perhaps he will set down a separate allocation for it in the additional funding for health to be provided in the budget and which he identified in his speech.

I also draw to the attention of the Minister the funding for national secondary and regional roads in the west. Substantial funding has gone into the national roads network and I particularly welcome the Limerick bypass and other new national road developments to the west coast. The national secondary roads network requires more funding as it is deteriorating at a fast pace. Perhaps the Minister can examine this matter. Many accidents are occurring owing to the poor quality of such roads. Therefore, extra funding is required.

There has been a dramatic change in investment in county roads in recent years, on which I compliment the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, his Department and the county councils. There are shortcomings in the national secondary road network, however, which need to be addressed fairly soon. We should not lose sight of this issue, which requires additional funding from the budget. It may be a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government rather than the Minister for Finance but ultimately the latter Minister picks up all the bills.

The essential repairs grant scheme has been run by county councils and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, with some funding from the Health Service Executive to repair houses for disabled people. A sizeable number of single parents with young children are living in inadequate conditions. Shortcomings have been identified in showers, toilets and other facilities. It should be possible within the existing mechanism to extend the essential repairs grant to cover single parents who are struggling to raise young children. Such parents do not have the necessary finances to modernise their plumbing facilities, so the work should be covered by the essential repairs grant scheme.

For a number of years, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, who is present in the Chamber, have provided funding for heritage projects. I have seen the work undertaken by the Commissioners of Public Works in dealing with heritage issues. An amount of important work has been done which provides examples of good craftsmanship. I wish to place on the record the work that has been achieved by the dedicated people of the OPW.

Some buildings of national importance are in the care of the OPW. Others in private ownership are threatened, however, owing to a lack of investment in conservation and maintenance work. I am referring to places such as Leamanagh Castle, which is at the gateway to the Burren in north Clare. It was the home of Máire Ruadh Mac Mahon, a famous woman who made a big impact on life in Clare at a particular period in history. The castle is a good example of how the skills and expertise of the Commissioners of Public Works could be put to good use to restore and protect the building. In recent years, much work has been done on a number of ecclesiastical buildings by parishes and local conservationists.

I pay tribute to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, for the funding he provided to protect Ennis Cathedral, including its spire and other unique architectural aspects. Last year, the Minister provided €150,000 for restoration work there. The cost of restoring such ecclesiastical buildings is very expensive so much depends on voluntary collections. I am referring in particular to the expensive work being carried out on St. Senan's Church in Kilrush. The church edifice, including its spire, was in danger of being seriously damaged unless some remedial work was undertaken. The restoration and conservation work on the church will be an expensive operation. I ask the Minister to set aside a budgetary allocation to enhance work on such heritage projects. Attention must be paid to buildings of architectural and historical significance around the country which are in need of conservation and restoration. In some cases it may not be possible for voluntary community organisations in small parishes to undertake such work alone.

I thank the Minister and Minister of State for the work they are doing. I look forward to the budget which will provide a further boost to the work that has already been undertaken by the Government. It will ensure that much valuable work can be done over the next year by taking advantage of economic opportunities, enhancing the environment and generally making life better for all of us in future.