Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

——concerning the parties' commitment to decentralisation, some projects of which are advanced. There is an emphasis on the diversification of the rural economy, where there are already good schemes in operation, such as RAPID, CLÁR and REPS. It makes the point that Ireland is still a comparatively rural country, with 40% of the population living in the countryside. I commented yesterday on the Order of Business on the notion of dropping a Department with responsibility for agriculture and rural development, an utterly absurd idea.

Concern was expressed recently about value for money. Clear figures are given which show cost inflation has been reduced from 12% to4%. We should not get lectures on value for money from a party that suggested without any costing that its manifesto would include a commitment to a second Dublin airport somewhere in the middle of the countryside.