Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I wish to put on the record, briefly, my sadness that our Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, is moving on today. There is sadness because of his close connections to west Cork. His mother hailed from Bantry, his father from Tracton and his grandmother came from Whiddy Island. In that regard it is a sad day for my part of the world. I wish him luck in his retirement. I also add my voice to those who, very properly and magnanimously, spoke from the other side of the House congratulating the Minister, Deputy Séamus Brennan, on his success and wishing him luck in his retirement as well.

I urge the Leader to have a debate on the fishing industry as soon as is practically possible. I raised this matter in the House before. Again, I wish to express my serious concern. Substantial stocks of Irish fish are leaving Irish waters, especially those taken by Spanish fishermen who have quota rights. I have no faith that the management, controls and policing of the landing of such stocks and quantities of fish are being monitored, particularly in Spain. This may be a European matter but I believe we need an urgent debate on it because there seems to be over-regulation and excessive policing of Irish fishermen. Somewhere along the line the strain that causes will have its effect, not alone among fishing communities but on rural Ireland in general. I am deeply concerned. I do not believe there are proper controls of the fish taken from our waters, especially in Spain. It is criminal and unfair and the wrong people, Irish fishermen, are being targeted.

I call for a debate on rural Ireland. There is a suggestion that the legal alcohol limit may be further reduced. I am not advocating drink driving in any way. As someone who worked in the courts for years, I know the damage that is done. However, before we react in a knee-jerk fashion on this issue, a proper survey should be undertaken on the effects of such curtailment in rural Ireland.

Even if it must come, a proper rural transport system, which is available in patches throughout rural Ireland, should be buttressed and made more available so that people in remote areas, on peninsulas and on islands do not suffer in the future. There is far more to people being killed on our roads than alcohol. Drugs, speed and other attitude problems play a role. If the alcohol limit was reduced to nil, there would still be deaths on the roads. I am concerned that such a reduction may have an unnecessary, serious adverse effect on parts of rural Ireland.

I want to see an audit by IDA Ireland of what has been achieved over the past decade of success in the economy in rural towns throughout this country. Large areas of population such as Cork city, Dublin and Galway have their successes in the creation of jobs. Parochially, I am concerned about the lack of jobs in places such as Dunmanway in west Cork, Skibbereen and Bantry — to name those of just one county. I wonder whether the Minister involved could undertake an audit of what has been achieved and the road plan of the industrial development authority over the next five to ten years for remote rural towns throughout the country.