Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I dtosach is mian liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire agus tréaslú leis de bharr a cheapacháin arís mar Aire Rialtais. Is cruthú ann féin é sin go bhfuil sách jab déanta aige, agus tá an-áthas ormsa go pearsanta go mbeidh sé in ann leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair a bhí idir lámha aige — agus go raibh rud é ar a shaothar i gcónaí.

A famous Irish Fenian and patriot from Tipperary, Charles J. Kickham, had a great understanding of the culture of rural Ireland, which could be found in many of his writings as well. He used to talk about doing things for the honour of the little village, and this was epitomised in his character, the great hurler, Matt the Thresher in the play, "Knocknagow". We understood what he meant by doing things for the honour of the little village and in no place is that spirit more evident than in rural Ireland. When I was a young lad I was in a juvenile theatre group and performed in "Knocknagow". Unfortunately, I did not get the part of Matt the Thresher, but rather Beresford Pender, who was the landlord's agent in those times. I have not been able to get rid of that from my psyche since then. However, I well recall when those plays were being done in Tipperary and, I am sure, elsewhere, that in many ways they still reflect a spirit that existed right up to the present.

One thinks of people such as Monsignor Horan, Canon Hayes, Fr. McDyer and all of those who realised the importance of organising the people into doing things for themselves. I believe that the Minister has a great claim to canonisation, although I am not suggesting this today. Not only has he the gift of bi-location, but he has the gift of multi-location. There is not a part of Ireland in his portfolio that he has not touched. He has been in every townland and village and not just for ceremonial purposes. He listens very carefully to what people are saying and brings that back to where the powers can look at it and create new policies.

I was talking last week to a county manager and we made reference to the new relationship or partnership which exists between public institutions and the community. We both agreed there has been a huge development in this regard. He finished up by saying, "But we need to be careful that we do not over-institutionalise it". I knew what he was saying, as does the Minister, because he realised that we had too many agencies in our community. One after the other a new bureaucratic structure is coming into existence and the emphasis is more on the membership of that rather than on what the focus and the policy should be. With great courage this county manager put his head above the parapet and endeavoured to bring cohesion into the process so that people dealt with one single agency rather than several, some of which were competing for the same funding. That was a step in the right direction.

Has the Minister received any word from the European Commission on the matter raised by the Cavan-Monaghan Leader group? It is an issue in which clarity is needed.

I am pleased we are discussing diversification into non-agricultural activities in rural Ireland. It is vital it is done and not left too long. While farming will always be at the heart of rural Ireland, according to the Irish Rural Dwellers Association one third of the population live in rural areas, a sizeable proportion. With the status of agriculture being redirected and new priorities coming to the fore, other areas of economic activity must be examined. Tourism is a vital activity which is important to rural areas because it does not depend on centralised attractions in large urban areas. A heritage site in the most rural part of the country could be an attraction for discerning tourists, both from home and abroad. It is important to find the means to develop tourism and ensure there is support for such projects.

FÁS has played a major role in rural communities, often in a quiet way. The State, willingly and rightly, allowed FÁS to fill the gap in training and providing personnel for many community activities, including running community and cultural centres. However, there is a dependence on people employed on FÁS schemes to keep many community activities alive. Such activities cannot be expected to continue if people working on these schemes are removed. If there is to be any change to this, it should be the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, who fills that vacuum. GAA pitches, community centres and cultural centres are part and parcel of the fabric of rural Ireland.

Volunteerism, we are told, has diminished. I do not go with the negative approach that it is dead. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann runs 40 fleadhanna cheoil each year. The 2007 all-Ireland fleadh cheoil was held in Tullamore, County Offaly, with an attendance of 230,000 people and generated between €25 million and €30 million for the region. It was all organised by volunteers. The same can be said for hurling and football games. Financial back-up and resources, however, must be provided, be it 10% or 20% of the amount required to run such events. It represents excellent value for money.

The CLÁR and RAPID programmes have proved they give power to the people. No matter where one goes in Ireland, rural or urban, one can see the results of the programmes. The dormant accounts fund was used so wisely that there was only one debate in the House on how it operated. The schemes sponsored by the fund worked well to the satisfaction of everyone involved.

Bishop Fiachra O'Ceallaigh at a Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann function recently spoke of rural organisations coming together to help those socially deprived. Whether it is related to the demise of the rural pub or social isolation, the organisations have an ideal methodology for dealing with this. The President, Mary McAleese, made the same point in her recent speech, calling on rural organisations, with their own specialised objectives, to look deeper into their heartland and fill the gap and confront any social deprivation due to restrictive legislation, as mentioned by Senator Buttimer. The partnership between the public and the community is important.

The new Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, made two interesting points in recent speeches. First, he spoke of creating a balance between individualisation and the community concept. Borrowing in part from John F. Kennedy's famous dictum, the Taoiseach asked what should our contribution be back to the country. The best vehicle for that is in rural Ireland. With the Leader programme to provide an extra €450 million and given the emphasis of other programmes, it will provide a great opportunity to assist rural communities.

On last week's "The Late Late Show", Councillor Michael Healy-Rae struck a blow for rural communities with regard to one-off rural housing. He held An Taisce to account in front of a mixed rural and urban audience which supported his point. An Taisce is a prescribed body in the planning Act. The Minister and others involved in rural development must ask it to get off some of its hobby horses. If people cannot build on their own land or return from abroad but not get planning permission, what is the point of debating the future of rural Ireland? The future of rural Ireland is about people. An Taisce will have to engage in a practical manner.