Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá áthas orm freisin go mbeidh seans againn forbairt pobail agus tuaithe a phlé anseo inniu. Aontaím go mór leis go bhfuil freagracht orainn uilig, ní hamháin dúchas, ach dóchas a chothú. Ba chóir go bhféadaimíd seasamh a thógaint ar an mbonn sin. Ag féachaint siar ar na daoine a bhí chun tosaigh nuair nach raibh an stadás eacnamaíochta chomh maith na blianta fada ó shin, níl le feiceáil ach amháin an tír ghrá a léirigh siad siúd agus an dea-shampla a thug siad. Murach an tslí inar spreag siad an pobal, ní bheadh an buncloch ann fiú chun an córas eacnamaíochta nua atá againn inniu a thógáil. D'fhéadaimis inspioráid a fháil ó na daoine sin.

Ní gá dúinn féachaint ró-fhada siar ar bhóithrín na smaointe, mar tá daoine mar sin fós againn, daoine atá ag saothrú chuile lá ar son an phobail agus ar son bhróid agus stádais an phobail. Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil gach rud ag brath ar airgead. Tá an t-airgead thar a bheith tábhachtach, ach tá an spiorad agus an tuiscint ar na riachtanais áitiúla chomh tábhachtach. Ní gá ach féachaint ar an struchtúr atá go forleathan chun sin a fheiceáil. Tharla sin toisc go raibh páirtnéireacht ann idir an Stát agus an obair dheonach a bhí ar siúl. Sin mar ba chóir é a bheith agus mar ba chóir dúinn leanúint ar aghaidh amach anseo.

I welcome the Minister. We now have an opportunity to discuss the programme that has been launched and to talk about some of the aims and opportunities that exist within it. I agree with the Minister that in this time of economic challenges there is considerable opportunity for us to tap into that wellspring of commitment, voluntary service and pride of place that is to be found in the rural community.

It is also significant that the urban-rural divide is not accentuated to the same extent as it was in the past. One reason for that is the success of rural Ireland and the balance that has been achieved. Of course, there are requests and demands for more resources. One would be very surprised if this were not the case but it is well worthwhile to have a historical perspective on rural development. One must think of people such as Canon Hayes, the founder of Muintir na Tíre, Father McDyer, who played a very significant role in the development of his region, and Monsignor Horan, who acted in the same way. It is interesting that all three were clergymen who happened to be leaders in the community. When one thinks of what they achieved with limited resources at that time and realises the resources we have at our disposal now there is no reason for despondency. Imagine if somebody had told us that the funding allocation for this programme would be three times greater than that allocated to the previous one. The sum of €425.4 million is a considerable sum of money and if we add to that the extra €600 million to which the Minister referred, this makes a huge resource. We are not starting from a greenfield situation. A major part of the required infrastructure for rural areas is in place and we must now make the best possible use of these resources. I am pleased that, under the Leader programme, the proportion of community projects that may be funded has been increased from 50% to 75% and the ceiling on capital grants has increased from €100,000 to €200,000. These measures are indicative of hope and positive thinking.

It is interesting to note the diverse nature of the headings under which the programme will operate, by which I do not mean only the need to achieve the important goal of diversification in agriculture. Anyone who is familiar with small farming will be aware that the sector faces challenging times. We must not allow it to be viewed as a hobby because small farms can be productive in many ways. People have shown initiative in this area, for example, in developing farmers' markets and different types of food products. People are prepared to pay for quality, particularly those who are health conscious. I am pleased to note the importance attached to diversification.

In recent weeks, delegations from four groups connected with tourism, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation and the Irish Tour Operators Association, appeared before the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The meeting, at which Senator Buttimer made an important contribution, provided an opportunity for the joint committee to receive an update from representatives of the tourism sector. The key message delivered by all the groups was that there is no room for despondency in tourism and all of them are working in a positive manner. There was also general agreement on the need to extend tourism from urban areas into the regions. A spokesperson for Fáilte Ireland noted, for example, that the organisation had invested €3 million in the development of the Shannon area, which linked in to the west.

Tourism is a strong element of the Leader programme. Heritage is an element of tourism that can be successfully promoted, even in the most isolated areas because people are prepared to travel to visit living and built heritage attractions. While these sites depend on the goodwill of tour operators and others, by and large, the heritage sector has been successful throughout rural Ireland.

I made a suggestion, which may not come within the ambit of the Leader programme, at a number of meetings of the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. It would be disappointing if the bed and breakfast industry was diminished in any way because it is under major pressure, primarily as a result of overhead costs arising from health, hygiene and insurance regulations. I do not contend that this bureaucracy is unnecessary but it should be revisited to alleviate the problems faced by bed and breakfast establishments, particularly in rural areas where hotels may not be available to service heritage attractions. It may be worthwhile to introduce a programme to assist the sector. I understand measures are in place in the Gaeltacht areas, perhaps relating to mná tí. Such a programme would be a radical but necessary step because if bed and breakfast establishments disappear, the younger generation will not start them up again as they are not prepared to make themselves available for the long hours necessary. If bed and breakfast infrastructure is weakened, it will cause serious harm to tourism.

I am not sure the cost of services and food are high when one compares like with like. Ireland has a unique record internationally for the standard of its hotels, restaurants and bed and breakfast establishments. We must not interfere with quality on the basis that the price is considered too high. Likewise, one must compare like with like in the case of entertainment and attractions. In rural areas, one can pay as little as €20 or €25 to attend high class entertainment events. That is not expensive.

I read a survey on tourism carried out many years ago. As part of the study, tourists were asked to identify the six main attractions in visiting Ireland. The main attraction was national monuments, an area in which rural areas are to the fore. Tourists continue to visit these sites because they use their imagination and are discerning. They want a totally new experience, not to replicate that which they have left behind.

The second most important attraction was high class evening and traditional entertainment. Where does one find traditional entertainment? While it is available in urban areas, it is widespread in rural areas. A third important attraction was the ability to trace one's roots. Currently, 33 centres on the island, North and South, offer a genealogical service using church and, in many cases, civil records. These services are available on-line and have been accessed by millions of people who are willing to pay a small amount to do so. Genealogy attracts people from abroad to visit the places from which their ancestors came. We should not underestimate the power of the diaspora in that regard because, as the saying goes, the savage loves his native shore. It is important to attract people to visit the places from which their forefathers came, many of which are obviously in rural areas.

The key issues, therefore, are the threefold increase in funding, the increase in the proportion of funding available for projects, the increase in the capital ceiling and the diversity of headings under which it is possible to secure funding. While I do not wish to start a debate at this late stage in my contribution, the message from this discussion is that the Government will face the challenge presented to it, not by the accession of Deputy Brian Cowen to the office of the Taoiseach but by the onset of a global recession. The manner in which the Government responded to the banking crisis by introducing a bank guarantee showed that it was up to the challenge when the time came.