Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. If any man can put a proper scheme in place in this area it is Deputy Ó Cuív, because he has great experience of community work and projects that work in rural areas. I believe the Minister can go back to the drawing board based on what he has heard from the various Senators. It has been a very constructive debate, but ultimately this will all rest on the shoulders of the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív. He has vast experience of rural projects and I believe he can put it all together.

I was very disappointed to hear one of the speakers say the administrative costs were of the order of 25%, but I am not surprised. One of the things crippling Ireland at the moment is the administrative cost of every aspect of activity in the country, whether it is at local authority level, the HSE or in other aspects involving communities. I believe the administrative costs can be cut, however, as was indicated by several Senators in various ways. The community rural transport initiative is a great scheme.

I was one of those who travelled to dances in the 1970s by thumbing lifts.