Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister. As someone who raised this issue last week on the Order of Business I am glad he is here to explain the situation.

Whenever the epitaph of the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, is written I hope the author will acknowledge his tremendous and unstinting support for rural Ireland, both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht areas, remote peninsulas and severely disadvantaged regions in so many ways. Some Senators mentioned the CLÁR programme, which has been an enormous success, with boreens benefiting as well as peninsulas in west Cork, Kerry, Connemara or wherever, along with the tremendous support given to islands over the years, whether through roads or water services and sewerage works. I express my great appreciation for that and compliment the Minister as regards the whole area involving the rural transport initiative.

I believe there were two or three pilot schemes initially, but one was the Bantry rural transport area. Originally that carried fewer than 2,000 passengers and now it has expanded all over the west Cork area to cater for 40,000. One of the rural transport buses goes to Bear Island, which is a wonderful service for the islanders. As regards the night services, I recall one of the local radio stations warning about "booze buses" and all that nonsense at the outset. That has turned out to be total rubbish. As many Senators have indicated, in rural Ireland it is a question of social and geographic inclusion.

Ms Delia O'Sullivan, who spoke so eloquently on "Morning Ireland" last week lives in Glengarriff, has used the bus, as have many others. It is a tremendous success. Whether it is used to go to mass, a game of bingo, the local GAA club or, as Senator Burke said, to come in five or six miles on the Sheep's Head or Mizen peninsula and have a couple of pints on a Friday or Saturday night, so be it. There is nothing wrong about that and we should laud it.

I am greatly concerned at the administrative costs outlined. I was stunned when the Minister said that in some cases it was between 25% and 40%. That is not realistic. Maybe he can explain in his response where those costs lie. Maybe he does not want to point the finger, but surely if his initial belief was that they should be approximately 10% to 12%, and they are now in some areas touching 40%, he must wield the axe accordingly.

I urge the Minister to support these schemes. They are a wonderful benefit to rural Ireland. I do not want to be parochial but the one in west Cork has extended into the Gaeltacht areas in Ballingeary and gone on to helping in the islands. It is a wonderful scheme and has created jobs in the area. People forget that we are losing jobs and we have part-time bus drivers. There is a buzz in Firies and Bantry when four or five of these buses come into town with many elderly people who might come in to do shopping or visit community centres or hospital, or whatever. It is a wonderful idea and I laud the Minister. I hope by heralding the fact that any administrative overheads and difficulties should be trimmed down accordingly, the scheme can survive.

I am deviating slightly from rural transport but I cannot let this opportunity go to compliment something very close to my heart, Slí Mhuintir Bháire, my home parish for which I played football for junior level for 30 years, although I have not too many medals to show for it, the Sheep's Head Way. It recently won an EDEN, European Destinations of Excellence award, and will go on to Europe to further that. The award is being presented next Monday in Bantry.

I am a director of the Sheep's Head Way company, a non-profit-making company, for my sins, and have been since its foundation. The people are very uplifted but a little disappointed the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív is not coming. Apparently it comes under the remit of tourism and the Minister, Deputy Cullen, has decided the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Mansergh will come down there. It would be remiss of me on behalf of the committee and the Sheep's Head Way not to mention that. The theme this year is tourism and protected areas, and it is a phenomenal award.

I record my thanks and the thanks of the Sheep's Head Way, the members of which asked me to do this, to the Minister for all his work in promoting such walkways. There were major issues about farmers' rights and access rights. The Minister has walked some of these walkways and they are wonderful success story. It is great that in difficult times small farmers in severely disadvantaged areas can get a few bob, thanks to the Minister, for trimming the ways, ensuring the stiles are in place and keeping them viable. With that light note I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for being indulgent and letting me wander. This award was won by a remote, rural community. We take our hats off to the Minister for his support on this issue and others over the last decade. It was tremendous effort and support by all concerned.