Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

We need to put the record straight because I know Senator Mullen represents some very serious, decent people in the House.

Senator Prendergast raised the matter of finance to deal with the flu epidemic; it will be a top priority and one of the biggest challenges we face as a nation in the autumn. Please God perhaps it will not be the case. We will have it on the agenda during our first week back with the Minister present to update us on how we will face this challenge and have the finances available as Senator Prendergast correctly asked.

Senators O'Sullivan, Walsh, Buttimer, Daly and Coghlan expressed their views on Shannon Development. I can honestly state at first hand as the former Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Enterprise and Small Business that in every trade mission led by the former Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, from 2002 to 2007, Shannon Development was a credit to Ireland plc. It was magnificent and the job that it is doing, and has been doing for decades has been something that we can look at and be proud that we established Shannon Development. I know Shannon Development - in my heart I feel it - will not be in any shape or form interfered with by an bord snip nua because what it does is crucial, particularly during a downturn in the economy. What it did for broadband is a shining example as Senator O'Sullivan outlined to the House today.

The contents of the report by an bord snip nua are for consideration. However, as my predecessor, Deputy Mary O'Rourke, stated the last report wanted the train to stop in Athlone and not go to Galway. Some of the proposals are practical and others are very impractical. It is down to us as politicians and parliamentarians to decide what is in the best interests. If there are good proposals we will examine them but if there are off the wall proposals just there for the optics they do not have a chance in hell of getting any further than the paper on which they are written in the report.