Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom cur leis an méid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir O'Toole ar maidin. There is often talk on the first day of a new term about Seanad reform. It seems significant additional work has recently been done in this area notwithstanding the 13 reports already published on Seanad reform, none of which has thus far been implemented. I and my party, along with other party leaders in the Seanad, made detailed submissions on the type of reform we envisage. I was pleased to hear Senator O'Toole make the case for genuine reform or, in the absence of such, the abolition of this House. This is a point I have made repeatedly. To clarify, my party does not favour the abolition of the Seanad but rather meaningful reform. However, if it is merely a case of tweaking around the edges, which seems to be what the Minister is proposing, then there can be no function for this forum in the manner in which it is currently constituted. The report by an bord snip nua got it right in this regard. While most of us are arguing against front-line cuts which affect the most vulnerable in society, we cannot ignore the fact that it costs €25 million per annum to run this establishment which, in many respects, merely duplicates the roles and functions of the Lower House. The function and administration of this House must be subject to the same serious examination as every other aspect of the running of the State. There must be genuine dialogue and, more important, effective action. The time for talking may well be over and it is time to take the bull by the horns.

Earlier this year I welcomed a debate which took place in this House prompted by a report I produced for the Joint Committee on Arts, Sport, Tourism, Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on the difficulties faced by rural communities, particularly in the west. In recent months the McCarthy report and other reports have proposed changes in various aspects of policy which, if introduced, would have a serious impact on rural areas. Some have already been implemented, such as the withdrawal of the rural transport service at off-peak times, with proposals to end the scheme entirely. My report shows that more than half of Garda stations are manned by only one garda or are manned only on a part-time basis, and the McCarthy report proposes that a substantial number of these should be shut down. There are also proposals to shut down smaller schools. If implemented in full, the McCarthy report proposals could mean the closure or amalgamation of 115 out of 173 schools in my county. That is the degree of peril for rural Ireland. We are all aware of the impact of the reductions in home help hours and other supports for vulnerable members of society.

I heard the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coughlan, comment earlier today that there is much in the McCarthy report that makes no sense. It is important to recognise that the report is not merely the creation of Mr. Colm McCarthy and his team but was evaluated by senior civil servants in the Department of Finance. Their thinking absolutely bewilders me. One of the programmes they were asked to evaluate was CLÁR, a programme which offers support to communities in the most isolated rural areas in the State. Its expenditure is less than €20 million per year invested in locations throughout the State. The response from senior civil servants in the Department of Finance was that investing in areas with very low populations cannot be seen as a priority in the current economic climate. If that is the thinking of those currently devising the budget to be delivered in December, there must be serious concern for the future of rural Ireland. There must be a proper debate, stepping back from all the cuts, juggling and attempts to balance the books, to ascertain what we want to achieve and the type of Ireland we are shaping for the future.

I submitted an issue for discussion on the Adjournment today, which was not selected, relating to the cuts facing the Irish language community. A glance at what McCarthy proposes, which again comes from civil servants within the Department of Finance and from within other Departments, which information is on the Department of Finance website, shows a proposed reduction in funding for programmes under the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht of 58%, while the average proposed reduction in other programmes is 10%. What type of Ireland will emerge from this recession? It will undoubtedly be centred on the hubs and major towns and there is a danger it will have no language and no heart.