Francis O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

-----and I am very grateful for that.

I ask the Leader to raise with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the matter of the Department office in Ballybay, known as the DV office, which has a great cloud hanging over it. I would appreciate if the Leader would ask the Minister to do everything in his power to ensure this office is maintained to provide the service for the people of Monaghan. The office has been widely used for the last 20 or 30 years, and was very effective when we had to face the big threat of foot and mouth disease in the county and surrounding regions, including cross-Border areas. The work done from that office was second to none so that we now have brucellosis-free status and TB is well under control in the county and surrounding areas. It would be a shame to see this office closed. The office is needed and it will not cost any extra money to keep it open. That is the one thing I want the Leader to convey to the Minister. I want to convey a special word of thanks to the last Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Brendan Smith, who did everything in his power to keep that office open. That was brilliant, and I am appealing to the Leader to speak to the Minister on a personal basis on my behalf and ask him to do what he can in this regard.