Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Ba mhaith liom tacú leis an éileamh atá déanta ag an Seanadóir Fidelma Healy Eames maidir le cúrsaí oideachais. Tá an cheist a d'ardaigh sí thar a bheith tábhachtach agus ba cheart í a phlé chomh luath agus is féidir. Tuigim go bhfuil an tAire Cumarsáide, Fuinnimh agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha, Deputy Rabbitte, le teacht isteach chugainn uair éígin le labhairt faoi cúrsaí craoltóireachta agus cuirim fáilte roimh sin. Tá brief an-leathan ag an Aire agus gnó amháin eile atá faoina chúram ná cúrsaí acmhainní nádúrtha.

I appreciate the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, coming in to speak to us on his broadcasting portfolio and we welcome that debate. Natural resources form another important part of his portfolio, particularly the possibilities for job creation in this country from wind, wave, tidal, oil and gas energy. I would welcome a debate on Government policy on this and feel it is important to get ideas on it and to bring joined-up thinking to this area. I also welcome the fact the ESB has announced it is putting a 110 Kv line into Connemara in the near future. However, we have already heard from people trying to develop wind energy that they will not be able to link into that. It is important therefore to have joined-up thinking on these issues. A debate on this would be timely and we would have a great contribution to make to that debate.