Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the call by Senator Mooney that we would put our weight behind the campaign against the imprisonment of the al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt. These are truly journalists, not involved in any way in illegal activities. They bring news to the world. This issue will be raised with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade today, but we, as Members of Seanad Éireann, should keep the pressure on the Egyptian authorities to release those journalists as a matter of urgency.

In April of this year, a significant report was launched. The report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas was commissioned jointly by the Ministers for the Environment, Community and Local Government and Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Deputies Hogan and Coveney respectively - and the commission was chaired by Mr. Pat Spillane. That report set out the commission's vision statement to make rural Ireland, "a dynamic, adaptable and outward looking multi-sectoral economy supporting vibrant, resilient and diverse communities experiencing a high quality of life with an energised relationship between rural and urban Ireland which will contribute to its sustainability for the benefit of society as a whole". The report contains 34 significant recommendations. It would be appropriate that Seanad Éireann discuss it with a view to seeing how we can move matters forward and, hopefully, bring many of those significant recommendations to fruition. As we all will be aware, rural Ireland is going through a particularly difficult time, with small businesses struggling, and particularly retail in small towns and villages under real pressure. We, as Members of this House, should avail of any opportunity to promote rural Ireland and help it become re-energised. A discussion of this report in the next session would be a first step.