Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. When the Department of Rural and Community Development was established last July and he was appointed, we all felt it to be a massive boost for rural Ireland. In fairness, the Minister very much epitomises all that is good about rural Ireland. I congratulate him on being a champion for both rural Ireland and the west over many years. The consolidation into a new Department of the policies and supports for community and rural development has provided the means for a greater focus on making communities more vibrant and sustainable. Significantly, the Department also has a critical interface with the community and voluntary sector. In this regard, it provides a key conduit for Government in its relationships with this sector. The Department administers a wide range of programmes to support rural and community development, including the town and village renewal scheme; the CLÁR programme; the Leader programme; the RAPID programme; and the SICAP programme.

The Department has certainly hit the ground running. In the past few months alone, there has been major investment across a range of areas. As the Minister said, €17.5 million has been allocated to local authorities under the local improvement schemes this year in order to support the improvement of non-public rural roads. I joined Roscommon County Council in 1999. Local improvement schemes were a huge part of that local authority's work. I saw people who had no access to their houses until those roads were improved. Due to the position regarding funding, that scheme had to be curtailed. In recent years, however, we have been able to catch up again and this second round of funding is very important. I know that when people come to my house or my office, they are absolutely delighted to hear that there will be another chance they may be able to drive up to their houses in the future without damaging their cars. This scheme is sustainable and comes at a reasonable cost to the home owner.

Significant funding has also been provided in order to protect the elderly, with €2.3 million being allocated for a new senior alert scheme. This week there was an investment of €800,000 to support 120 agricultural shows throughout the country. This money takes account of the fact that smaller shows have struggled significantly in recent years. I am familiar with these smaller shows. I have seen them in Elphin, Strokestown, Boyle, Ballinamore and many other places and I know what they offer. They provide the social event of the year and bring the people of the town and the local area together. These shows have struggled because there are fewer pubs, shops, restaurants and businesses around to sponsor them. Representatives of those shows could hardly believe it when they heard last Friday that they were each to receive an allocation of €7,000. They were absolutely delighted. This money will go towards subsidising the shows in what are very difficult times.

There has also been an increase in funding for the hugely popular town and village renewal scheme. The allocation in this regard has been increased by €3 million up to a total of €15 million. This will be of benefit to hundreds of rural communities.Funding for the outdoor recreation scheme has also increased by €4 million to €11.5 million. The scheme provides greenways for local people and families to use, which can also attract visitors and jobs to the local areas.

Between 1999 and 2000, I was involved in Lough Key Forest Park. I was chairperson of the action group, and that is what got me involved in politics. We worked extremely hard and we got a grant from Europe which helped, and we made it a major tourist attraction. It is absolutely flying, but we need more infrastructure.

I helped the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, open a fishing stand last Friday, 1 December. That shows we have an all-year climate. When I went to school, I was told we had a temperate climate. I did not believe it until I went to eastern Europe and felt the Siberian wind coming through it. I realised then that the Gulf Stream meant we had a temperate climate. The infrastructure being put in place for all these things is vital for the tourist industry.

I congratulate the Minister and thank him for the work he has done. I know that he will not accept "No" as an answer from the Taoiseach or during budget negotiations because he is able to fistfight in the trenches for rural Ireland. I wish him every success.