Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The review of councillors' pay and expenses was to be produced by Ms Sara Morehead, SC, before the end of November. The Leader might find out for the House if that is on track and if we will have it next week. The substantive issue I raise today involves a call for the Leader to bring the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, to the House to explain what he intends to do to reverse the untold harm he is doing to rural Ireland. He made a shallow promise of buses for rural Ireland as part of his legislative agenda but it has proven to be a pipe dream. There was only one public house in my locality and that closed in the last month. It was the only one within a seven mile radius. The closure of the Cloughan Inn was a direct result of the new measures introduced by the Minister. At various stages, it was a céilí house, a grocery store and, in more recent times, a meeting place for all political parties, the IFA, many GAA clubs and most other initiatives in the locality. While the adjoining restaurant is struggling on, the closure of the bar does not paint a rosy picture for that either. This is a blow by proxy to the community of Cloughan and the surrounding area. I ask the Leader to bring the Minister to the House to account for his campaign against rural Ireland. He made a promise on transport, but it was a puff of smoke. His statements regarding what he would do to save rural Ireland were mere smoke and mirrors.