Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Mullen in his comments on Cardinal Zen. It is an appalling way to treat anybody, and it is only right we show our support for him.

When we are in this Chamber we sometimes howl and growl on behalf of individuals and groups, which is our right, and we must do that for the public, but I always believe we should look also at positives that come out in life. Senator Horkan mentioned the post offices. There was commitment on the part of the Government - and Senator Horkan and I are members of Government parties - and that commitment has been honoured. Of course, people may ask what will happen in three years' time. In three years' time there will be a review, and I am sure that if more support is needed, whoever is in power will see fit to support the post office network.

In that regard I thank An Post for letting the public know that the post office in one of my local towns, namely, Elphin, County Roscommon, where the people who have been carrying out the service for many years are doing a good job but are now retiring, will not be going out of that town. It will stay in the town and everything should be up and running under the new management in about a month's time. That is good news. The money that is there might not be everything, but it is a help, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Leader know, to many of those small post offices.

It is also very important we note the funding from Government to our agriculture and rural community shows, which are part and parcel not alone of rural Ireland but of many parts of urban Ireland. It should be noted that both the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, have given significant funding to those shows right around the country. Not alone that, but the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has announced new breeding classes for livestock at a number of the shows, which his Department will fund.

It is important we talk about the good things as well as the things that are not so good to let people know that not everything out there is negative.