Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Kyne in asking the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to come to the House to have a debate on the islands and on LEADER funding for the islands. I have been on a number of the islands this year and they are doing great work there with limited funding. They have different problems from the mainland and, on one of the islands in Cork, they are creating jobs. It was usually the other way around and people would leave the islands to look for employment on the mainland, but on one of the islands off Cork, they are creating jobs and there are people moving from the mainland to the island and looking for planning permission for houses and so forth. As Senator Kyne has said, there is provision in European law to have one LEADER programme for the islands and this is what they are looking for. We should have the Minister in here for a debate on LEADER funding for the islands and on the problems they have. That would be a worthwhile debate.