John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On four occasions in as many months, I have requested a debate on aviation policy. To date, such a debate still has not been scheduled on the Order Paper. It is exceptionally important not only in the context of our national airport, Dublin Airport, but also in the context of our regional airports. I will make specific reference to Waterford Airport in that context. A business case for matching funds for a proposal to lengthen and widen the runway is currently before the Department. If it is the case that the Minister is refusing to come before this House, we need to know. The position is simply not tenable when this has now been requested four times on the Order of Business.

I have raised the issue of farm inspections in a debate with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and he was receptive to my comments. We need to move to a less adversarial approach in farm inspections. In that debate, I likened it to the education system. Where a whole-school inspection is to take place, the school is notified in advance, a number of recommendations are made afterwards and the school is given a period of time to take action on them. The same should be the case for the inspections carried out on our farms every week. Such a non-adversarial approach would bring a lot more people along with us than the current regime does. I ask the Acting Leader to take that back to the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, in a co-operative way. I am trying to be helpful in the suggestions I am making.