Vol. 435 No. 9
1 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will give one Cabinet Minister overall responsibility for western development, in view of a report (details supplied) which predicts a population drop in the west of Ireland of 110,000 over the next 18 years.
I do not believe it is necessary or that it would be useful to give one Minister overall responsibility for western development. The work of every Department has important connections with and impact on the west as indeed they have on other areas of the country.
The Government has made it clear that statements on the development of each region of the country, including the west, are now being prepared following on the National Development Plan. The statement for the west will take account of the report referred to in the Deputy's question.
Is the Taoiseach alarmed by the fact that the report referred to in the question shows that during the next 18 years the equivalent of the population of Counties Sligo and Roscommon will disappear from the province of Connacht. Does he agree that this suggests that there is a need to have one person at Cabinet level who would have accountability and responsibility for stopping this disappearance of population from the west?
I do not accept that the appointment of a Minister, as suggested by Deputy Bruton, would have the desired effect. Indeed, it could hinder rather than help development in that various functions in relation to development are spread across a number of Departments. The statement on the development of the west will be made available shortly and will focus on the requirements outlined in the National Development Plan.
Is there not concrete evidence that the west lacks clout at the Cabinet table given that its share of resources under the National Development Plan is smaller than under the previous plan and that this trend of reducing resources for the west seems to be endemic in the Government?
As it is represented by the Taoiseach and two other Ministers at the Cabinet table I do not think the west lacks representation.
Effectiveness.
As someone who represents the west, does the Taoiseach agree that there is a need to concentrate our efforts given that there is overlapping which has given rise to confusion among the public and organisations as to who is responsible for development? In respect of the National Development Plan which the Taoiseach mentioned, the Government failed to provide finance for the Dublin-Westport-Ballina line and for third level courses, as promised; to make arrangements to save 60 jobs which have been lost in Westport and to prevent the closure of 44 beds in Mayo General Hospital——
We are having an extension of this question.
The list is endless.
There has been a decrease in the funding allocated for sanitary services and national secondary routes. Furthermore, a survey carried out in Achill——
The Deputy seems to be imparting a lot of information rather than seeking it by way of question.
Is the Taoiseach——
Does he know that these promises were made?
——aware that a recent survey in Achill shows that the school going population will drop by 50 per cent during the period 1983-97? Will he agree, therefore, that there is a need for political clout in dealing with those problems?
We cannot debate this matter now.
I have already said to Deputy Bruton that the west does not lack political clout at the Cabinet table. I would point out to Deputy Kenny that there will not be an election for quite a while so he can spare us the election speeches. Indeed, under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress the company in County Mayo is operating successfully. I would have thought he would pay tribute to it given that it has made an impact. I should also point out that funding will be provided for the third level courses to which he referred. He need have no fear about that; Castlebar will be looked after. Furthermore, the hospital beds to which he referred have been closed on a temporary basis; an emergency service will be available.
I call on Deputy Higgins. Let us not forget the time factor in dealing with Taoiseach's questions today.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the population of the six counties in Northern Ireland, a human tragedy, is 1.5 million? While we welcome the initiatives to restore peace and save lives there — everything possible is being done and mountains are being moved — there are fewer than 500,000 people in the five counties of Connaught, another human tragedy. Is the Taoiseach further aware that the population of my own county of Mayo has dropped by 80,000 since 1926; that the population of County Leitrim has been halved and now stands at 25,000; that the population of County Roscommon has dropped by 38,000; that the population of County Sligo has dropped by 32,000 and that its towns, town-lands and villages are dying?
Again, we are having a lot of extraneous matter.
This is a human tragedy. We are not begging; what we are looking for is a development plan, a strategy, a Department, encouragement and assistance and we will save ourselves. We are tired of being patronised——
The Deputy made his point eloquently and adequately.
——and we are tired of being told that we have potential——
I must ask the Deputy to desist; this is Question Time.
I ask the Taoiseach to give us a chance to realise our full potential.
I cannot recall the party opposite making any major effort when it had an opportunity to do so in Government or think of any monuments that stand out when we come to the question of development in the west. I repeat that the west has always been strongly supported by the party I represent and by the other two Ministers——
It is dying and the Taoiseach is doing nothing about it.
The Deputy has asked questions.
We had similar outbursts from Deputy Higgins before when certain factories closed in the west. He preached doom and gloom and said that those factories would never reopen. Now, we hear from him again.
We forced the Government to keep them open.
I know what has been said by the Opposition in regard to a regional airport there. We will let the credits rest where they should rest. This party and this Government will totally and absolutely support the west. We will await the full report of the bishops on the west of Ireland and it will be responded to by the Government.
Is the Taoiseach aware that the bishops' conference has welcomed my proposal of a minister for western development? Is he aware that it is inconsistent for the Government to argue in Brussels for assistance for Ireland on grounds of peripherality if it is not willing to look after the peripheral parts of Ireland itself? Is he further aware that the only period during which there was growth of population in the west was during the seventies when a Coalition Government reversed previous industrial development policy and regionalised industrial development?
It is not necessary for Deputy Bruton to tell us what Ministers there should be. There are many Minnisters who have responsibility for various areas. There is a Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, apart from the Minister for Agriculture himself, who has responsibility for rural development. County enterprise boards are being set up in Mayo to give an opportunity to Mayo people to use their own initiative.
Quangos.
I was in the Deputy's county not so long ago——
And well received.
——and noted a very progressive community effort. I salute the community involvement in County Mayo. I have no doubt the community will play its part in regenerating enterprise in the county.
Thanks to ourselves. No thanks to the Government.
