I welcome the fact that a new Department of Rural Affairs is to be established and that Michael Ring TD has been appointed the Minister and I would support the call that has been made to locate the Department in the West of Ireland for a number of reasons.
I want to congratulate Minister Michael Ring on his appointment and it is not before time that a department dedicated to rural affairs was established. It would also be totally appropriate for the department to be based somewhere in the West of Ireland. As a West of Ireland man himself and someone who has a good grasp of rural affairs and problems, Minister Michael Ring should have no objection to this proposal. It would not only make sense but it would be a big boost to whatever area was chosen in terms of employment. Any staff such as principal officers who would object to a move to the country could be accommodated in other departments and I am sure there would be plenty of people willing to live and work in the West in the new Department.
Much work needs to be done and many very important issues need to be tackled and it would make perfect sense if this new department was located in the heart of rural Ireland. I understand that there is are suitable parcels of land available including in the Charlestown area among other locations. I will be interested to hear what the response of the Minister is to this proposal.
