O Cuiv agrees to take new portfolio

A shake-up of EU-supported rural development programmes is expected under the stewardship of the new Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Eamon O Cuiv.

The Galway West TD has also accepted responsibility for the Western Development Commission, after initially indicating that he didn't want it. His job definition was agreed at a Cabinet meeting last week, almost two months after he was transferred to Agriculture from the junior ministry in Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

Mr O Cuiv had made no secret of his disappointment at the transfer, following the resignation of junior minister Mr Ned O'Keeffe and the promotion of his Donegal colleague, Ms Mary Coughlan.

His contribution to island transport has been praised by Comdhail Oileain na hEireann, the Irish Island Federation, and he had just circulated the new Language Bill to other Departments. His immediate reaction was that the new post had "neither function nor funding", and he couldn't see how it could satisfy his work ethic as "a doer, not a talker".

His reluctance to take responsibility for the Western Development Commission, and his recent criticisms about a duplication of services, due to a plethora of bodies in regional development, drew a swift reaction from the commission, and he was in a public debate with former Council of the West chairwoman, Ms Marian Harkin.

Last Tuesday's Cabinet meeting identified his responsibilities as including rural development policy; land policy; area board payments; administration of the Rural Environment Protection Schemes (REPS); administration of the EU-backed Leader programme; the Western Development Commission; and the rural "rapid" programme to be known as Clar.

In a statement which he issued last week in response to Ms Harkin's criticisms, Mr O Cuiv said his views on rural and western development were formed by a long period spent in this type of work as manager of a small community co-op from January 1974 to December 1991, and as chairman of the same co-op from 1992 to 1997.

He identified his priorities as the rapid and radical improvement of basic infrastructure, including electricity, water, roads, piers, telecommunications, recreational, health and educational infrastructure; and the equalisation of quality and cost of same to these areas as far as possible.

He intends to eliminate unnecessary duplication and to avoid commissioning further consultancy studies unless necessary. He also believes State agencies and other development bodies should act as "stimuli, not depressants", and he concludes, positively, that he has a year to meet "a great challenge" given to him by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to try to make a serious impact on the problems of rural Ireland.