Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)

I thank the Minister. I am pleased to hear that, but to be honest with him, I am looking at various responses he has provided to me over the years. I will go back 12 months. The final sentence in his response to my question on this was:

My Department's scrutiny is almost complete. Once my Department is satisfied that the application is ready [it] can move to the next stage which is the national opposition procedure.

Almost a year later, the Minister is telling me that this is where we are now. I do not doubt his bone fides in this, and I do not doubt his interest or that of his Department, but things are beyond painfully slow. I organised the first meeting on this back in January 2014. Joe Lowe who was, and still is, with the LEO in Leitrim was a huge supporter. He still is. The producers have come together time and time again and yet the whole thing is just painfully slow. I really want to believe that this time we are at the final hurdle.

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