My commitment to public service dates back to 1979 when I was first elected as a member to Donegal County Council. I was elected to Dail Eireann in 1981 and served as a Minister of State in the Irish Government between 1987 and 1994. Since 1994 I have been a member of the European Parliament for the constituency of Connaught/Ulster.
I am presently a member of the Fisheries Committee and Industry Committee of the European Parliament. Extensive work which I carry out on these Committees includes helping to oversee the review of the Common Fisheries Policy in Europe and implementing a wide range of directives and regulations in the field of telecommunications.
Achievements to date
My primary reason for running for the European Parliament in 1994 was to help secure Objective 1 status for County Donegal, the border county region and the province of Connaught. The negotiations to secure this status took many years and I believe it will bring great benefits to the development of our local economy.
Objective 1 status entitles County Donegal to the following benefits:-
Higher levels of State aid for indigenous and foreign investment locating in our county.
Commitment from the IDA that half of all new Greenfield projects will be set up in the Objective 1 region in Ireland.
The implementation of the National Development Plan which will help to improve the quality of our county, secondary and primary road networks as well as improve our water and sewerage and telecommunication systems.
New Technologies
As a member of the Telecommunications Committee of the European Parliament, I have sought to ensure that the benefits of new information technologies are spread to all rural and urban parts of our country. The benefits of such technologies cannot be secured by large urban centres alone. It is very important that the advent of broadband technologies which include highspeed fax, highspeed internet does benefit all businesses and homes in the Western part of County Donegal and along the Western seaboard.
I very much welcome the announcement by the Irish Government that the benefit of such new broadband technologies will have a strong regional balance.
Common Agricultural Policy
Extensive negotiations took place in Europe with regard to the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2000-2006. The European Parliament very much supported the arrangement which was reached in Berlin by E.U. leaders. Price security is there now for dairy and beef farmers for the period 2000-2006.
I will very much support any measures which will guarantee that Irish farmers secure a good price for their agricultural produce.
Red Tape
I also support proposals which will help to simplify the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy. I believe small and medium sized farmers are being penalised for genuine errors appearing on very complex forms which include very heavy penalties.
Rural Development
I have always supported budgetary allocations for the administration of the Leader I and Leader II Rural Development Programmes. These Programmes help to ensure that job creation takes place within the small and medium sized enterprise sector in County Donegal.
Cross Border Initiatives
- The European Union has been to the forefront of supporting Cross Border Programmes. County Donegal has sizeable benefited from the following key schemes:-
- The Interreg I, II and III Cross Border Initiative, 1989 to 2006.
- The European Peace and Reconciliation Programme, 1994 to 2004.
- The International Fund for Ireland which was set up in 1986.
- These programmes which are additional to State funding help to improve our infrastructures, our environment and help build peace and prosperity in our county
