24 Mr. O'Toole asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has satisfied himself with the progress, to date, under the operational programme for rural development.

I am very satisfied with progress to date under this programme which I introduced earlier this year.

All the elements of the programme are now in operation with the exception of the special sub-programme relating to small and community enterprise for which a sum of £7.6 million of public funding has been allocated for the period up to the end of 1993. The implementation of this sub-programme must await the establishment of the new national structure for rural development which I announced recently. The necessary administrative arrangements in that regard are now being made.