“People in rural Ireland are not looking for handouts to sustain their communities but they need support from central government and the local authorities to help them survive and grow”.
That’s the view of Roscommon Galway Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice, who was speaking on the Late Late Show last night.
“You will not get a better place to live than in rural Ireland and for communities to survive, the basic services must be provided. things like proper broadband, adequate mobile phone coverage, roads, Garda Stations, financial services and transport to name just a few services, and that’s where Governments and local authorities have a role. The supports that are there for agriculture must lean in favour of the small family farms and not the biggest operators as they have done in the past. There is a fantastic community spirit all around rural Ireland that must be tapped into and people need is a leg up from the authorities but not handouts. Rural Ireland can be sustained and all we need is some creative thinking to revive rural towns and villages and a Minister and department for Rural Affairs would be a driver of that. There is no point talking about an urban/rural divide as there are areas in Dublin and our big cities that need to be helped too, but a creative approach from the Government and local authorities will ensure that the problems in all areas are addressed in a meaningful way” he concluded.