Local Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy has hit out at the Government for continuing to ignore the regions in its job creation strategy following the news that there have only been 3 IDA site visits to Roscommon in 2015 and 2016.
New figures released to Fianna Fáil reveal the figure. In contrast, there were 446 visits in Co. Dublin over the same period.
Deputy Murphy commented, “Roscommon has been left behind by Fine Gael and these figures are further evidence that the regions are simply not a priority for this Government. There has been no sense of urgency in its attempts to secure investment for the county and this is blatantly obvious in these latest figures. The appointment of another Dublin Minister to the Department of Jobs is a clear indication of where this Government’s priorities lie.
“Roscommon has all but been ignored by the IDA – there were only 3 IDA visits to the county since the start of 2015 – making it one of the least visited counties in the country.
“Fine Gael has been ignoring the regions for the past five years and this new administration appears to be continuing in that vain. Its record on rural investment is appalling. Boarded up shops are still a feature of many of our towns, important services have been reduced or shut down completely and broadband speeds are a joke. Time and time again, Fine Gael has turned a blind eye to the problems that are being faced every day in Roscommon.”
Eugene Murphy went on to say “Unless this Government gets its act together, rural Ireland will continue on this downward spiral. Communities will decline and our young people will be forced to head to larger towns and cities in search of work. There needs to be a rural strategy put in place to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to attract investment and to encourage local businesses to grow. The fact of the matter is this Government has buried its head in the sand in terms of regional development, and Roscommon is suffering as a result”.