Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I still do not have a sense, nor does anyone listening to the meeting, as to what rural proofing will mean. For me, if it is to be effective, it means that decisions must be made. Let us face it: most decisions that are made are made in this city within a very small geographical area. The people who make and advise on them are largely based within that same geographical area. We need to come to a point that before policies are implemented and budgets are allocated, there is an overview as to whether there are unforeseen implications or economic or social impacts on other communities that might not be appreciated within this geographical area.

Even over the past few weeks, we have been looking at some transport policies. We talked about electric vehicle grants, for example, and other issues. We found that they actually discriminate against rural communities. People in rural communities do not have the wherewithal to buy new cars and do not have access to public transport. They are essentially paying more every year to fund grants that are largely going to people who have public transport options. Likewise, when we talk about active travel, it is a principle and objective we all support. What we actually see is funding being taken from rural communities that might be used to enhance road safety and improve connectivity. Large amounts are then going towards urban centres under the guise of active travel.

This can be seen across virtually every Department. We have seen where healthcare decisions impact specifically on rural communities. We see it in terms of housing, in particular, where the overarching focus on developing larger cities has had a detrimental impact and the type of development needed was not seen. What people want to know is whether there will be a mechanism at the end of this process. They will actually red-flag those issues well in advance of policies being implemented. Government can proceed with those policy decisions, but it will be doing so in the knowledge of what the implications will be.