Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and Minister of State for their presentations. They would both be familiar with the small towns in the west with populations of a few hundred people. Williamstown and Glenamaddy would be examples of what I mean by a small town. Could we bring in a new initiative under the Tidy Towns competition so that those who paint the front of their houses, for example, could claim back the VAT? I know it cannot be taken off at the beginning under EU rules but we should give some incentive to people. In fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy English, he has promoted the living over the shop initiative, trying to get people into small towns. However, that has not progressed. When one phones local authorities, one finds that it is sitting there, as it were, and there is no direction. We are left in a quagmire. If we are serious about revitalising rural Ireland, we need to make sure that we give incentives. Perhaps the Minister for Rural and Community Development could speak to the Minister for Finance about the possibility of introducing tax incentives, particularly in the context of the current housing problem, to encourage people to come back to live in small towns, thus revitalising them. Incentives may help with that. Generally when the middle sized towns are competing with the smaller ones for the same money, there can be a bit of a problem. Is there anything that we could do for towns with fewer than 500 people in them? I am talking about small villages really. Is there anything that the Department could do to kick-start such villages, perhaps through the Tidy Towns structure? Could something be given to those who do up the shopfront or the house front to give it a lift? A lot of the smaller tidy towns committees are doing Trojan work but they are battling with the bigger towns. I do not want to cause a split between different sized towns but I would ask that the Department would give the smaller ones a good leg up. Generally when local authorities get involved in revitalisation, they pick one or two areas on which they will spend €250,000. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, would be familiar with that in Galway and the municipal districts structure. It is a good thing. I am not saying anything against it but it is the bigger sized towns that get the money and the smaller towns and villages are struggling a bit.

In the context of CLÁR, some of the smaller towns and villages have built a community centre outside of the 50 km zone. There would be applications going into the Department of Rural and Community Development to lay a footpath up to such centres over a five-year period but some of the local authorities are kicking up and insisting that footpaths must be inside the 50 km area. Some people have been ambitious and have built a funeral home beside a community centre to incorporate different things. There might be a school in the village but the community centre or the football pitch might be up the road and teachers have to try to get children up there safely during the day or there might be a crèche at the community centre. I would ask the Department to have an open mind with regard to applications for funding for footpaths in such circumstances.