Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

I am very grateful for the very comprehensive submission that Irish Rural Link provided. I am really interested in the concept of rural proofing, which should be done for all Government policy and funding decisions. Would Irish Rural Link like the Government to start rural proofing, both for the budget we are talking about here and in general?

I have major concerns about how housing policy is failing rural communities and how rural communities are being hollowed out. The national planning framework's objective to push people into cities and larger urban areas is adding to demand for housing in those areas while removing people from the areas they grew up in and where they would like to rear their children.

I note that Irish Rural Link referenced capital funding for transport. I always tell the story of the senior roads engineer in my county of Waterford when I was a councillor. He was tearing his hair out when we came to the roads programme every January saying that the roads needed to be resurfaced or maintained every 20 years and that, with the budget allocation he was being given by the Department, it would be every 40 years at best.

That is the context. I would like to hear from the witnesses how the Government might put rural proofing in place.