Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

This little island of ours, with its relatively small population, has been riven by divisions of one kind or another for the past 200 to 300 years. We do not need a new, manufactured and artificial division.

I may represent an urban constituency but nobody could fail to appreciate the importance of rural communities to our society. Small rural communities are a cornerstone of our heritage and it is essential that modern Ireland continues to recognise their importance. In recent years they have been threatened, not by overt political action but the ever increasing trend towards urbanisation on all five Continents.

Agriculture is no longer our dominant industry, although I am pleased to note it is thriving again.

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