Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy passed over the hill into Tourmakeady as well. Fair play to him.

I do not accept the Deputy's allegations of anti-rural bias. In fact, when the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, presented the budgets for 2012 and 2013, they included specific measures of assistance for small farmers and those involved in agri-business, and for rural areas in general. The Deputy is aware of, and has regularly spoken about, the difficulties people have in getting planning permission and in meeting the standards that have been laid down, as well as the changes in the demographics and population of many areas. In areas bordering the Deputy's county I am aware of swathes of countryside in which, in the last 30 years, a number of primary schools have closed because of depopulation. There is nobody to attend them and there never will be, because one cannot get planning permission to build. The structure is changing in that regard. The overall focus of the Government is to continue to make decisions which, in as fair a way as possible, allow everybody to make their contribution and to be treated with respect and dignity.

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