Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Taoiseach to outline the Government's strategy for rural Ireland on this the opening day of the ploughing championships but he has declined to do so. For the record, I did not say that rural Ireland was bearing the brunt of suicide. I know that is not the case. What I said was that the second largest numbers for suicide are among those working in agriculture. That needs to be examined and corrected.

I am a supporter of ConnectIreland and try in my own small way to advance that project. The ploughing championships is an exhibition of what is best about rural values, the meitheal and cabhair na gcomharsan but that is not reflected in the Government's policies. It is these policies that are stripping away essential services across the countryside. The biggest indictment - I am not articulate enough to explain this - is the communal and societal damage and hurt inflicted on families by the scourge of emigration, which is particularly felt in rural Ireland. One cannot walk the length of oneself in rural Ireland without meeting someone whose son, daughter or two or three sons or daughters, whom they reared and put through and education, have emigrated to play their hurling and football in Brisbane, Melbourne, Toronto or Manchester. What the Government needs to do is reverse this.

Austerity is not working. If the policies of austerity underpinning the Government were to underpin the values of society, we would not have a ploughing championship or credit union movement and there would be no Cumann Lúthchleas Gael or all-Ireland football or hurling finals. I appeal to the Taoiseach to use the budget as an opportunity to reverse austerity and to adopt policies which get people back to work and our young people home again, grow small businesses and make society reflect the values that will be evident in Stradbally in the next few days.

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