Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. As a Galway girl and a farmer's daughter from the small village of Milltown in north Galway who spent many summer holidays in Connemara, Westport and the Aran Islands, I feel it is important to speak on the Report on Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities. It must be said that this report is not just of importance to the people and communities of rural areas; it is also important to the people of Ireland. There should not be an urban-rural divide. People say that Dublin gets all the investment and the rest of the county gets overlooked. That is why it is extremely important for us to equally promote and ensure the sustainability of our rural communities and especially our island communities, which need investment. Rural communities have suffered as a result of the economic downturn, but now they too must share in the recovery of our economy. Rural communities have a wealth to offer to Irish and international tourists. Tourism is vital.

I spent the last two summers ag athfhoghlaim mo theanga dhúchais ar An Cheathrú Rua i gContae na Gaillimhe. A number of people from An Cheathrú Rua have contacted me about this report to raise concerns about issues like broadband, tourism, fishing, agriculture and the agrifood industry. A small number of people from my own constituency of Dún Laoghaire have also contacted me because they hail from far-flung rural places throughout Ireland and, like me, are eager to see the continued promotion, success and sustainability of these communities. Many of the residents of our large cities and urban towns have rural roots. They want to see progress and wealth in their homesteads and in the villages and communities where they grew up and where their relatives live. As a Deputy representing Dún Laoghaire, I am strongly aware that tourism is vital. The tourists who come to Ireland are not interested in just one thing or just one place. They want an all-Ireland experience. They want the urban and cosmopolitan experience of Dún Laoghaire and Dublin, as well as the rural experience. They want the Ireland brand that we all know and love. Cultural unity and political diversity works in Ireland. That is why I would encourage all urban and rural Deputies to work together to ensure the continued success and promotion of our rural, coastal and island communities.

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