Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agreed it includes provincial towns. However, given we have the reheating of some actions for towns, will the Government give us the plan for rural Ireland? Does the Minister of State realise there is one town in the whole of Connemara, which he represents, with a population of more than 1,500 people, namely, Clifden? Does he realise there are 980 towns in the country with a population of more than 1,500? The Government will not even be able to give €33,000 a year to more than two thirds of those towns. What of all the towns and villages in Connemara, with which the Minister of State is well familiar? One town might qualify. This is not a plan.

Will the Minister of State answer one straight question? The Government is going to implement this plan and the Minister of State tell us this is something new and above what was already in all the Estimates that were provided for when Members voted through the budget. Will he tell me how much of a Supplementary Estimate the Government will have to bring in this year to implement this plan? That is the acid test. If the answer is nil, it proves this plan is just an amalgam of reheated dinner, as I said at the beginning, and is a disgrace. If this is what the stakeholders want, the stakeholders are not serving the people. It is no excuse.

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