Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

During the general election campaign Fine Gael Deputies and some Labour Deputies also felt the full force of anger of regional and rural communities as a result of five years of policies which people identified as neglecting rural Ireland and, in particular, on foot of their witnessing the loss of public services and the suffering endured by business owners throughout the country. The only response to date has been cosmetic. It has been the addition of the word "Rural" to a Minister's title and the announcement that a plan was on the way. The plan has been published and one would have to wonder why it took so long. It is a rehash or pulling together of all existing policies. As Deputy Breathnach informs me, even the schools programme has been in place for quite a number of years. Deputy Ó Cuív quite rightly described it as a reheated dinner. It is a long list of what is already happening, which the Government has put between two covers and labelled "Action Plan".

It is extraordinary that there is not a mention of the blood-stock sector in the plan for rural Ireland. There are thousands of jobs in the equine sector - trainers, breeders, race courses, from small players up to big players. There is not a mention of the sector, yet it is sustainable, it is organic and it is in located in rural Ireland. On fisheries, Deputy Howlin is correct about Brexit. In the maritime communities of rural Ireland, there is a real crisis coming in the context of Brexit because of so many fish species being caught in British waters. That is a serious issue. The most incredible omission is that the plan contains no new commitment to a guaranteed level of access to or quality of public services. How can the Government realistically claim to have a vision for rural Ireland if it cannot say what level of education, policing, health or other services should be available? That is the overall metric that is required from this plan and it is non-existent.

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