Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement by the Minister of State. This is another prime example of the Government investing in rural Ireland. That has to be welcomed. I note, in the action plan for rural development, in excess of €50 million over the lifetime of the plan is to be invested in sports, recreational and cultural facilities. I know we have a greenway in my own constituency which got huge funding. This investment makes rural Ireland more sustainable. There are a number of projects off that greenway which breathe life into towns and villages along it. There are also projects in County Longford that, in the previous allocation for the rural recreational programme, got funding and have provided a huge benefit to make rural Ireland more sustainable. That is the path that we need to continue. We need to ensure that the funding gets to those key projects that will make rural Ireland more sustainable.

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