Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Dublin is gaining jobs at the expense of rural areas. While we do not begrudge jobs to people in Dublin, the capital and the east of the country are prospering and the Government is not doing enough to rectify the imbalance. Houses are not being provided at the pace required to address the housing shortage. The Department has placed to many hurdles in the way. Despite all that has been said, rural Ireland is still in decline. Post offices and Garda stations are closing and services are being centralised. To take the centralisation of the ambulance service as an example, last Sunday evening a person in Sneem spent an hour on the road waiting for an ambulance. That is the gospel truth and it is not acceptable.

Last week, The Kerrymanhighlighted that farmers' incomes in County Kerry are at an all-time low. The fair deal scheme militates against farmers. The Government opposed a motion we introduced on this issue.

Fianna Fáil abstained and did not support farmers. I thank all those on the left - Sinn Féin, the Green Party, the Boyd Barretts and so on - for voting to support them.

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