Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In south Sligo near Mayo. I should know it - my wife is from near there. We enunciated that vision of what rural Ireland should be and how Government policy should react to it. After the election, it was the most fashionable item in political jargon. Everyone was running around claiming to be for rural Ireland this and rural Ireland that, but when the time came, a hodge-podge of a Department that did not work was created. Everything was put into it. It is now being split, but it still will not work or address people's concerns and needs. More work needs to be done. The Minister, Deputy Ring, needs to make the case to the Taoiseach to change the set-up radically as regards how rural Ireland is dealt with at Government policy level because what is happening at the moment is not good enough.

I congratulate the Minister personally. It is a significant honour for him and his county to be in the Cabinet. He will do a good job, but he needs a larger role.

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