Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased to be able to speak on this important subject. It is absolutely right in terms of the allocation of resources that the Government has decided to have a Minister for rural and community development. It is one of the most important challenges for the country so it is appropriate that the area has a specific Minister in Cabinet and a Department to get it right. All the other speakers are correct in their identification of the weaknesses and not having a budget ready and perhaps not having all the roles and powers clearly defined, but the Minister's job then has to be an important strategic one. It must be to engage in the national capital plan immediately. That is today's job. It is not for tomorrow. It is an immediate priority. The Minister must be involved in the national planning framework. That is today's work. It is critical. I reiterated on many occasions what the Minister, Deputy Coveney, said previously that it is probably the most important project that this Dáil has to get right in the long term.

The Minister has a major role to play in the national climate dialogue which we need to start. Rural Ireland will be at the forefront of the discussion and it will be to the great benefit or rural areas if we get that right. Whatever about the Minister's budget and his direct powers over particular line functions or operations within the State, I encourage him to get involved at a strategic level and to make sure that there is a strategic vision for rural Ireland which is inputted into those big key strategic decisions we have to make.

The Minister will not be surprised but some others might be, that my advice to him is to go green for rural Ireland. It is the best bet and the best strategic future. I wish to outline a few reasons that is the case. People in rural Ireland and the Green Party have had differences in the past. Sometimes we made the mistake that we could have done a bit more listening and a bit less talking down to people and not admitting we do not know everything. On the other side people possibly mischaracterised us by saying all we were interested in was stag hunting and what not. That is not a true and fair reflection of either side. We need to start again. I hope the Ministry will allow us to do that because in order to have a thriving, vibrant, culturally rich, dynamic rural Ireland, green is the way to go. First, it is the way to go because in order to have a vibrant community one has to create wealth. It cannot just work on the basis that there are resources in Dublin and that they are being diverted to rural areas. There should not be a split between the development of cities and the development of rural areas. The two can and must combine together. It is a false divide.

It is said there is a divide between the Green Party and rural Ireland. Those who pitch it as a divide between urban and rural Ireland are doing a huge disservice to both. It is just not true. Scratch a Dub and there will be a country person underneath the surface. I was down in Kerry last Sunday and will be in Kilkenny on Monday. I am off to Inishbofin in two weeks' time.

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