Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The reality on the ground is that the economic difficulties being experienced by all of Ireland's inland towns, not just in Tipperary, are well documented. Towns such as Thurles, Roscrea, Templemore, Cashel, Nenagh, Tipperary town and Carrick-on-Suir have been left behind. They were once vibrant retail towns and they are now facing huge difficulties such as competition from suburban shopping centres, problems with parking and parking charges, the increased popularity of internet shopping, and high commercial rates and local charges, and then one must contend with the black economy. As a result, there has been a reduction in footfall, stemming largely from decreased consumer spending, so we have many empty premises that are contributing to the ghost town effect of many towns right around the country. We see padlocked gates, permanently shuttered shops, derelict sites - all of the physical and visible signs of the ongoing pain and unemployment happening across rural Ireland. The 2010 census showed an unemployment rate of 15% in Tipperary, as against the national rate of 12% at that time. We need initiatives to be taken to address this imbalance.

See this speech in context