Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is my job, as Minister for Rural and Community Development, to try to promote development in every rural area. It is my job to support Tipperary town and every other town throughout the country and I am doing so with all of the schemes I have set up such as the town and village renewal scheme and the outdoor recreation scheme. I am also piloting a scheme whereby I have picked six towns that will give me ideas about what we can do that could be piloted in towns such as Tipperary in order that we can get people back living and working in towns and villages. I work with my colleagues in government. My job at Cabinet level involves making sure every item of legislation and every project is rural proofed. I understand towns such as Tipperary. There are many others that are going through difficult times. My job, as Minister, is to make sure we can spread development into the regions to towns such as Tipperary. That is why my Department allocated €6,382,000 for projects and schemes in County Tipperary to try to give rural towns a lift. They include the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation scheme and the CLÁR programme.

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