Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My question is exactly the same, so I am not sure what mistake was made. I know it was not the Acting Chairman's mistake, but 30 seconds is difficult. I could not disagree with the Minister's comments when he launched the scheme. Our towns and villages are at the heart of our rural communities and should be places in which people can live and raise their families in a high-quality environment. While it is a wonderful scheme, the problem has been its roll-out, which has been delayed. I have no problems with the choice of the six towns, but it is important to know what criteria were used to pick them and what criteria will be used to choose the next towns. I think of Galway. We all think of our own cities and counties, but I want to think nationally also. As such, when I look at Galway, I see that no town in the county was picked notwithstanding that we have the largest Gaeltacht nationally. I have just come back from Ballyferriter which I visited with the Irish committee and I have seen how common themes have emerged in rural areas. There is a dearth of places to live, in particular houses, and there is an absence of employment. These issues are tied together.

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