Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept that the setting up of the Department was one of the key recommendations of the report. However, many of the other recommendations in the report have not been addressed to the level envisaged in the CEDRA report. This is evident when we look at the issues of housing and investment in rural Ireland. My colleague mentioned how many of the jobs outside of Dublin are only just outside of Dublin. Many of the jobs are still in the big towns and centres. The more rural and isolated areas are still very much left behind. In fairness, the Minister recognises that we have a great deal of work to do. We need to work together on that.

One relevant example is something I have mentioned to the Minister on several occasions, that is, the issue of housing in every town and village in the country with fewer than 700 or 800 people. Half of the houses on the main street lie empty. The people who own these houses have a liability, not an investment or anything they can make something out of. They need some help to turn this around. The suggestion that there will be some plan does not given them the help they need. In effect, they need seed capital in order that they can develop and bring life back to those areas. It is similar with developing new sectors in agriculture. No new sectors will develop unless there is someone to pull them together. I believe the Department is crucial efforts to make that happen.

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