Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. He covered many areas. Recently there has been a big move towards globalisation. That is the way the world is now, and we have to accept that. That is how it works but recent times have shown how vulnerable we are in this regard. Many supply lines have been cut off during the pandemic. I am aware of people in business who have had difficulty sourcing overseas goods and services that would normally flow freely into the country. This has shown up that there is a vulnerable side. Many goods and services can be sourced within the country, thus greatly benefiting local and regional development. Rather than shouting about rural Ireland while doing nothing about it, I am proposing a positive measure to keep money in the relevant areas and create more jobs. Many large companies are still very aloof.

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