Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Rural communities that have welcomed Ukrainian refugees in recent weeks are under pressure, particularly when it comes to healthcare and education. This is of course mainly due to the lack of and loss of services in rural areas, which existed long before the war. I see it my own hometown of Ballaghaderreen, which welcomed Syrian refugees as far back as 2017. We were one of the first towns to welcome them here. Greater resources are needed in all our rural communities. Yesterday on the radio, the Taoiseach said there will be additional supports and that that would be important for communities. Can he tell us what those supports will look like? Will they include additional GPs and additional supports for local schools?

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