Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat. I have another budgetary question. Yesterday, there was an excellent discussion here in the Chamber on rural Ireland. The major takeaway for me was that some of the schemes are working well. We have the town and village renewal scheme and the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, initiative. The major problem with these schemes is that they are not adequately funded. The principle in this regard is completely sound. The problem is there is just not enough cash in the pot. Every Deputy here will know there are projects all over rural Ireland, in all the regions, that are excellent. They are viable and sound but they need to be funded. Will the Minister engage and intercede with his Cabinet colleagues to make certain more funding will be provided in the next budget to ensure these projects can get off the ground and we can bring life back into rural Ireland?

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