Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is critical that people express an interest. Waterford City and County Council has been driving forward the developments the Minister of State referenced and many of them are in the city. They are closer to where I am based rather than in the west of the county. I know there can be a difficulty in making provision for smaller schemes and attracting people into that area but it is critical we do so. We have so many policies that are aimed at rural Ireland, between Connecting Ireland, the Town Centre First policy, the Our Rural Future document and Croí Cónaithe funding.

These are all concrete and tangible measures to try to breathe life back into these communities. It might not be immediately obvious if you were to visit Ardmore now because you would see the strand, you might go up to the cathedral or have a bite to eat in the Cliff House Hotel but it is a town that dies on its feet in the winter, in particular, when the tourism spend goes out.

Mar fhocal scoir, ba mhaith liom píosa beag a rá maidir leis na paróistí eile a luaigh mé, an Rinn agus an Seanphobal, i nGaeltacht na Déise. Is iad sin na paróistí eile a thiocfaí isteach ann ó Aird Mhór amach. Baineann na brúnna ceanann céanna sin go léir a labhair mé fúthu roimhe seo maidir le heaspa tithíochta agus inacmhainneacht na tithíochta, ansin. Tá tionchar sóisialta a thagann taobh leis na brúnna sin freisin ó thaobh uimhreacha na ndaltaí sna scoileanna a choinneáil in airde agus dóthain páistí a chur sna geansaithe ar na foirne faoi aois. Tá an cheist bhreise ann sa Ghaeltacht áfach agus is é sin todhchaí na teanga sa cheantar sin. Tá pleananna forbartha ag an bpobal sa Roinn do thithíocht inacmhainne phoiblí agus is cosúil go bhfuil tacaíocht forleathan ann dá gcuid bpleananna, ach caithfimid a bheith cinnte go dtagann Údarás na Gaeltachta ar bord agus go bhfuil coinníollacha teanga cuí i bhfeidhm. Deirimid i gcónaí gurb í beatha teanga í a labhairt ach níl aon áit ina bhfuil sé sin níos tábhachtaí ná níos oiriúnaí ná sna ceantair Ghaeltachta féin.

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