Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I support and welcome the amendment as someone who was born and bred in the countryside. I argued ad nauseam as a member of Westmeath County Council for due recognition to be given to sustaining rural developments and communities. Such communities are driven by people and one of the greatest barometers of the declining population in many parts of Ireland is where a number of parishes have to come together to field a football or hurling team. Where a number of houses are clustered in a rural area, help should be given to local authorities to confer village status on them because, at the end of the day, there has been a great decline in the number of rural shops, which are an integral part of rural infrastructure together with the Garda station, the school, the church and the post office. The Minister should act to sustain rural communities. The amendment is a step in the right direction and I commend the Minister of State for that.