John Kelly (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Along with my colleagues, I call for an urgent debate on the demise of rural towns. Towns with a population of 2,000 to 3,000 are dying in rural Ireland. There is no question that we can see recovery in the cities, and it is welcome that the numbers on the live register are decreasing, but small towns are dying. Businesses cannot afford the rates and they cannot compete with the multinational companies. We need a cross-party debate in this House to consider how we can bring jobs to the regions. Regardless of whether it requires extra incentives, we must put something in place, and the need for such a debate is urgent.