Sinn Féin Councilor Conor D. McGuinness has said that the three Government parties are ‘completely out of touch with the realities faced by families and communities across rural Ireland’. He made the comments at the 104th annual instalment of the Dungarvan Agricultural Show, where he spend the day at the Sinn Féin stand engaging with constituents from across Waterford.
McGuinness said:
“The clear message coming from farming families and rural communities is that the current government parties are completely out of touch and dismissive of the realities they are facing.
“While it might be politically expedient for the two larger parties to blame the Green Party for much of this, they have to take their share of the blame too. They have turned their backs on rural communities. It was telling that neither Fianna Fáil nor the Greens had any presence at the show grounds.
“Earlier this year Macra na Feirme members from across the state took part in a 14-hour walk from Co. Kildrare to Government Buildings in Dublin to highlight their fears for the future of rural Ireland. The Taoiseach’s response
“They raised eight main issues, including a lack of affordable housing, sparse healthcare services, lack of public transport, a lack of planning for rural communities informed by rural people and imposition of quotas on Young Farmers when it comes to supports.
“The Taoiseach’s response was to tell them that rural Ireland was actually doing alright which he based on the fact that populations have increased in rural Counties.
“This is well and good however, the services have not followed. We have not seen an increase in affordable housing, no expansion of public services, limited supports for young farmers, even less for those looking to diversify or launch start-ups in rural communities.
“Added to this are the concerns over the Nature Restoration Law and grain imports, plus ongoing issues with inputs costs, prices, the forestry programme, and the capital scheme for new women farmers.
“This attitude from the Taoiseach that ‘everything is rosy in rural Ireland’ is patronising and dismissive. It is also inaccurate, as people from rural communities have outlined time and time again as they call for government support to tackle the issues affecting them.
“It sums up just how out of touch the three government parties are with rural communities and family farmers. The government has a responsibility to take the concerns of people in rural Ireland seriously, yet we are still waiting for them to step up to the plate and deliver the real change that is needed. Listening to my constituents they have a very clear message – they want a future in rural Ireland and they want a Government that will act to make that future possible.”
ENDS
Conor D. McGuinness TD 