Contrary to opposition spin the recovery is spreading to rural Ireland – Barry

“If we are to believe the opposition, rural Ireland is desolate, lacking in innovation and generally to be pitied. As a resident of rural Ireland this is not what I see and experience”, says Tom Barry, Fine Gael TD for Cork East.

“To be honest I am fed up of listening to variations of rural Ireland’s obituary from the opposition benches. We need to give the people of rural Ireland more credit than that and to recognise that people in regional areas are starting businesses, working to promote their local areas and making progress. The recovery is taking hold but we need to redouble our efforts to ensure the benefits are felt in rural Ireland.

“Jobs are growing in all regions of the country and while these positions have not been evenly distributed across the country, the reality is that real jobs are being created in local communities.

“Further supports and improvements are needed to boost the entrepreneurship and the long established businesses that keep rural Ireland running. However, it must be said that rural Ireland is punching well above its weight.

“Every block of Kerrygold butter sold in the four corners of the world is produced in Mitchelstown. Farmers are spending on upgrading facilities and over 60,000 of them will get an increase in farm payments, benefiting the lowest paid. Farming has been made more accessible through agri-taxation measures which attract younger farmers and assist with the transfer of land.

“Only this week changes were announced to small schools, meaning that fewer pupils are needed to retain extra teachers and not a single one teacher schools will be forced to close.

  “Regional job creation is a key focus of the Action Plan for Jobs 2015. The Regional Enterprise Strategy will tap into the strengths and potential of local areas and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will be working with local authorities and businesses to help create more local jobs.

“All the indicators are good, over 141,000 people came off the live register in 2014; unemployment has fallen for 31 months in a row and the tide of emigration has ebbed. Rural Ireland is a significant player in driving the economic recovery and though now is not time for the Government to slap ourselves on the back, we must have confidence in rural Ireland.”