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elected and I was absolutely delighted to see €15 million allocated in this year's budget. The details have to be right and the money has to go to the rural pubs that are struggling most. Keeping these doors open is one of the best ways we have … build one-off rural homes in their locality. These changes are the biggest overhaul of our rural housing policy in more than 20 years. The guidelines strike the right balance between supporting rural communities and ensuring vibrant towns and villages while protecting the character of our countryside

look at, in terms of its timeliness, not least the fact that we spend an unprecedented amount of money pumping investment, and rightly so, into our sports clubs around the country. For a modest investment that incentivises female participation in sport, surely to God we should consider whether … public consultation. I hope the fact that it was raised on the floor of this House is enough currency to ensure it is given adequate attention. For example, we are now rightly and at last removing the planning requirements around things like bus shelters. I respectfully suggest that

girls cannot get planning permission to build houses for themselves in order to put a roof over their heads. This is happening in areas like Killarney, Killorglin, Kenmare and Dingle. In many places, they cannot get the basic right to planning permission. Draft proposals have been … right to get planning permission, or at least to have a fair chance of getting it. As stated, they cannot get it at present. This is one of the most important things. If we do not have people in rural Ireland and do not have houses for them

additional pitches to support this additional housing. We need to see investment on this. For many rural dwellers, their commute to work is now nothing short of mental torture. We need to provide a real right to remote work as we ramp up our public transport. Rural Ireland

fairness to the Government, there have been supports for post offices and pubs. It is a model which, if we get it right, can be extended to other businesses on main streets in villages and towns across the country. Several of the different funding schemes and the hundreds … viable now. We must also see further housing development in smaller villages, unlocking opportunity for smaller builders and embracing energy and national digital infrastructure. There is a huge opportunity here for community benefit funds but we need to get it right. We need to ensure that where energy

grandparents on the Cork-Kerry border. I understand the importance of what the Deputies are talking about. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae is right. Soft talk is no good. We need to have a plan. The plan is here. Depopulation did not happen yesterday or today; it has been … needs to happen and which is why the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is drawing up the draft statement and guidelines on Gaeltacht housing and planning. Everybody who says we need more people living in rural Ireland is correct. Second, it is about work. Some Members who referenced

House has huge history. It was built by John Obins Woodhouse from Portadown and later hosted Coláiste Bhríde, founded by Eoin MacNeill, where Pádraig Pearse is believed to have written the Irish Proclamation. Omeath is the home of the Irish language in the north east and right along

build your own home, raise a family and make a future in the place you call home. That means action on affordable housing, serviced sites, dereliction, infrastructure and removing the planning barriers. On that, we still have massive issues with flooding in east Cork, particularly in my town … wrote to themselves so the postman would visit them. The postman was the only person they were seeing. I hope the Minister is right when it comes to this strategy for rural Ireland but I know for a fact that there is an awful lot more

catchment area of the local national school, has been refused planning permission on grounds of local planning need. This is happening right across the country. The statements on planning need to happen. They need to be implemented. We need to address the planning system and adopt a permissive … know families and elderly people receiving home care packages under which a different individual attends every day. We must address the lack of housing for older people in our communities

county have just come off of a boil water notice. There are significant difficulties. This is something that very many TDs in this House both Opposition and Government have raised on an ongoing basis. Irish Water is not fit for purpose and should be abolished. It should never … should be brought into being immediately with regard to large developers that are sitting on properties. We also have a problem with gardaí right across the constituency. The new Garda districts, which in our case means Clare and Tipperary, are simply not effective and we have fewer gardaí