REGIONAL and rural development must be a priority for any new government, according to Limerick politician Richard O’Donoghue.
He claimed that the current administration has “cast rural Ireland into the shadows” but promised a more “people-powered approach” from the Rural Ireland Group, of which he is a member, if in Government after the next election.
“It is imperative to empower rural communities to thrive for a brighter future,” Deputy O’Donoghue said.
“I categorically reject the current administration’s strategy of reducing rural Ireland’s economic value under the guise of environmental preservation.”
“This approach is a recipe for disaster and imminent rural depopulation. Over the past decades, the geographical remoteness of rural areas has lead to their exclusion from political and economic influence,” Deputy O’Donoghue concluded.
