This risks being yet another exercise in performative consultation while rural Ireland continues to pay the price for the previous Government's failure to deliver. Launched in March 2021, the last rural development policy was full of grand promises of a thriving countryside, digital connectivity for all, revitalised towns and villages, enhanced public services and active support for a vibrant, sustainable agricultural sector. The policy has, instead, presided over a period of managed decline. High speed broadband remains patchy in far too many rural areas. Housing provision in rural communities has been strangled by planning restrictions. Only last night I attended a cost-of-living meeting in Cloghan which took place after the fuel protests. We heard at that meeting of the case of a couple who had to abandon their hopes and dreams of building a home due to excessive costs. They only got as far as digging out a foundation. That is very wrong. That is failing rural people. We need to see action here. The comments of the former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on rural Ireland were disgraceful. He should really hang his head in shame and so should Fine Gael.

Sentiment score: -0.11