I welcome the opportunity today to speak on the Our Rural Future policy consultation. Over the last number of years I have been involved in and seen the positive impact that investment in rural places can have on towns, villages and rural communities throughout Kildare South. We are seeing investment in places like Athy, with Emily Square and the Shackleton Experience which the Minister was down to visit himself and which he officially opened. The Athy food hub obviously must be mentioned as well. There are more projects coming up, like the fabric and textiles design hub in Monasterevin. However, there is scope for much more investment to ensure rural communities are thriving and that they are places that people want to stay in and continue to have pride in. In my own submission on behalf of the Labour Party, I highlighted the need for the Government to continue to provide funding for converting old schools and community buildings into community hubs, public libraries and remote working hubs, given the lack of vital infrastructure in some rural towns in south Kildare. As the Minister will be very much aware, Kildare has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country, yet the infrastructure is simply not enough to meet the demands of the population. Without doubt, utilising old and out-of-use buildings will help address this infrastructure gap. Many of Ireland's community halls are decades old and in urgent need of modernisation to allow them to continue to be a focal point for communities. The Government should expand community hall grants to include older buildings, and local authorities should carry out an audit on these buildings detailing their current state, use and potential for refurbishment and upgrade. This is something my own local authority, Kildare County Council, has carried out. A prime example of what needs to happen in rural Kildare is the Clongorey and District Community Association. Yesterday I had a chance to visit this vibrant rural community and meet Sandra and Maureen. The Clongorey and District Community Association is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit organisation that plays a crucial role in bringing people together in their rural community in Clongorey, Newbridge, County Kildare. For over 25 years, the centre has supported a wide range of activities, including sports and fitness through Clongorey FC and local walking and running groups, social and educational activities such as bingo, card games, a history group, book club and many other areas including youth development and introducing children to digital skills and, most importantly, introducing them to community life as well. Its long-running fixtures include a St. Stephen's Day charity walk and run which has operated for over 30 years. However, the reason I was there yesterday is that its current facility, a second-hand Portakabin, is now in serious disrepair and no longer fit for purpose. Their vision is to redevelop the centre into a modern, accessible, and energy-efficient community support centre that will enhance inclusion, promote health and well-being and support lifelong learning and community engagement for all ages. As a key next step, they are seeking to undertake a feasibility study to identify the most effective and sustainable way to deliver this redevelopment and ensure it meets the growing needs of their community. I ask the Minister and the Department to support this desire and allow this great community to future-proof their association, which is replicated throughout south Kildare. There has been a lot of commentary this evening on the need for rural housing. For many months now, we have been informed a new rural housing policy is to be announced by the Government yet I continue to deal with rural people who have grown up in the area, including farming communities, who are unable to get a one-off house for themselves. The issue of serviced sites has been raised already. Serviced sites could be a solution for many rural communities. They could sustain the schools. Today I dealt with two schools in County Kildare which are unfortunately losing staff because their numbers are decreasing. Even with the population of Kildare, this is what is facing so many rural schools. It is simply not sustainable for these rural communities. The local GAA clubs are suffering, as are the local communities. A lack of proper infrastructure across rural communities is becoming a major barrier to creating strong and diverse rural communities, particularly in transport, childcare and schools, as we mentioned in our submission. As TD for Kildare South, I have been frequently highlighting the carparks that Ireland's motorways have turned into, particularly along the M9, M7, N7 and M50. The Government must greatly expand, and invest in, rural public transport. I agree with what the Minister said in his opening statement - that rural transport is central to the quality of life in many rural communities. In fact, it is a gamechanger. Some of the rural transport that has been provided in my own area has allowed those in rural Kildare to obtain employment in Kildare Village, for example. However, we have seen that stalling, as others have mentioned. I have been engaging with the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, on a number of routes that are not taking off. The route 893 will hopefully service the village of Suncroft has been promised for almost two years but not yet delivered. Now we are being told it will be a number of months still. This will be a gamechanger for the village of Suncroft. We have to see continued investment in, and no stalling on, these much-needed rural transport services. As the Minister said himself, it is central to the quality of life in those rural communities. There is also an urgent need to look at official bus stops and bus shelters throughout rural communities. These must be addressed. It is simply not good enough for people to be standing on the side of the road, which I see every morning when I come to Dáil Éireann, because of the lack of bus stops. I welcome that the local and community improvement scheme has seen investment, but it must go further. I previously raised with the Minister the issues with people who have one holding or are funding their own properties for farming. They are not getting the benefit of this grant. I ask the Minister to look at that because I believe that can make a difference to those holdings. Of course, I have to use the opportunity to tell the Minister about the many people who have been in contact with my office about the childcare crisis across Kildare and areas that are becoming childcare deserts, like Kilcullen, Newbridge and Kildare town. A lack of available childcare places has now become the biggest barrier for parents trying for childcare or after school places. I frequently raise this with Government and the Minister for children. Parents are having to reduce their working hours or give up work entirely. In some cases, parents have raised concerns that they may have to move away to be closer to family due to the lack of childcare. This is a massive issue in rural areas and it can lead to people having less disposable income to spend in the local area and could lead to depopulation of rural towns and villages. The Government is telling us that it is coming up with eight pilot schemes for a public childcare model. I encourage the Minister to talk to the Minister, Deputy Foley, about ensuring that some of those pilot schemes are located in rural areas so we can see people remain where they want to remain in their local communities. I have also seen the huge benefit of the senior alert scheme, which I want to raise with the Minister again. He has heard me raising that before. These schemes are a must for our older population in rural communities. In County Kildare, we have been involved in two pilot schemes. One was the provision of lights for older people. I ask the community section to look at that nationally. The second was the provision of home alarms for older people to ensure that they are safe in their homes and that children ensure that their parents are safe in their homes too. It has definitely worked in rural south Kildare and I believe it can work nationally too. The lack of gardaí in rural areas has been mentioned. The unfortunate closing of Garda stations has meant that many rural communities are facing an increase in rural crime. There were pilot schemes relating to CCTV cameras in rural areas, which we should expand again, particularly near motorways, where there is a significant increase in crime rates and has been for a long time. I am proud to be from rural Ireland and from rural Kildare. One of the biggest issues that I face, day in, day out, and which I faced yesterday, is trying to explain to people the number of grants and sections in the Minister's Department and where they should actually go. I call for an easy to explain dialogue or diary, however the Minister wants to put it, for rural communities, so that they can actually talk to someone in Pobal or the community section about what grant will suit them. Yesterday, when I spoke to those people from Clongorey, they had already contacted four or five different sections relating to community in Kildare County Council. They were asking me where they should go next. I believe the community section should provide that portal to ensure that when a rural community is looking for investment, they can just bring up one person or look at one website, and get the information they require.

Sentiment score: 0.18