Sports Organisations
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-05
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Brendan Smith (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

I thank the Minister. As the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach knows, thankfully, in practically every parish in Cavan-Monaghan, we have excellent community facilities. I know that many communities in Dublin and the highly populated areas would love to have those facilities. As the Minister knows well, we have the social infrastructure in rural communities. We have community centres, schools, GAA and other sporting organisations. What we need is population. Perhaps the Minister and the Minister of State could try to continue the influence on other Departments on the need for investment in rural Ireland.
We need more jobs and, as the Minister said, more young families. We have to improve in some way the availability of housing for young couples. Planning is essential, as are changes to the rural planning guidelines. Only last night, I engaged with the Minister for housing, Deputy James Browne, who fully understands the difficulties. Where we have the infrastructure, the community facilities, education, health and other social facilities, we need people. The Government must try to ensure, through every means available to it, that more and more young people are in a position to live in rural communities.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-05