Sinn Féin is inviting people across rural Ireland to take part in an online survey and make their voice heard on the future of their communities.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on rural development Claire Kerrane, who launched the survey with MEP Chris MacManus, said the reasoning behind the survey is that “those who live in rural areas are best placed to tell us what is needed in order to develop and sustain their communities”.
Rural Ireland ‘has so much potential’
“We want to hear from you about the future you want to see for your community and where investment is needed in your local area to make this a reality,” the Roscommon-Galway TD said.
“Rural Ireland has so much potential to thrive but government inaction has left many communities feeling abandoned and lacking investment.
“We want to hear from you about what needs to change, where investment is needed in your area and what you want to see the government do.
“We will be using these results to inform our policy proposals on a plan to support rural Ireland, which will be published this summer.”
Reality of life
MEP Chris MacManus said that “far too often, decisions are handed down from Dublin with little engagement about the reality of life in rural Ireland”.
“People living in Ireland’s towns, villages and rural communities need to have their voices heard and their concerns addressed,” he said.
“Whether it is issues around broadband connection, access to healthcare, access to education, childcare or remote working opportunities, we want to hear from you about your experiences.
The MEP added that rural communities “can flourish and thrive if we plan together for the future and create ambitious proposals, backed up by adequate funding and determination to deliver real change”.
“We will be raising our findings of this survey in the Dáil and in the European Parliament so that the needs of Irish communities, towns and villages are heard in Dublin and in Brussels.”
The survey can be found and completed online.