30 Jan Topics For Elections | Backing Rural Ireland

• Our ambitious plan for rural Ireland will build vibrant, well-connected communities.

• Fine Gael will continue to back rural Ireland by creating high quality local jobs, revitalising our towns and villages and connecting our communities.

• Under Project Ireland 2040 we will prioritise investment decisions which will ensure 50% of future population growth happens in our towns, villages and rural areas.

• 2023 will be the Year of the Invitation – a global invitation to visit Ireland on the 10-year anniversary of The Gathering, which mobilised communities to organise over 5,000 special Gathering events for diaspora and friends and generated €170m in revenue.

• €1 Billion will be invested in job creation in rural areas and deliver improvements in our towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. We are already investing €148 million in 110 projects.

• Fine Gael will deliver the National Broadband Plan to ensure that the 1.1 million people living in rural Ireland have the same opportunities to live and work as those in our towns and cities. We will not leave any part of the country behind and are the only party who can be trusted to deliver broadband to rural Ireland.