Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
West forgotten
A real shame new Government line-up has no cabinet minister from neglected rural regions
After such an important election and months of waiting for a Government, it is disheartening for the people of the west to be denied a cabinet minister.
It is a real shame to see some of the hard-working and dedicated politicians from Donegal right down to Clare being overlooked by Taoiseach Micheal Martin.
There was public outcry over his ministerial appointments and I can understand why.
Western regions always seem to be put on the long finger and forgotten about while Dublin and the surrounding areas continue to be best looked after.
Rural Ireland has been forgotten for long enough and if we don’t have a voice at the cabinet table then the west will continue to be neglected, we need somebody to fight our corner.
Tourism, which is vital to these parts, has virtually collapsed, many small rural pubs have closed, others are under pressure, we have lost post offices and Garda stations.
We need a plan for these parts with funds and infrastructure now more than ever with job losses, business closures and a looming recession predicted to hit Ireland hard this year.