The rural regeneration and development fund is a “commitment of €1 billion by government to be invested in rural Ireland over the period 2019 to 2027”. Those are the Government's words. The fund was set up to develop infrastructure that may be needed to support town centre housing and commercial development. With what? There is no investment in basic infrastructure for any of this development to happen. This eliminates any hope of increasing the population in our towns and villages - no equality there. Urban areas always get a larger share of Government funding, which leads to huge discrepancies in basic infrastructure in health, transport and broadband between urban and rural - again, no equality there. I, as an elected Deputy, want similar access to resources and opportunities for the constituents of rural Ireland - again, no equality there. Is this just plain discrimination by Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party and a city-based Cabinet?

From where I am standing, we in rural Ireland are not on a level playing field. The Government is anti-rural, anti-small town and village, anti-farmer-----

Ah, Richard, come off it.

The Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 is due to return to the Seanad for the Report and Final Stage on 24 May 2023. Given that there are Seanad amendments, a report back to the Dáil after passing the Seanad will be required. It is anticipated that the Bill will be signed into law in June. Work on commencement orders has already begun. This Bill contains a number of provisions relevant to the work of the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

Completion of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill is the focus at the present time. My Department, in conjunction with the RSA, is giving consideration to the Road Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill and proposals will be brought forward in this regard later in the year.

First, I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Ní aontaím leis. Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil an ceart ag an Teachta nó go bhfuil fírinne an scéil ráite aige. Tá an-chuid infheistíochta ag dul isteach in áiteanna tuaithe na tíre seo. Tá an-chuid infheistíochta á dhéanamh i ngach aon áit sa Stáit.

I do not agree with the Deputy's central premise. The preliminary census results for 2022 show population growth in all counties, in rural and urban Ireland. It is the first time ever that this has happened. The number of people in employment has increased across all parts of the country. We as a Government are investing more money than ever before to support rural projects in rural communities, and I think the Deputy knows this as well. The rural regeneration and development fund, which is quite unprecedented in its scale, the town and village renewal scheme, CLÁR, the communities centre investment fund, LEADER, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme and the sports capital programme have all reached deep into rural Ireland and will suffice to underpin Limerick's supremacy for many years to come, or maybe not supremacy but strength.

We also have full employment now, with remote and blended working. As the Deputy knows, for years people in local communities found it very difficult to get work and many had to commute, but there is now blended working and hubs and so on are being developed. More people are living in rural Ireland than ever before and more people are working in rural Ireland than ever before. These are the facts, and more money is being invested in rural Ireland than ever before. Approximately €600 million has been invested since 2020 by the Department of Rural and Community Development in projects in rural communities under the rural development investment programme and, in 2023, €390 million has been provided for the Department. The Deputy mentioned the €1 billion himself.

The majority of jobs are now created outside Dublin. Approximately 430,000 jobs have been created since the Government took office, with 70% of them created outside Dublin. On towns and villages, one of the most imaginative schemes has been Croí Cónaithe and that is being expanded again by the Government through the grants of €50,000 and €70,000. This will deal with dereliction in towns and villages across Ireland and help couples create homes with substantial State support, and that will support the wider rural infrastructure as well. Last November, more than €115 million was announced for 23 landmark rural regeneration projects nationwide, the largest ever allocation under the fund. I could go on. In regard to housing as well, a substantial number of houses have been built in rural Ireland in the past year.