This is our election to make our voice heard loud and clear #LongfordWestmeathElection2024

The beauty of being a newsagent is that you get to have a read of all the newspapers and on Sunday last an article in the Sunday World by Pat Spillane caught my eye.

Love him or hate him Pat always has an opinion and he is not shy about expressing it. This article, if you can access the link, is definitely very well worth reading.

This week he reminded us of the time he was appointed as ‘ambassador for the Action Plan for Rural Ireland’ that lasted 2 ½ years.

He goes on to say that we are being told that we have full employment, a strong economy and surplus money in the coffers. He goes on to say that so many people are homeless, not able to own or build their own homes. The health service is a mess, our trained nurses, doctors and teachers are obliged to go abroad to work. As he says we are exporting our brightest talent.

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It led me to think that our Government is not affording them the opportunity to live, work and save in our country. Each day we hear of the cost of living rising to a point that grandparents act as child carers for their grandchildren, you cannot get onto a doctor list as they are all full, no homes can be bought or rented and single people in and out of relationships are moving back into their family homes just to save money for a deposit. Gone are the days that you could work and save money.

Rural Ireland is dying on its feet due to lack of investment. While the National Plan for the Government is to direct new business seeking to enter Ireland into the five main cities unless the owner specifically requests to be placed in a certain location it naturally follows that rural Ireland will become places of isolation.

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As we listen to what has become a giveaway election with so many promises by all parties you would wonder what has been happening in the previous 5 years of Government.

Yet, there has been and I expect there will be no mention by any party of rural regeneration with new businesses or industries going to be directed to rural parts of the country.

There will, no doubt, be no change in the planning regulations and charges associated to allow young people move back, build and live in their own communities.

Previously, I mentioned that Lanesboro should be the working centre as it had been since the early 50’s and the benefit for all surrounding communities would be the fulcrum of rural regeneration for all the surrounding communities.

The demise of work opportunities in rural areas creates a multitude of problems for business, clubs and associations and the brain drain, so often spoken about here, will grow until there is nothing left but an old community with one or no shop, just a bus to take you to a bigger town to shop.

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We look at the parishes surrounding us as well as our own community and we see the demise of business in our villages and towns and this is only going to get much worse. Sadly we cannot say it will get worse before it gets better because as it stands it will not get better.

As every politician or their representative calls to your door you should be asking all the pertinent questions that affect you, your family, your community and your local workplace community and do not take idle promises.

At the time of writing there have been some canvassers visiting our community, unfortunately they have visited all the estates but have not ventured down the Main Street to face the businesses of the town and hear what they have to say.

A, ‘sorry I missed you’ leaflet in your letterbox is not worth the paper it is written on.

This is our election to make our voice heard loud and clear in a way that it has never been heard before and make sure that we elect those that you are confident will speak for and achieve for your own community.