Tidy Towns Success Shows Great Community Spirit

I want to congratulate all the communities who have done so well in the Tidy Towns and Villages competition, the results for which were published earlier this week. A huge amount of voluntary work goes in to this effort and there are unseen heroes in every community all around the region and throughout the country. Keeping your own local area tidy and clean adds to the attraction of the area and is a boost to tourism in the long term. In connection with small towns and villages. I note that today included in a 27 billion Euro capital plan announced by the Government, a figure of 30 million Euro is to be spent on local towns and villages all around the country. Any extra investment in rural areas is welcome but 30 million Euro is a miniscule amount of money and an insult to the many people around the country who are trying to revive rural economies. The Government seem to have missed the point that the economic recovery has not reached the vast majority of rural areas.