Vol. 437 No. 3
3 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Taoiseach the number of townlands in the county of Cork which returned a population figure for 1926 but which did not indicate any population presence in the census of 1991; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Out of a total of 5,629 townlands in County Cork 165, representing 2.9 per cent of the total, were populated according to the 1926 Census of Population and unpopulated according to the most recent census carried out in April 1991.
Will the Minister of State agree that 165 townlands without a living soul in them confirms the extent of rural decline? Will he agree that special measures akin to the urban renewal scheme are necessary in that regard? Perhaps a rural renewal scheme could be set up to stem the tide.
I agree with the Deputy and assure him that the Government has recognised for many years the necessity to sustain people in rural communities. A Minister of State with responsibility for rural development was appointed in 1989 and the Government adopted various other policies in that regard. The Government takes into account factors affecting rural populations in all its policies. It appointed a Minister of State, Deputy Hyland, with specific responsibility for rural development, who I am sure most Members will agree is doing a very good job.
It is clear that the Minister of State and I are of the one mind on this. Does he accept that the measures taken to date have not been successful in halting the drift from the land? Does he agree that more radical measures are needed and that, despite the best efforts of the Minister of State, Deputy Hyland, we should have a Cabinet Minister for western development with responsibility for the 12 western counties to ensure that this continued drift from the land is halted?
I have allowed the Deputy some latitude in this matter but the question is essentially statistical and relates to the census of population.
A brief reply from the Minister will suffice.
I am concerned about policy matters being raised.
We hold a different point of view on this matter. It is important that the west is treated equally and receives attention just like every other part of the State. As various programmes cut across every Government Department it would not be wise to isolate the west by establishing an office such as that suggested by the Deputy.
We now come to questions nominated for priority. Before the Minister proceeds may I say, as is my wont at this time, that the questions we are about to embark upon are priority questions for which 20 minutes only are provided in Standing Orders.
