Senator hits out at ‘God-awful’ rural towns

THE branding of towns chosen for decentralisation as “God-awful places” with only “dingy pubs” by a prominent Labour Party politician was roundly condemned yesterday.

As Fianna Fáil figures said Senator Derek McDowell’s comments were symptomatic of Labour’s Dublin-oriented views of rural Ireland, the party leadership distanced itself from the remarks directed at the 53 decentralisation locations across the country.

Mr McDowell, a former Dublin North-Central TD and Labour finance spokesperson, slated the Government’s decentralisation plan for its effect on civil servants’ lifestyles.