Irish Examiner view: Rural future plan will stand or fall on broadband

High-speed broadband at the heart of a rejuvenated rural economy but swathes of country struggle with connectivity

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin with Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys at the launch of ‘Our Rural Future'. Picture: Julien Behal

It’s 18 years since minister for finance Charlie McCreevy told the Dáil that the Government could have spent 100 years consulting various interests about decentralisation even though it had flagged its intentions four years earlier. 

Reminding us that Ireland was a very small country and the Government was not trying to put a man on the moon, he told TDs that it was time to “get away from the Dublin mindset and arrogance towards the people of the country”.