Michael Healy Rae says ‘Wonder Woman’ Joan Burton could easily help rural Ireland.

For further information:

Sharon McHugh
TV3 PRESS OFFICE
+3531 419 3430 / 087 922 4143
sharon.mchugh@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie

Ciara Byrne
+353 1 419 3329 / 087 3199732
ciara.byrne@tv3.ie

TV3 GROUP RELEASE                                                                               

IMMEDIATE: Tuesday 10th June, 2014.

 

 

Michael Healy Rae says ‘Wonder Woman’ Joan Burton could easily help rural Ireland.

 

Independent TD Michael Healy Rae appeared on Ireland AM this morning to speak about the difficulties in rural Ireland today and what is needed to resolve these issues.

 

The outspoken Kerry man believes that Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, who he referred to as ‘Wonder Woman’, could easily help rural communities by directing more business to local post offices.

 

He stated that the current government is the most anti-rural and anti-elderly government in history and it has done very little outside of Dublin.

 

To watch the full interview, click here.

 

Ireland AM airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.00am on TV3.

 

 

Independent TD Michael Healy Rae appeared on Ireland AM this morning to speak about the difficulties in rural Ireland today and what is needed to resolve these issues. The outspoken Kerry man told Anton Savage and Sinead Desmond that Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, who he referred to as ‘Wonder Woman’, could easily could help rural communities by directing more business to local post offices.

 

“For instance Wonder Woman, that’s Joan Burton, she likes to be called Wonder Woman.

 

“She could do a lot for our post offices by making sure that new social welfare recipients would be encouraged in a very pro-active way to use their local post office. Instead what are they doing? They’re sending them to the banks. They’re sending them to building societies but they’re not sending them to the local post offices.”

 

When Anton suggested that this would not affect rural Ireland economically on a larger scale, Mr Healy Rae said that big companies coming into Ireland are not providing jobs for the majority of the country. He believes that small businesses are the backbone of the country.

 

“It [the government] has created jobs in Dublin; maybe some in Cork and some in Limerick, the rest of the country isn’t getting a look in. The western seaboard isn’t getting a look in. We’re getting no jobs. The IDA are bringing no jobs to Co Kerry. What jobs have this government brought to Kerry? Nothing only the misery inflicted, ably abetted by its back benchers who, like I said, were in a coma and said nothing about what was happening to our countryside.”

 

Mr Healy Rae was referring to a previous comment where he stated that back benchers are only beginning to speak up in the last three weeks.

 

“It’s [the government] weighted with ministers from the Greater Dublin Area and you have back benchers who have been in a coma for the past three years. They’ve been sound asleep. I’ve seen people wake up from their slumber below in Co Kerry because they got a shock with the results of the local elections and I would never name people but there are people in my constituency who woke up. They were sound asleep, they didn’t open their mouths and now they’re looking for Ministers to be sacked and changed.”

 

He believes that the current government is the most anti-rural and anti-elderly government in history and it has done very little outside of Dublin.

 

“All you need do is direct more businesses into our Post Offices and that wouldn’t cost money it would actually save money but we have inept ministers who can’t see it. They can’t get it and one of the big problems that we have is that they think the whole world stops outside here at the Red Cow Roundabout.”

 

When Anton suggested that the removal of things like the dual mandate meant that there is more local authority power, Mr Healy Rae disagreed.

 

“I’m sorry Anton but what you’ve actually said is factually in correct, you’re wrong. What has happened with the delivery of local services, the policy seems to be, in particular with this government, centralise everything.

 

“The factual inaccuracy is that you’re trying to say there is a better delivery of local services.”

 

Michael Healy Rae appeared on Ireland AM as part of Rural Ireland Week which see TV3’s flagship morning show travel across the country this week to speak  to farmers,  publicans, housewives and different communities about the different problems that arise in rural Ireland.

 

To follow the conversation on Twitter use the hashtag #AMRuralWeek

 

Ireland AM airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.00am on TV3.

 

Images have been sent to your picture desks

 

ENDS

 

 

For further information
Ciara Byrne – Press Officer – 01 419 3329/087 319 9732

Jean O’Donovan – Press & Publicity Assistant – 01 419 3428

Sharon McHugh – Head of Press & Publicity – 087 922 4143

publicity@tv3.ie                        
www.tv3.ie

 

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