A Midlands North West MEP is calling on Taoiseach Michael Martin to outline what practical benefits the Irish presidency of the EU Council will bring to rural Ireland.
Speaking as the Taoiseach appeared before MEPs, Ciaran Mullooly told Michael Martin the forthcoming EU budget will decide future funding for CAP, cohesion, rural development, SMEs, housing, fisheries and regional supports.
He challenged the Taoiseach directly on what concrete protection Ireland will defend now at the beginning for peripheral and rural regions, and warned that competitiveness must not become focused mainly on big cities, big industry, and centralised national plans…………
