With only 0.3% of Rural Development Schemes budgets spent this year, Ó Cuív expressed his frustration at the lack of money being spent on rural initiatives.

“The total amount spent by the Department at the end of May this year on rural and regional projects was €2.6m. Not only is this a massive underspend, the most worrying aspect is the fact that the bulk of this money was related to the administration of the LEADER programme,” the Fianna Fáil spokesmen for Rural, Regional, Gaeltacht and Island Affair said during questions in the Dáil during the week.

Latest figures show that the new Action Plan for Rural Ireland, which was announced back in January, has only spent €78,000 on projects under the heading of the Rural Development Scheme, the Town and Village Regeneration Scheme and Rural Broadband, something Ó Cuiv believes is substandard.

“The Department has shown a total inability to deliver for rural Ireland. It’s promises on rural broadband have fallen by the wayside, the only rollout of broadband in rural Ireland at the moment is the commercial provision by one company to around 300,000 homes. The other 500,000 homes are being left without this essential service, limiting any development of services, industry or quality of life in rural areas,” he said.

Ring was confirmed as Minister earlier this month, as Leo Varadkar took office as Taoiseach.

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