Earlier this week Fianna Fáil published a new plan which I believe will help increase economic activity and job prospects in towns across Kildare. The “Streets Ahead: Fighting for the Future of Irish Towns” document aims to rebuild communities through a vibrant network of towns, with strong businesses, good employment prospects and a dynamic cultural life.

The plan proposes a fresh, all-inclusive approach to dealing with the range of problems currently facing regional towns. Rising vacancy rates, the emergence of out of town shopping centres; and crippling commercial rates and rents are decimating small businesses across the country. These new proposals will tackle these issues and provide the building blocks to revitalise these towns through a range of initiatives.

It’s clear to see that towns across Kildare continue to struggle to see the upturn in the economy. The issue of shops closing, reduced footfall and the development of out of town shopping centres continue to impact seriously on our local businesses. This is especially evident in Naas in recent years. Fianna Fáil has devised a comprehensive and cohesive plan to address the imbalanced economic recovery and to regenerate the towns and communities which have suffered most since the recession.

In order for us to see a balanced regional recovery across our economy, it’s important that our towns and villages get every opportunity to thrive again. This recovery cannot be confined to Dublin and the big shopping centres. The Fianna Fáil plan recognises the centrality of Irish towns to sustainable regional development. Fianna Fáil wants to see a strong, vibrant network of towns at the heart of our communities, learning from each other and competing for new business.