FG wants urban benefits for rural dwellers

A flat State-wide rate for all telephone calls is proposed by Fine Gael in a new policy document published yesterday.

The party also proposes that, in Government, it will seek to introduce a standard flat rate for all calls made in Ireland, North and South.

Social Exclusion in Rural Ireland, published by the Fine Gael spokesman on social affairs, Mr Jim O'Keeffe, proposes a number of measures to tackle the plight of people living in rural Ireland.

The policy document suggests a phasing out of the differential in standing charges for electricity provision in rural and urban areas, presently £6.75 in in areas designated as rural and £3.95 in urban areas.

On housing, Fine Gael says that while rural areas continue to be depopulated, urban areas are expanding at an unprecedented rate. In an attempt to make rural resettlement a priority, the party recommends that urban housing authorities should pay a resettlement bonus of £5,000 to the relevant rural resettlement scheme for each house returned to the urban housing stock as a result of the resettlement of an urban family in a rural area. This figure to be matched by the payment of a once-off capital grant by the Department of the Environment to families resettling in a rural area.

Fine Gael also proposes the creation of an Independent Transport Licensing Authority for areas outside Dublin. It advocates that licences for public transport provision should be put on the open market.

The party says that it will move to prevent any further closures of rural post offices. It also promises that it will not allow any further removal of gardai from rural communities.

It proposes that negotiations should be opened between An Post and the associated banks aimed at providing ATMs at subpost offices in villages where no such facilities exist.