Galway Bay fm newsroom - Galway businessman Pat McDonagh says rural businesses should be allowed to remain in rural communities, instead of being forced to relocate to Dublin.
The Supermacs boss is calling on Local Authorities across Ireland to show patriotism in putting the development of areas where population is in decline - ahead of the development of already bulging urban centres.
It's after the latest Census figures revealed that just 11% of Ireland's population lives in Connacht.
Pat McDonagh has this afternoon addressed hundreds of elected representatives at the Association of Irish Local Government Annual Conference in Ennis.
He says it is not acceptable that rural areas are allowed to decline - and simple incentives would go a long way towards reversing the trend.
