The Green Party is defending against claims that it has abandoned rural Ireland.

It emerged this week that Independent Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice is spear-heading plans for a new rural political party.

He claims uncertainty around the future of farming is putting entire rural communities at risk.

But Senator Róisín Garvey - the Greens' spokesperson on rural development - says it's unfair to suggest they've done nothing...