‘Farm leaders have failed rural Ireland’

FARM group leaders were accused yesterday of having failed their members and rural Ireland by advocating flawed strategies.

Irish Rural Link, the national lobby group for rural development, made the claim at its annual conference in Tullamore.

It said various studies and reports that farming is in decline pose serious questions with regard to rural areas and developing them in the future.

Rural development policy, which has been seen as the preserve of the farmer, especially by their organisations, needs to be designed and implemented for the benefit of the wider rural community.

IRL chief executive Seamus Boland said there is a need to widen the debate on rural development.

Ways in which rural communities can play a bigger role in the development of their areas to improve the quality of life for all must be explored.

“Farming organisations and farmers are going to have realise they no longer hold a monopoly on rural policies and for that matter rural monies. That day is now coming to an end and perhaps not for the better but it is a reality of today.

“We need and want farmers at the heart of rural communities but there is a need for a radical re-think on what is the future of farming rather than just blindly follow past strategies.”

Mr Boland said for too long rural community groups and their needs have been by-passed by policy makers, including farming bodies, and this is simply not acceptable especially in light of the need for balanced regional development that is often cited by government ministers.

Ian Russell, IRL research and communications officer, said there is a need to begin to put in place focussed supports for enterprises wishing to set up or have set up in rural areas.

“We also need to establish an energy commission to examine the use of farm land as a means of meeting our renewable energy commitments,” he said.

Mr Russell said the need to achieve sustainable and cohesive rural communities must be made a reality rather than simply be a talking point for politicians and academics.

“In order to achieve this aim the Government needs to begin to put in place adequate funding as well as rurally-focused policies that are aimed at rural communities as a whole rather than just a select group or groups,” he said.