IRL: Cuts will hurt the rural economy

THERE were few measures in the budget to stimulate the rural economy, according to IrishRural Link (IRL), the national network of rural groups campaigning for sustainable rural communities.

IRL chief executive Seamus Boland said the €980 million cut in day-to-day spending programmes will significantly impact on rural communities and hamper efforts to keep and attract jobs in rural areas.

An 80% cut in the Western Investment Fund, which supports businesses, community initiatives and flagship projects in the western region, was an example.

“The defeat of rural poverty requires building the capacity of communities to develop and deliver solutions and employment opportunities based on local resources and the budget does little to encourage these,” he said.

Mr Boland said a 53% cut in the budget for CLÁR, a programme targeted at rural areas that have recorded substantial declines in population, reflects the thinking of the Department of Finance.

The department’s valuation paper to An Bord Snip had stated that “investing in areas with very low populations cannot be seen as a priority in the current economic climate”.

Mr Boland said CLÁR is providing funding and co-funding to Government departments, state agencies and local authorities to develop these areas. They cannot simply be abandoned.

Mr Boland said a 54% cut in island infrastructure, a reduction by over 25% in the overall budget for Gaeltacht and islands investment, a 10% cut in road maintenance and a cut in the local government fund will hurt rural areas.

“We are concerned that the €9 million ‘administrative efficiencies’ sought in school transport will end up increasing costs that have already doubled in recent years,” he said.

Mr Boland said a 58% reduction in crime prevention measures and 36% reduction in the budget for Garda station services will increase the sense of vulnerability felt in rural communities.

A 4% cut in the rural social scheme and the reduction in the grant for community employment training and materials overhead must not force a reduction in the number of participants, he said.