O’Cuiv’s schemes to take up rural livelihoods slack
That was the question posed at a North Cork County IFA seminar in Mallow by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuiv, who said the approach must be multi-faceted.
Minister Ó Cuiv said farmers and “farm-connected” people must remain a high percentage of the rural population.
He defined “farm-connected” people as those who come from a farming background, although it may not be their occupation, but who have relatives, such as siblings or parents, in farming.
“I would also include people involved in agri-business, agri-manufacturing, or agri-service. These people, because of their deep understanding of the needs of agriculture, form an important support to farm families in rural Ireland,” Minister Ó’Cuiv said.
Minister O’Cuiv said jobs and services must be developed in rural communities, to create opportunities for the young.
“In this regard, I think that the decision by the Government to decentralise 10,000 public servants to every county outside of Dublin will create attractive off-farm opportunities for rural people,” he said.
“In Cork county alone, 920 jobs will be transferred to the towns: Clonakilty, 150, Kanturk, 100, Macroom, 70, Mallow, 200, Mitchelstown, 200, and Youghal, 200,” he said.
Minister O’Cuiv said the Rural Social Scheme had much to offer those who wanted to maintain farming as their major source of income, but were having difficulty maintaining an adequate lifestyle.
The Rural Social Scheme will provide improved rural services in a more efficient way, while ensuring a basic income for small farmers.
Farmers with a herd number, and who are in receipt of Farm Assist, disability allowance, or unemployment assistance, will be eligible.
Contrary to popular belief, because of the particular structure of Farm Assist, this is not a scheme solely for the poor. It is for a wide range of full-time farmers.
Minister Ó Cuiv said that with de-coupling farmers should look at other areas and opportunities to improve the viability of their on-farm income.
“Just one example of this is the area of food production. If a farmer, or a group of farmers, can turn their raw produce into a high quality food product, such as cheese, jam, or chutney, the economic benefits are obvious,” he said.
“Many years ago, produce like this was to be seen on every farm in the country, but, because of the structures of the CAP, we have moved away from this mind-set,” Minister Ó Cuiv said.
“Now, I think we should look at this whole area again, not only in terms of direct income to the farmer, but also as a tourism product which would benefit the whole community,” he said.
Minister Ó Cuiv said his department was liaising with the Departments of Agriculture and Food, and Health and Children, on this issue, and the related one of farmers’ markets. He said rural tourism, an integral part of the LEADER Programme, had a part to play in the economic viability of rural Ireland.
