New president sets the agenda at AGM

New Macra president Seán Finan has called on Ann Phelan, the minister for rural economic development and rural transport, to fully implement the Commission for Rural Development of Economic Area (CEDRA) report and invest in rural Ireland.

Mr Finan was making his inaugural speech at Macra’s national AGM last weekend in Galway’s Loughrea Hotel.

Adressing representatives from some 31 counties and regions, the 35th president said: “We have witnessed the decimation of rural Ireland in recent years with the closure of post offices and Garda stations.