FARMING POLL 2015: Local services continue to disappear for many

Almost two in three farm dwellers lost local services in the last 12 months, with a quarter seeing their local Garda station closing, and a quarter each losing either a shop or pub.

A fifth no longer have a post office, and a fifth no longer have a bank, according to the results of the 2015 Irish Examiner ICMSA farming survey.

Asked have they lost any services in their area in the last year, more than one in three (37%) hadn’t lost GPs, post office, pharmacy, shop, pub, bank, garda station, bus route, or library.

Respondents were least affected by disappearance of local GPs, pharmacies, and local libraries, affecting only 1-3% in the survey. Also in single figures were local bus routes, disappearing in the past year for only 7%.

The survey indicated that the areas least affected by 2014-15 closures of local services were Skibbereen, Dungarvan, and Co Wicklow (those reporting no loss of the named services amounted to 52% in the survey interviews at Carbery Show, 47% at Dungarvan show, and 55% at Tinahely Show).

But only 22% of those interviewed at Tullamore Show, and 29% at Charleville Show hadn’t lost services.

Follow this link for more survey findings and analysis

Survey methodology