Rural scheme ‘orders’ families to keep villages alive

A rural resettlement scheme has been inundated with requests from villages wishing to "order" families with children in a bid to keep local schools open.

Founder of Rural Resettlement Ireland, Jim Connolly, said homeless families in Dublin desperate for a fresh start could become a vital resource to save rural communities. He said they have had a number of requests from schools “desperately needing two or three students to save a teacher’s job”.

“We get requests like this from schools from all over the west — in recent weeks we have requests from schools in Tipperary, Mayo and Clare. It’s like they are ordering families off a menu,” he said.