'We want a future in rural Ireland': Macra marchers are 'fighting to stay'

Macra member Andrew Dunne, from Co Laois, with a mock boarding pass on the final leg of the march to Government Buildings. Picture Colin Keegan/Collins

Members of Macra na Feirme who met Taoiseach Leo Varadkar along with a number of ministers on Wednesday said they had a "positive" discussion after their 79km march to Dublin to highlight the issues facing young people in rural Ireland. 

They welcomed a commitment from the Taoiseach to return to discussions by the end of the summer.

Macra president John Keane said that the message of the “steps for our future” march was clear: “We want a future in rural Ireland, we want our rural communities to survive and thrive into the future.

"The Taoiseach has given us a commitment that he will reengage with us himself in a few months’ time on our issues, and in the meantime, the ministers with responsibility for these issues will also engage with our organisation.

“There was recognition around the table generally that there is work to be done, and that Macra has a role to play in shaping that," he said.

Among the issues being raised by the group were access to affordable housing, disjointed and sparse healthcare services for rural communities, and the lack of recognition or engagement by the Government on a farming succession scheme. 

Macra also raised issues around a lack of transport for rural Ireland and a lack of planning for the future of rural communities that is informed by rural people.

Macra president-elect Elaine Houlihan said that the proof of members achieving what they set out to achieve “will be defined by what action we get from the Government”.

She said the organisation’s march to Dublin was important to show the Government “that we are serious”.

“As a person from a very rural community — my community is tiny, I could name nearly everybody — seeing how important rural communities are in society, I want to do this to show the younger generation in my village that we are currently fighting to stay,” Ms Houlihan said.

Members of Macra na Feirme arriving at the Irish Farm Centre, on the Naas Rd, Dublin after an overnight march from Athy, Co Kildare, on their way to Government Buildings. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

“We are the heartbeat of Ireland. We are the ones that produce the food, we are the ones that have an ultimate sense of community spirit."

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said the Taoiseach thanked the group for the work that they do.

"Leo Varadkar reassured the group that the Government is absolutely committed to rural Ireland and has ensured unprecedented investment in rural Ireland in recent times," said the spokesperson. "The €1bn Rural Regeneration Fund is making a real difference to rural communities and the national broadband plan is a €3bn investment in rural Ireland, the biggest in the history of the State. 

"The Government wants to ensure that rural Ireland is an attractive place for young people to live and work." 

Farm succession and the definition of a family farm were also discussed. 

"The Taoiseach will continue his focus on making rural Ireland a better place in which to live, to work, to farm, and to raise a family. The Taoiseach will engage with the delegation again by the end of the summer," said the spokesperson.

The large group of Macra members left Athy on Tuesday evening, walking the 79km to Government Buildings. The march marked 79 years since the youth farm organisation was founded in the Kildare town in 1944.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner on the march, Sean Kelly from Kilruane in Co Tipperary said that for young people, “there is nothing” in Ireland, and criticised the Government’s lack of action.

“You can complain and do nothing, or you can take a stand and say ‘listen, we are still here, we’re not going to let ye destroy rural Ireland, and destroy the communities’,” the dairy farmer said.

“You can’t just lie down and take it because if you do, in a few years’ time, there will be no rural Ireland, but the Government doesn’t see that and they don’t understand it."