Press Room
Macra president calls for a more strategic approach to supporting rural development
Ms Buckley outlined her view that rural development can be classified into three categories - investment in human capital, investment in the physical infrastructure and support for voluntary organisations. She also highlighted the continuing role which agriculture plays as the backbone of all rural communities. She also highlighted the continuing role which agriculture plays as the backbone of all rural communities.
"The continuation of farming must be supported and encouraged by government. Whatever new rural initiatives are introduced, the fact that farming is a core business enterprise in rural Ireland must be remembered and, as such, initiatives must compliment the continuation of farming in the future. We certainly do not want the farmer to become the most endangered species in rural Ireland," she said.
Ms Buckley also said that any strategy for the development of life in rural Ireland must consider the future workplace of rural residents and she pointed to e-working' as a concept which should be given serious consideration by employers.
"Giving people the opportunity to work from home could be an effective way of allowing local people in rural areas the chance to work in the areas where they are living, providing them with more time to become involved in community life. In order to avoid a situation where hundreds of thousands of people are getting into their cars every morning to travel to their place of work, it's important that employers are encouraged to look on e-working as a viable option," she said.
Ms Buckley said that the various departments of government could, and should, lead the way, not just by decentralisation but by encouraging e-working.
"It's vital that we get leadership in this area from our politicians. Obviously there are infrastructural barriers, such as the lack of broadband. ComReg's report for the first quarter of 2007 to the end of March estimates that there are around 450,000 residential sector broadband subscriptions in Ireland - this equates to 30% of all households. Addressing these issues would be a key part of such a strategy," she said.
Ms Buckley pointed out that rural development required local leadership from within communities and said that voluntary organisations had a big role to play in this area.
"As a voluntary organisation, operating particularly in rural Ireland, Macra na Feirme has huge concerns about the social changes happening in many communities. Long hours at work, ever-increasing commute times and family and other commitments mean that people are spending less and less time involved in community-based activities," she said.
"Fostering a spirit of volunteerism in our own local communities is crucial. We must encourage people to volunteer and, once they do, we need to support them through leadership training and skills development. The corporate sector has a huge role to play in this as part of their corporate social responsibilities. The result is that communities can then tap into a range of resources that could not ordinarily be made available," she said.
"Young people, in particular, need to learn about volunteerism and being active in their community. Such attitudes developed at an early age will remain with them for life and help develop our communities in years to come," she concluded.
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