Driving Recovery - Harnessing Rural Resources

'Resources must be mobilised and stronger and dedicated policies are needed to assist the revitalisation of rural areas in the current economic climate.'

That was the message from Dermot Leavy, Chairman of the Rural Science Association at the Association’s Annual Conference in the Tipperary Institute in Thurles today (Saturday 25th April). Mr Leavy said that the skills and resources in local communities need to be harnessed and a sense of self belief and empowerment has to be instilled to do the things that will affect change. Mr Leavy said there is a need to build resilience and create meaningful activities to show people that they are socially valued and insulate them from shocks in the system. He said that Graduates of Rural Development and related disciplines have a key role to play in driving recovery in rural areas as they have the skills and knowledge which are assets desired by many people in these tough economic times.

The RSA Chairman said that Community and Voluntary groups in rural areas have a strong track record in fostering local enterprise and skills but the recent cuts in supports for local and community development programmes compromise the ability to harness local enterprise and innovation which is more vital now than ever. However, Mr Leavy said that local Integrated Partnership Companies must rise to the challenge and reinforce the value that LEADER and other programmes have achieved for rural people in the past and there is a need to develop local economic training systems if we are to achieve the vision of a green economy, protect our ecology and be part of the “Smart Economy”.

Referring to the agricultural sector, Mr Leavy said the capacity of farming in providing a multiplier for economic activity has gone unnoticed in recent times and the reductions in the payment rates under the various farming schemes are hurting farm families and constraining the amount of money circulating in the rural economy. He said it is important to maintain a focus on supporting, promoting and enhancing the agricultural sector, providing new training opportunities for agriculture and other industries and facilitate greater diversity of industry and employment in rural areas..

The conference was officially opened by Minister of State for Food and Horticulture Trevor Sargent TD who also launched the new RSA website www.ruralsa.ie.

Minister Sargent said that while short term prospects are far less optimistic than they have been for some time, it is important to see the bigger picture. He acknowledged that rural communities are facing a number of particular challenges including the lack of local employment opportunities but said that the wider rural economy measures under the Rural Development Programme(RDP) will see significant spending on the development of rural enterprise, alternative energy, training, farm diversification, countryside recreation and rural tourism while supporting improvements to the quality of life in rural areas as well as the diversification and development of the rural economy. Minister Sargent also said that under the Health Check Agreement, an additional €120 million will be available under the RDP from 2010 to 2015 and it must be used to address the four new challenges of climate change, water management, bio energy and biodiversity. He added that further funds will be available for rural development purposes under the European Economic Recovery Plan. Minister Sargent then drew attention to the success of the Irish Food Industry particularly the Organic, Artisan and Speciality Food sectors saying that funding will continue to be targeted at these sectors under the RDP. He concluded by saying he had every confidence that the agriculture and rural sectors will continue to make enormous contributions to the overall economic recovery

The keynote address was given by Professor Tom Collins, NUI Maynooth. Speaking on the topic “Positive Career Paths for Rural Science Graduates”, Professor Collins said the unprecedented economic upheavals currently underway have confronted rural Ireland with major economic and social challenges. He said local development initiatives have potential contributions to make in responding to challenges but their shortcomings also need to be examined so that they contribute effectively. Professor Collins also said that the potential of rural development programmes such as LEADER can be further realised by a higher level of integration of projects and activities between local development companies within Ireland and with others outside of Ireland. Professor Collins posed the questions “what kind of a creation do we want rural Ireland to be? what legacy do we want to pass on?” before concluding with the comment that more wider collaboration is needed in order to create a more sustainable rural Ireland

The conference included three workshops which focussed on how the Economy, the Environment and Social issues impact on rural areas.

From an Economy perspective, Michael Kenny M.Agr Sc, NUI Maynooth said that there is a need to look at economics from a holistic perspective. Mr Kenny said that the challenge is to re-examine local area assets and look at the possibility of development focussing on enhancing local assets rather than emphasising local deficits.

Declan Rice, CEO Kilkenny LEADER Partnership Company addressed the issue of the impact of the Environment on rural communities. Mr Rice said that Environmental Policy covers a wide range of activities such as renewable energy, waste disposal, water management, recycling and organic food production, many of which are directly or indirectly having an existing or potential relationship with Rural Development. He said Renewable Energy can be one of the major drivers of Rural Development in the coming decades while Rural Development can provide Renewable Energy with the boost it needs to gain critical mass. Mr Rice said the scale of Renewable Energy projects could be too big for most Rural Development initiatives or budgets. He said that as Rural Development practitioners, we can only engage in environmental activity if we are sure it will drive Rural Development policy therefore there must be agreement among practitioners on the appropriate place that Renewable Energy has in the Rural Development sector and the provision of training and some technical advice to Rural Development practitioners on the development of Renewable Energy policies.

The effect of Social Issues on rural areas was explored by Paul Keating, Managing Director of the Rural Development Support Unit at the Tipperary Institute. Mr Keating said that for rural communities to play a role in delivering sustainable recovery, there is a need to absorb the negative social and economic impact, rebuild trust, redefine identity, articulate values and development objectives and show advocacy and positive leadership. He said that we are in a period of change but a new radical approach to sustainable development will emerge. Mr Keating said that while social capital building trust is in decline, it is still strong in many rural areas and these rural areas may be in a better position to lead in building and institutionalising trust.

Delegates also had the opportunity to visit the Slieveardagh Development Association and Heritage Centre nearby.

Presentations from the Conference can be viewed within the website's Publications' Section.

For further information, contact RSA Chairman Dermot Leavy at 086-2662733.