The changing face of rural Ireland is reflected in a series of reports produced by Teagasc, the State farming agency, and they should provide a wake-up call for the Government and for planning authorities at both national and local levels.
Agriculture is in serious decline and alternative forms of enterprise and employment must be provided if rural communities are to survive and thrive.
A conference on rural development in Tullamore yesterday learned that the economic black spots of post-Celtic Tiger Ireland are now located in the midlands and south-east, where average income has declined, while the border and western regions have fared better. Household incomes in Waterford fell by 4 per cent in recent years while incomes in Limerick rose by 6 per cent as a result of inward investment in non-agricultural sectors.
The need for diversification out of agriculture is emphasised by a range of studies that show farm incomes failing to keep pace with "new economy" enterprises, even though the size of family farms has grown rapidly in the past decade. The proportion of the workforce employed in agriculture has fallen from 14 per cent to 5 per cent in 10 years, while industrial earnings have outpaced average farm income by a margin of eight to one.
The disparity in income levels between the regions is directly linked to economic enterprise and the existence of a major centre of population. The urban structure of the mid-west, involving Limerick and Shannon, was found to be more conducive to attracting knowledge-based enterprises, compared to the more dispersed urban pattern of the south-east, where farm sizes grew most rapidly. The National Spatial Strategy had attempted to address this failing by designating Waterford as a regional gateway, with Wexford as a development hub. But a subsequent decentralisation decision by the Government has laid greater emphasis on Dungarvan. Such an approach to planning will not help the situation.
The reports found that while farming remains the mainstay of the rural economy, only 6 per cent of those now living in the countryside rely solely on agriculture for their incomes. A rural development policy that would utilise information technology and use natural resources such as forestry to develop employment was seen as complementary to farming. And activity holidays, such as angling, cycling and walking, were viewed as important elements in the development of agri-tourism.
Life in rural Ireland has changed. Farmers must change with if they are to enjoy a good quality of life and ensure that their children will benefit from altered circumstances and new economic enterprises.