Ring at the helm as rural affairs gets its own ministry
New Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has raised rural hopes with the formation of a new Department of Community and Rural Affairs, to be headed up by Mayo TD Michael Ring as a senior Minister.
After decades of being lumped in with arts, culture, agriculture, or the environment, it looks like rural affairs is to get its own ministry.
His supporters will hope that Mr Ring can emulate Co Mayo’s Monsignor James Horan, whose vision, courage and determination overcame all obstacles in his ambitious projects such as building the Knock Basilica and Knock Airport.
Leadership is identified by many as the missing ingredient in rural development, badly needed especially in Mr Ring’s own hinterland, the west of Ireland, where the GDP per head is only 85% of the EU average, compared to 130% for Ireland as a whole.
Regional GDP per person in the west is 76% of that in the state overall, as a result of slower job recovery, at just 2.8%, less than half the 6.3% national rate of job recovery.
The west also has 30.8% unemployment in the 15-24 years age category, compared to 20% in the rest of Ireland.
The new Minister says he is committed to and passionate about rural Ireland, and has many plans.
He has condemned negativity about rural prospects, and said the action plan for rural development announced last January is one of the most significant initiatives undertaken by any Government to support the economic and social development of rural Ireland.
The plan contains more than 270 actions to support the economic and social progress of rural Ireland.
Already launched are the €20 million 2017 town and village renewal scheme, a €9m investment in 56 arts and culture centres, the 2017 CLÁR programme for disadvantaged areas, and a rural recreation infrastructure scheme, with combined funding of €16m between them.
Mr Ring has also highlighted job creation successes, with more than three quarters of all employment created in the first quarter of the year located outside Dublin.
An additional 500 places on the rural social scheme, and €3.6m for 153 fisheries local action group projects also reflect the rural commitment which is part of the current programme for government.
However, there are also signs of rural development inertia.
The work of the Western Development Commission, involved in the creation of 2,200 jobs since its formation in 1997, seems to have ground to a halt, with its former chairman saying no decision can be made on the current applications from businesses in the region looking for support from the WDC, until a new board is appointed.
Another vital engine in rural development which has ground to a halt is the LEADER rural development grant ssheme, co-funded by the EU and the national exchequer.
Halfway into the €250m 2014-2020 programme, LEADER companies have mostly failed to commit any monies to projects, and Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Heather Humphreys has simplified the programme, making 32 changes designed to increase applications and reduce bureaucracy.
This can be taken as an admission that bureaucracy is stifling rural progress, perhaps aided by the “silo mentality” due to divergent goals of different organisations involved in development.
It may be a situation crying out for a modern-day Monsignor James Horan. Or a modern-day T K Whitaker, says former WDC chairman Paddy McGuinness, speaking from bitter experience,wishing for someone at that level in the Civil Service, with vision, ambition and courage to bring plans to the highest level of Government and see them enacted.
Former rural minister Éamon Ó Cuív agrees, saying Gaeltacht Departmental Secretaries General of the 1970s and the 1980s had enormous power for good and were very brave in the decisions they took, assisting in areas of need with a minimum of bureaucracy.
