Fine Gael Policy Lab says General Election represents major opportunity for rural Ireland’s future

The rapid spread of new technology and the need for sustainability presents a unique opportunity to reimagine and enrich life in rural Ireland, a Fine Gael Think Tank has said.

The Fine Gael Policy Lab, which is led by Marion Coy and Richard Bruton TD, has presented a policy paper on the future of rural Ireland to An Taoiseach Simon Harris, saying its proposals can build on the major successes which have followed the creation of the Department of Rural Affairs, the National Broadband Plan, and Regional Enterprise Strategies.

Marion Coy, Chairperson of the Fine Gael Policy Lab said: “This policy paper, Your Future: Secure in Rural Ireland, is the product of painstaking work undertaken over many months. It shows how renewable energy, town and village renewal, community-based services, and strong sustainable supply chains can each create new pillars of success and bring about a step change for rural Ireland. The successful examples are already there. The key is to create the catalyst for their widespread replication.

Key recommendations include:

• That the new Infrastructure Department should include a mandate for the regeneration of towns and villages, and for fresh design thinking in plans for a sustainable quality of life.
• Greater scope for community structures to take action and a requirement for all state assets to be available for communities to use whenever they are not in use. Public Bodies must aim to nurture collaborative working relationships in the community to meet locally identified needs more effectively.
• A distinct policy for housing outside the five cities which will focus on imaginative and sustainable adaptation of existing buildings, on the need for rightsizing and a continuum of accommodation, on opening of well-appointed serviced sites, and on ensuring opportunities for rural housing which is sustainably designed to keep rural areas vibrant.
• The transformation of the 400 Connected Hubs to become a focus for connecting communities in their economic and social dimensions.
• Rural targeting in support for EVs and energy upgrades, reflecting the greater need for low carbon options in rural areas.
• The creation of a Broadband Innovation Unit which will pioneer new opportunities to utilise the network not just in remote working and online business, but particularly in the delivery of public and community services.
• Actively cultivate community ownership and shareholding in wind and solar renewables, with equitable access to the grid.
• Establish a cross-government Task Force to develop the routes to market for a strong family farm sector that will derive strong income flows not only from the supply of quality food, but also from reliable earnings from new sources of opportunity like renewable energy, timber, and carbon management.

Richard Bruton TD, Vice-Chairperson of the Fine Gael Policy Lab said: “The state needs to be bolder and give more scope to local initiative. This general election represents a golden opportunity to secure the future of rural Ireland in doing so, to build a better Ireland for future generations.”.