Macra farmers from Donegal brought their concerns for young people in rural Ireland to the Dáil this week following a 79km protest walk.
Around 50 young farmers from across the island walked from Athy to Government buildings on Wednesday as part of the ‘Steps for our Future’ protest.
Macra were invited into Government buildings to meet An Taoiseach, Agriculture Minister Charloe McConalogue,and Junior Ministers Martin Heydon, TD and Pippa Hackett, TD.
Having being warmly welcomed by an Taoiseach, Macra were afforded the opportunity to outline their concerns and the solutions that they were bringing to the table.
Macra were represented by its President John Keane, President -Elect Elaine Houlihan, the Chair of the Rural Youth Committee Niamh Farrell, the Chair of the Agricultural Affairs Committee Liam Hanrahan, Shane Dolphin and Mick Curran CEO of Macra.
The delegation raised its concerns in relation to the future of rural Ireland in respect of the eight areas of concern that its members had marched for:
- Accessing affordable housing and cumbersome housing planning guidelines
- Disjointed and sparse healthcare services for rural communities
- The Government’s definition of a family farm as ‘average’ and ‘typical’
- No recognition or engagement by Government on a farming succession scheme
- Lack of planning for the future of our rural communities informed by rural people
- Imposition of quotas on young farmers availing of grant aid support
- Lack of public transport for rural Ireland
- Proposals to reset large areas of rural Ireland
The Taoiseach and three ministers responded positively to the concerns and indeed the solutions that were put forward.
Macra President John Keane said of the meeting “we had a positive engagement with the Taoiseach and the Ministers, we feel that considerable progress has been made in the areas of a definition of a Family Farm and also in the area of the creation of a succession Scheme for Farmers”
The Taoiseach also made a commitment to meet Macra again to address its concerns in relation to the eight points as raised in 2 – 3 months’ time so that progress can be measured.
Macra welcomes the commitment from Government to continue to work with Macra in a constructive manner to save rural Ireland.
