Thomas Lyons 
Macra Announces Two Days of Action to Highlight Challenges Faced by Young People in Rural Ireland
Macra, the Irish organisation for young people in agriculture and rural communities, has announced two days of action at the end of this month to highlight the issues and challenges faced by young people in rural Ireland. The national council of Macra recently voted unanimously to take action on several issues, including quotas on young farmers and rewetting proposals.
On Tuesday, April 25, Macra will walk from Athy, Co. Kildare, where it was founded in 1944, to Dublin and present its proposals for the future of rural Ireland to the government. Macra’s days of action, under the theme “Steps for our Future”, will see members walking for 14 hours through the night to arrive at government buildings at 1:00p.m on Wednesday, April 26.
Macra President John Keane said the government “failed” to proactively engage with the organisation on many of its proposals around forming the future that rural young people want in Ireland. The organisation said that the main issues that are coming to the fore for its members are:
• 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 rewet large areas of rural Ireland
On behalf of Macra members nationwide, Keane has asked for rural people from all over the country to support the organisation’s days of action. “We are the future of our rural communities, we want to remain in rural Ireland; what we want now is the government to support youth in rural Ireland,” he said.
Macra’s Days of Action
Macra’s days of action will commence on Tuesday, April 25, with a walk from Athy, Co. Kildare, to Dublin. The walk will take 14 hours through the night, with members arriving at government buildings at 1:00p.m on Wednesday, April 26.
The organisation’s theme for the days of action is “Steps for our Future”. The walk will be followed by a presentation of Macra’s proposals for the future of rural Ireland to the government. The proposals will address issues such as affordable housing, healthcare services, farming succession, rural community planning, grant aid support, public transport, and rewetting proposals.
Macra President John Keane has asked for rural people from all over the country to support the organisation’s days of action. “We are the future of our rural communities, we want to remain in rural Ireland; what we want now is the government to support youth in rural Ireland,” he said.
Issues Faced by Young People in Rural Ireland
Macra has identified several issues that are coming to the fore for its members in rural Ireland. These include accessing affordable housing and cumbersome housing planning guidelines, disjointed and sparse healthcare services for rural communities, and the government’s definition of a family farm as “average” and “typical”.
Other issues include the lack of recognition or engagement by government on a farming succession scheme, the lack of planning for the future of rural communities informed by rural people, the imposition of quotas on young farmers availing of grant aid support, the lack of public transport for rural Ireland, and proposals to rewet large areas of rural Ireland.
Macra President John Keane has called on the government to proactively engage with the organisation on these issues and to support youth in rural Ireland. “We are the future of our rural communities, we want to remain in rural Ireland,” he said.
Support for Macra’s Days of Action
Macra has asked for rural people from all over the country to support the organisation’s days of action. The two-day event will see members walk from Athy, Co. Kildare, to Dublin, and present their proposals for the future of rural Ireland to the government.
Macra President John Keane has said that the government “failed” to engage with the organisation on many of its proposals around forming the future that rural young people want in Ireland. He has called on the government to support youth in rural Ireland and to proactively engage with Macra on the issues facing its members.
Macra’s days of action under the theme “Steps for our Future” will take place on April 25 and 26. The organisation’s proposals for the future of rural Ireland will address issues such as affordable housing, healthcare services, farming succession, rural community planning, grant aid support, public transport, and rewetting proposals.
