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R U R A L I R E L A N D : E M B R A C I N G A
S M A R T C O N C E P T DR MAURA FARRELL
NUI GALWAY/ NATIONAL RURAL NETWORK
IRELAND: CREATING A SMART VILLAGE
Rural Ireland – Painting a picture
What we have…….
Creating Irish Smart Villages
POPULATION CHANGE: IRELAND
- Between 1966 and 2016 - Population
growth by 65% approx. from
2,884,002 to 4,761,865.
- This is a significant level of growth
and unusual in a European context.
- Many European countries have seen
their population growth stagnate,
with increasingly ageing populations
now a real concern.
- Ireland has a relatively young and
growing population.
- However, recent decades of growth
are uneven throughout the country
(SCSI, 2018)
POPULATION CHANGE IN RURAL IRELAND
RURAL POPULATION: AGE STRUCTURE
Average Age of Population by County: Rural Areas 2016
(CSO, 2018)
RURAL EMPLOYMENT
Example: West region, much job creation is located in Galway
city while counties Mayo and Roscommon would not have
experienced the same degree of employment growth (WDC,
2018).
No. of Employees by County: 2017
- Lower %, the
healthier a
settlement.
- Area can retain
workers with the
employment
opportunities it
has.
- Settlement has
greater numbers
leaving for work
it can lack
vibrancy or
thriving
economy to
retain people.
Lowest and Highest Towns for External Commuters
(SCSI, 2018)
Settlement Unemployed
2011
Unemployed
2016
Change
Milstreet (Cork 174 86 -51%
Ballina (Tipperary) 197 110 -44%
Blarney (Cork) 189 106 -44%
Tower (Cork) 210 118 -44%
Carrigaline (Cork) 1094 619 -43%
Clifden (Galway) 180 103 -43%
Newmarket-on-
Fergus (Clare)
203 116 -43%
Oranmore 345 195 -43%
Malahide 723 416 -42%
Dunleer (Louth 197 116 -41%
10 Most Improving Towns
Settlement Unemployed
2011
Unemployed
2016
Change
Ballyhaunis (Mayo) 221 240 +9%
Edgeworthstown
(Longford)
262 283 +8%
Tobercurry (Sligo) 220 220 0%
Ballymahon
(Longford)
233 229 -2%
Ballymote (Sligo) 164 157 -4%
Cavan 1229 1175 -4%
Courtown (Wexford) 428 409 -4%
Kilrush (Clare) 355 340 -4%
Ballaghaderreen
(Roscommon)
253 241 -5%
Bunclody (Wexford) 270 249 -8%
10 Least Improving Towns
(SCSI, 2018)
RURAL IRELAND: STRENGTHS FOR EMPLOYMENT
IRISH AGRICULTURE
Ireland = 6.9
million
hectares:
4.4 million
hectares is
used for
agriculture
In 2018, Total Agri-
Food sector
employment =
172,800
In 2018, Agri-food
exports totalled
€13.6 billion –(Traditional products
and non-edible
commodities)
In 2016, Gross
Agricultural Output
(GAO) was valued
at €6.92 billion and
Generated 7% GVA
(€13.9 billion)
In 2016, 8.5% of the
nation’s employment
POLICY AGENDA: HELPING RURAL IRELAND CREATE SMART VILLAGES
DRCD
Rural Regeneration
And
Development Fund
COMMUNITIES: KEY INGREDIENT FOR SMART VILLAGES
LEADER PROGRAMME
• LEADER 2007-2013 – 9,500 Projects funded
• LEADER 2014 – 2020 over 2,000 to-date
Result:
Rural Ireland has a strong and vibrant Bottom-Up Community Development Structure
• Active
• Engaged
• Inclusive,
• Developed Capacity,
• Enhanced Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Value…..
EUROPEAN INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP FOR AGRICULTURE PRODUCTIVITY ANDSUSTAINABILITY (EIP-AGRI)
EIP-AGRI exciting and novel approach to research and innovation.
Relates to the pooling of expertise and resources by bringing together public and private sectors at EU, national and regional levels.
EIP-AGRI works to:
Focus on forming partnerships, using bottom-up approaches
Link actors of different types (Farmers, Researchers, NGOs, Government Agencies etc.) to work on a problem, issue or innovative idea (Multi-Actor Approach).
EMBRACING THE IDEA OF SMART VILLAGES
Social and Spatial
Justice
National, Regional and Local Funds: Bottom-Up or
Top-Down often favour:
Middle class communities
Good levels of education
Ability to engage in the application process
Repeat applicants
Power dynamics created
Result:
Communities with poor capacity building
and social capital find it difficult to
engage in the process
As a result: Ireland may create Smart
Villages for some communities and not
for others
Two Tiered Rural
Communities are volunteers – need to be fully supported to create
Smart Villages!!
CONCLUSION
• Many challenges in rural Ireland, but many opportunities to create Smart Villages
• Ireland has many tools to embrace and create Smart Villages: Policy and Policy Maker Interest and Willingness – Community Engagement
• Creating Smart Villages must be a shared process – Integrated Development
• Community Engagement is essential
• All communities need an opportunity to embrace the process, not just those ‘highly capable’ of taking part.
• Voluntary communities need to be support in their endeavours to create Smart Villages.