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.