Government plans for rural Ireland have to change

The growing concern of the relative deprivation of many communities in the west of Ireland is timely and I welcome the highlighting of the current crisis.
Balanced social and economic development in the Republic of Ireland does not seem to be a priority for central authorities dealing with planning and infrastructural investment.
Dublin and the East coast are attracting recent economic, commercial and job-creating development while Connacht, the Western counties and large areas of the midlands are allowed to decline.
This provides a serious threat to families, neighbourhoods and communities from Kerry to Donegal and from Cavan to Offaly.
It seems to me that the main policy of both Dublin and Brussels is to gentrify rather than develop the west of Ireland.
The long term results of such a policy, which becomes more exclusive as time goes on will be to depopulate the indigenous population of many parishes and communities.
The classic expression of this policy is to replace railways with ‘greenways’ and ‘cycle paths’, for example the Mullingar to Athlone railway which was a potential overland transport infrastructure for Connacht and the midlands if we were development-oriented.
Any serious development strategy for rural and western Ireland needs front loaded infrastructure in areas of transport, communications, housing, education, medical services, security, recreation, legal series, religious services and employment.
If I may point out one sad experience of the State’s continued failure to complete the restoration of the Sligo to Limerick railway from Athenry to Collooney serving Tuam, Claremorris, Knock Shrine, Knock Airport, Charlestown and Tubbercurry. Such an infrastructure would facilitate industrial and other development from Limerick to Sligo. The development of cross radial railed road networks is also necessary for proper development.
The current criteria for infrastructural provision seems to be based on ‘critical mass’ as in the case of Dublin. This is legitimate but will never help areas in need of development.

Front-loading infrastructure
The critical mass can only be created if we front-load the infrastructure. In fairness to the County Councils in the west of Ireland, they have been alert to this pre-condition for development.
One of the sad results of British policy in Ireland during the 19th Century was the failure to support industry in the country’s urban areas which would employ those workers leaving this land. This was one of the most serious outcomes of the Act of Union in 1801. Instead, Irish youth had to emigrate to cities in England, Scotland, Wales, the US, Australia and elsewhere. Hence the need to promote employment in local urban areas throughout the West of Ireland and the midlands. Tourism alone, while of much benefit, is incapable of satisfying the employment needs of our young people.
The task facing central Government is to change its emphasis on gentrification to a more developmental policy and the provision of extra capital resources for the necessary front-loaded infrastructural projects.
A correction of the Dublin-focus to a more national one is also called for to ensure more balanced development to enable young people to find work within commuting distance of their homes.
We also need to decentralise decision-making to a more regional basis.
I would suggest that the issues raised above become central in the election manifesto of political candidates seeking places in DΡil Éireann and Seanad Éireann in the spring.
 
Fr MicheΡl MacGréil is Westport based and is a Jesuit priest and sociologist. This article appeared first in the January 21 edition of The Irish Catholic.