Crime and isolation biggest rural issues

CRIME and isolation were identified as the greatest issues facing rural Ireland in a recent Macra na Feirme survey.

A quarter of members surveyed identified rural crime as the biggest issue facing communities, while for 20pc of members it was rural isolation.

Depopulation was also a major concern along with access to key local services. When asked about essential rural services such as the post office, 45pc of members surveyed admitted they only used their local post office a couple of times a year.

The survey results were highlighted at the launch of Macra’s annual Know Your Neighbour community initiative campaign.

Every year Macra na Feirme encourages its clubs to set up a Know Your Neighbour event in their locality and encourage everyone in the region to attend.

Speaking at the launch, Macra president James Healy said: “Whether you live in a sparsely populated region or a city or town, it’s important to have a relationship with those living around you. Our recent survey showed that 96pc of Macra na Feirme respondents know who their neighbours are at the very least, which shows, in my opinion, that campaigns such as this one, do have an impact.”

If you would like to hold a Know Your Neighbour event, simply download your Know Your Neighbour poster from macra.ie/downloads and email jcoffey@macra.ie with details of your event to be published on the Macra na Feirme website.