So-called progress is causing the death of our rural communities – but they can still be saved
I READ with great interest your report ‘Stopping the rot: Small-town Ireland must fight to thrive’ (Irish Independent, November 30).
I come from one of those small towns. Mountrath is a small town situated on the main Limerick road; it was once a booming industrial town with several different industries to its name but with progression came decline.
Now it is a shadow of its once-glorious self, with several buildings lying idle.
Decentralisation has never been more important if we are to revive small towns. More businesses should be encouraged through increased incentives to take up business in rural areas.
Only by boosting employment can small towns thrive again. Who is there to buy lunch in a town if there are no workers? Decentralisation would not only benefit the local economy but also transform the quality of life forsomany.
More than 20,000 commute from Laois each day to Dublin. Imagine if they had the possibility to work closer to home?
There would be less traffic on the roads, less pollution from cars, and people would have more time for local community activities.
If we are to continue to offer low corporation tax to foreign investment, perhaps it could be better targeted at those who opt for sites in less centralised areas.
How many passed through Mountrath before the motorway to Limerick or Templemore? In our effort to improve and progress, we have visited a slow lingering death on small rural communities. What were once our greatest asset could become our greatest shame if we let them die.
Local county councils should be given more power and funding; rural Ireland needs to be given priority or I fear for the future of rural life. Julie Bennett
Mountrath, Co Laois