There is an urgent need for greater emphasis on the rural economy and rural communities by policy makers, according to a leading Teagasc researcher.
Speaking at the Irish Rural Studies Symposium in Cork today, David Meredith from Teagasc's Rural Economy Research Centre, cited recent research indicating that the rural economy was particularly exposed to the economic crisis due to the large number of men from rural areas working in the construction and transport sectors.
Women fared little better, as many worked in the retail sector which has suffered a sharp contraction in employment.
Mr Meredith said the growth of these sectors during the 'Celtic Tiger' period masked underlying and persistent weaknesses in the rural economy.
With the collapse of the economy, these weakness and their attendant problems of creating jobs and sustaining population are once again exposed.
Looking to the future these challenges are compounded by the fall in family farm incomes in recent years, the long-term impacts of renewed emigration and the increasing prevalence of rural poverty, particularly in areas that saw rapid population growth since 2000.
