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The western region and in particular, the rural towns and villages have been left behind by successive governments and have been underrepresented in decision making. There’s no denying the west is in decline and will continue to fall behind if we allow it to happen.
What we are seeing with wind farms, solar farms and gas power plants earmarked for the east of county Galway is a gradual erosion of a way of life and in its place, this hinterland is intended to be a chimney and a charging point for the more prosperous eastern seaboard. This will only happen if we allow it, if we don’t stand up.
Below I outline what I would like to see for rural Ireland:
Ireland is an agricultural country with an international reputation for high-quality food production and the agri-food sector is of vital importance to rural Ireland and Irish grass-fed beef and dairy products are recognised premium products. The economic viability of small scale livestock farming presents a challenge and I believe supporting localised markets (e.g. farmers’ markets, farm shops, or community-supported agriculture) can help farmers get a fairer price for a premium product (e.g. organic, grass-fed, high-welfare produce) while reducing the environmental impact of larger supply chains.
Small scale food producers need greater support. Localised production and distribution of vegetables, microgreens and other speciality crops can support local economies, reduce waste and transport emissions and negative impacts on soil and water quality associated with large scale production.
Supports for activities that help to protect the environment such as carbon sequestration, soil and water health improvement and bio-diversity enhancement are also needed.
High quality infrastructure is a critical foundation for long-term regional development. This is just one area where the west is behind the rest of the country. Uisce Eireann need requires substantial investment to ensure that the wastewater treatment services around the county are able to support the rising demand for construction of new homes and also serve the need of businesses and industry across the county. While I welcome the public consultation announced by Uisce Eireann, it will only address Athenry in the Galway East Constituency as part of the Galway Metropolitan Area which is in “urgent” need of upgrade according to reports. There are plans for works at Mountbellew and Eyrecourt but this piecemeal approach in the second biggest county in Ireland is insufficient.
The energy strategy in Ireland has come off its rails. In a desperate race to serve corporate data centres, the Irish government has ripped up the playbook on a transition to green energy and have committed to building new fossil fuel infrastructure across rural Ireland. This region of East Galway already has a power station at Tynagh, which looks set to treble in size and now we are being confronted by another gas plant near Portumna. The harms of fossil fuel infrastructure on human health and the environment are well-documented and new infrastructure is in no way aligned to national climate action targets.
I also support the Western Rail Corridor project and believe that its development would provide an invaluable supply chain infrastructure for Western exporters including food producers.
There’s a lack of joined up thinking when it comes to transport in the west. As one example, it is clear that the accommodation crisis in university towns like Galway have reshaped the needs of many students in the county. Instead of moving to Galway as previous generations did, many students now have to commute from longer distances such as Loughrea (85km round trip) to avail of a college education. The transport network doesn’t support this.
I would like to see better coordination between bus companies and Irish Rail to make it much easier for commuters and students to make use of public transport and get the most out of railway stations at Athenry, Attymon, Ardrahan, Ballinasloe, Craughwell, Oranmore, Woodlawn and Gort. If the service is convenient and reliable, people will use it.
It is likely to take decades before the west has adequate public transport infrastructure and for rural Ireland, the need for road transport will remain far longer. The Galway ring road and the Cork-Limerick illustrate how regions outside of the capital continue to be left behind. We need greater regional connectivity for rural Ireland to thrive.
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