Church has leading role in helping rural Ireland recover

Dear Editor, I was glad to see Bishop Christy Jones and priests from around the country speaking out at the devastation of rural Ireland (IC 23/07/2015). Bit by bit rural towns are being picked apart with the closure of post offices and Garda stations. Smaller rural hospitals are being downgraded. Soon we will have to look at the cities for any essential services.

Young people are abandoning their home towns with traditional jobs in manufacturing and food processing disappearing. While others are left commuting incredible distances to cities for work, which is having a detrimental effect on young families.

The Government needs to invest in rural Ireland. We need to promote and encourage indigenous companies in small towns.

However, local communities also need to face up to the challenge and come together to create ideas for how they can improve the quality of life in their area.

The Church has the potential to have a leading role in this. Parish priests could call local meetings to discuss how the parish can promote itself for tourism, attract foreign investment, support young families and offer incentives to bring the young people home after third level to prevent a rural brain drain.

Yours etc.,

David O’Reilly,

Drogheda,

Co. Louth