Read the full article in Issue 56 - Winter 2016/’17 of ‘Changing Ireland’!
RURAL NEGLECT V. POTENTIAL
WHAT SUPPORTS ARE THERE FOR RURAL UNEMPLOYED MEN?
Long-term unemployment can lead to “a lack of motivation and borderline depression”
BY CIAN MATTHEW KEARNS
Across rural Ireland, low quality jobs and unemployment have forced thousands of people into poverty. Yet, their suffering is rarely seen.
Seamus Boland, CEO of Irish Rural Link, describes hidden poverty as, “the lack of opportunity available to people. It’s the falling off of services. It’s people who are getting themselves into poverty, not being able to afford basics, which you don’t really see.”
He highlights how the problem is exasperated in rural areas: “You can travel around...and there’s no great signs of poverty there, whereas in urban you tend to see physical deterioration.”
The figures back him up. Unemployment rates in rural Ireland continue to however around the 10% mark. In contrast, Dublin and the Mid-East score 8% and 6% respectively.
Furthermore, a 2014 Survey on Income and Living Conditions found that almost one in five people in rural areas were at risk of poverty, compared to 15% living in urban settings. Although it might not be obvious, rural Ireland is still hurting.
Boland says, “The solutions have to include developing much more micro-enterprises in the rural regions.” He points out that, collectively, small businesses are the largest employment providers in rural Ireland. More growth in enterprises means more local jobs and more sustainable rural communities.
