Renua has launched its seven point plan to revive rural Ireland which includes “liberating farmers to thrive”.
The party has said that farming needs investment as it outlined its agricultural priorities.
Renua wants to create a fund to protect farmers from the consequences of price volatility.
A new bond scheme that will enable farmers to invest in land and better opportunities and support for long term land leasing, are part of the seven point plan.
The return of a green-friendly Irish beet industry is also a priority for Renua.
With the current ABP/Slaney Foods tie-up in the headlines with regard to competition, Renua wants to end producer monopolies in industries such as beef.
Other priorities for Renua for rural Ireland include:
Rural Crime
A virtual reign of terror is being imposed on people, particularly in rural Ireland and the justice system has sat on its hands.
Renua Ireland is determined that the old, the infirm and the vulnerable should be able to live in security and dignity.
Confidence in the capacity of our justice system to deliver these superior rights is at an all time low.
The party is proposing a tougher, no-nonsense ‘three strike’ approach to sentences for dangerous criminals to end the feeling of fear and threat that is widespread in rural areas.
Saving the small village
Towns with less than 10,000 residents are becoming residential satellites of larger towns that have acquired critical mass.
Small villages have their own unique personalities and character. This must be allowed blossom with imaginative infrastructural development.
Successful plans for smaller towns and villages do exist and Renua Ireland is in favour of the BID process being made available to community leaders for implementation in conjunction with local authorities, local politicians and other stakeholders.
Rebuilding 30 towns
Renua wants to rebuild rural Ireland in a practical manner:
This will occur via the roll out of the Business Improvement District programme to the 30 towns in Ireland with populations in excess of 10,000 people.
Renua is proposing the development of a fund to drive this initiative where the urban street-scape is transformed over a four-year period.
The party wants to give the people a real voice with new town councils.
It proposes that town councils be restored on a volunteer basis and given powers and access to resources so that they play an enhanced role in decision making about the future of their communities.
Saving the Rural Pub
With the demise of local shops, post offices and Garda stations, Renua has said that the local public house has become an even bigger focal point for community interaction and social discourse.
It now wants such facilities to receive assistance in expanding their role if they so wish.
A grant assistance scheme should be put in place to enable the local publican to provide some tourist and local history information.
Fracking
Renua is concerned about attempts to impose fracking and wind-farms on rural Ireland without the consent of citizens.
The party notes that a 2015 study of 44,000 fracking wells in the USA outlined that fracking wells, particularly shallow fracking, is capable of damaging the local water supply.
It has said that this indicates fracking presents a clear danger to Irish citizens in rural locations dependent on ground water.
Until such time as fracking techniques have verifiably improved to the degree that they do not compromise natural sources of water supply in private wells, Renua is completely opposed to fracking.
Renewable Energy
According to Renua, renewable energy must evolve beyond wind farms.
In line with developing international practice Renua does not support the development of wind farms and it does not believe the economic case being made by supporters of wind farms and pylons.
Increasingly the main justification for wind-farms – cheap energy and reducing emissions – is falling apart, the party has said.