Social Justice Ireland has released its election ‘briefing’ for rural Ireland in the run up to General Election 2020, which outlines the policies the organisation is calling for in the next Programme for Government.

In the document, Social Justice Ireland says that the type of rural Ireland “we should be planning for” is one where there are “viable rural communities in all parts of Ireland where people have access to meaningful work, adequate incomes and decent services and infrastructure”.

The briefing goes on to highlight some problems and issues in rural areas, including the fact that these parts of the country generally have: higher rates of part-time employment; lower median incomes; higher dependency ratios; and higher poverty rates.

The organisation also puts forward a number of possible solutions to these issues, including “balanced” investment between regions.

Social Justice Ireland is also calling for rural development policy to be “underpinned by social, economic and environmental well-being”.

The document argues that the roll-out of high-speed broadband should be “prioritised”.

Social Justice Ireland is also calling for “integrated supports” for rural entrepreneurs, rural enterprises and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Finally, the organisation calls for any new Government to “future-proof” rural Ireland.