Séamus Boland, former CEO of Irish Rural Link and president of a major EU advisory body, has highlighted his concerns over rural depopulation in Ireland.

As president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Boland chaired an event in Dublin Castle today with the ranking members of that committee, which was attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

The meeting was held in Ireland as part of events in the capital today to mark the launch of Ireland's presidency of the Council of the EU, which formally begins on July 1.

Speaking to Agriland at the event, Boland said: "I met with some colleagues in the GAA just recently, and I got a great presentation from them, in terms of the demographics of rural Ireland.

"There are parts of rural Ireland actually reducing in population. We really need a much more integrated planning process, industry process, a process of settlement to ensure we don't suffer any more depopulation," he said.

"We need a rural Ireland that's active, a place to live in, that has proper long-life housing, so I hope in my presidency [of the EESC] to bring the issues of rural depopulation to the forefront of the agenda to ensure people who want to live in rural Ireland can live comfortably in rural Ireland," he added.

One of the topics that arose at today's event was the forthcoming EU Livestock Strategy, which is expected to be announced by the European Commission during Ireland's presidency of the council.

The EESC was asked by the government to provide an "exploratory opinion" on the Livestock Strategy as part of council presidency preparations.

On this strategy, Boland said: "I think the exploratory opinion on the Livestock Strategy, indeed connecting with all matters of agriculture, is of huge interest to the Irish farmer.

"The majority of farmers in Ireland are of what [are] called the small and medium holding type, which means that they're essential to proper governance in terms of the environment, but also the food chain, and we have to preserve that food chain in very changing European times," he added.

Boland said: "So the Livestock Strategy is going to have to ensure that we don't lose out in the production of livestock, because it is part of that food chain, it contributes to the food chain, and it also contributes to the Irish exports, so we make sure we don't damage that industry, which is not just important in the production of food, but it is important to the survival of rural Ireland."