Irish MEPs back GAA leadership on rural depopulation and call for national policy reform

A cross-party group of Irish MEPs has issued a joint statement to the Government welcoming the GAA’s work on demographic change and calling for coordinated national action to tackle rural depopulation.

The letter is co-signed by Ciaran Mullooly, Luke “Ming” Flanagan, Aodán Ó Riordáin, Michael McNamara, Kathleen Funchion and Lynn Boylan.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr Mullooly said the MEPs were united in their determination to place rural communities at the centre of Ireland’s demographic and regional policies.

“As Irish MEPs we’re committed to working together to ensure that all communities are placed at the heart of Ireland’s future demographic and regional policies,” he said. “Depopulation is not something we must simply accept. This is a challenge we can confront if Government, Parliament and the GAA pull in the same direction.”

The MEPs recommend a series of reforms, beginning with a comprehensive overhaul of how Irish legislation is assessed for its impact on rural communities.

Mr Mullooly said: “We are recommending reform of structural policy. Government policy must go well beyond just funding and introduce whole-of-society rural proofing for all legislation to ensure that new policies actively support, rather than disadvantage, rural communities.”

Housing and infrastructure reforms also feature strongly in the letter.

“We are suggesting the reform of housing policy to make rural settlement easier, allowing home building on family land and taking action to counter serial objectors,” Mr Mullooly said. “If families cannot build in their own parish, then of course clubs and communities lose the next generation.”

The recommendations also address employment, remote work and economic balance.

“We need to create