Rural and Coastal Communities and Economies
Rural and Coastal Communities and Economies
95. This Ard Fheis reaffirms Sinn Féin’s commitment to protecting our rural communities whose way of life is under threat as never before, and recognises:
· the collapse of the construction sector has had severe repercussions for rural areas which were over dependent on it for employment.
· that vital rural infrastructure including rural bus services, Garda stations and primary schools must be maintained, that services which have been cut such as rural post offices must be re-opened and that action is taken to ensure that life is put back into small towns that have seen many businesses close.
· that the farming sector and in particular small family farms are the backbone of rural Ireland and crucial to our future and that these farmers must have access to a REPS scheme and should benefit proportionally most from the direct farm payments.
· that expanding the agri-food sector will ensure farmers have a market for their produce and that employment is created in rural areas.
· the provision of broadband must be available to all business seeking to operate in rural and remote locations.
· that the tourism sector provides much needed income and employment for rural communities and investing in upgrading tourism infrastructure now will ensure that this sector is in a position to benefit from any domestic or international economic recovery.
The Ard Fheis commends our Oireachtas and Assembly team for demonstrating Sinn Féin’s commitment to representing the interests of rural Ireland, in particular Michelle Gildernew in her role as Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Executive, Senator Pearse Doherty for producing a report for the Oireachtas entitled ‘Awakening the West’ on addressing social and economic inequality in the west, Martin Ferris TD for producing a report for the Oireachtas on ensuring the future viability of fishing and farming in the west and Arthur Morgan TD for producing a report for the Oireachtas on creating employment in the agri-food sector.
Ard Chomhairle
PASSED
96. This Ard Fheis believes that rural communities do not deserve the second class treatment they get. They deserve equality with their urban counterparts. As such, the Ard Fheis:
· reaffirms its commitment to the Rural Equality Platform we campaigned on in 2007, as a key part of the Sinn Féin Equality Agenda.
· believes that, like equality proofing, ‘rural proofing’ of law, public policy and spending decisions at formulation, adoption and/or implementation stage can redress these effects.
· believes that ‘rural proofing’ in the interests of equality is the right approach – and that while rural neglect is totally wrong, ‘rural exceptionalism’ is also an unacceptable way to deal with differential or discriminatory impact on rural communities.
And therefore:
· commits to develop a more effective model and process of ‘rural proofing’ of all law, public policy and spending decisions than currently operates, and to ensure that it is complementary to the equality proofing obligations for which we fought.
· commends our Minister of Agriculture Michelle Gildernew who will later this year bring forward an ambitious Rural White Paper including an enhanced rural proofing process to address the huge issue of inequity of access to services and investment between urban and rural areas. If endorsed by the Executive, it will sign all the northern departments up to delivering better for rural areas in health, education, transport, and every area of government provision.
Ard Chomhairle
PASSED
Agriculture
97. This Ard Fheis calls on the EU to bring forward reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2013 that will protect Irish farmers and the wider agriculture industry, as one of the largest contributors to the Irish economy. Sinn Féin calls for a fair and balanced policy that moves towards a flat rate for Single Farm Payments capping payments at €150,000, and that maintains a proper balance between Pillar 1 (agriculture) and Pillar 2 (rural development) and urges that the EU should give proper consideration to a new Pillar 3 to address the growing problem of climate change.
Ard Chomhairle
PASSED WITH AMENDMENTS - Amended motion below
97. This Ard Fheis calls on the EU to bring forward reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2013 that will protect Irish farmers and the wider agriculture industry, as one of the largest contributors to the Irish economy. Sinn Féin calls for a fair and balanced policy that moves towards a flat rate for Single Farm Payments capping payments at €150,000, and that maintains a proper balance between Pillar 1 (agriculture) and Pillar 2 (rural development) and urges that the EU should give proper consideration to a new Pillar 3 to address the growing problem of climate change.
Ard Chomhairle
98. This Ard Fheis calls for the immediate reinstatement of the REPS 4 Scheme.
Mayo Comhairle Ceantair
PASSED
Fisheries
99. This Ard Fheis calls for an acceleration of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform scheduled for 2011 due to the flawed nature of the current CFP, especially the unworkable Cod Recovery Plan which is causing huge hardship to the Irish fishing industry. Sinn Féin demands fundamental reform of the CFP to redress the inequitable share of quota in Irish waters given to Irish fishermen. We call on the EU to ensure the new CFP protects small coastal fishing industries and resists attempts from some member states to move towards a 'survival of the fittest' policy in order to compete with other international fleets.
Ard Chomhairle
PASSED
100. This Ard Fheis recognises the hardship caused to coastal communities by the Irish Government’s ban on commercial salmon and eel fishing. The Ard Fheis therefore proposes for both of these fisheries to be reopened and operated at a sustainable level.
McGrath/O’Brien Cumann, Waterford
PASSED
101. This Ard Fheis calls for the introduction of necessary legislation and associated measures which will control and implement a national ‘catch and release policy’ to apply to all course angling activities.
Monaghan Comhairle Ceantair
PASSED