John Durkan from Devlis, Ballyhaunis and Bernard Joyce from Ballyvary have been elected to the National Executive of the Rural Science Association at its AGM in the Brockagh Resource Centre, Glendalough, Co Wicklow held recently. Both men graduated from NUI Galway in 2008 with a Bsc in Rural Development.
At the AGM the outgoing chairman Dermot Leavy warned of uncertainties in the future regarding rural development, particularly in the context of the proposals contained in the An Bord Snip Nua report. Mr Leavy said there will be huge challenges ahead if the proposals are implemented in full and the proposal to eliminate the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is a major concern. He warned of the effects on cohesion and the possibility of social inclusion being removed from existing structures which could also result in Enterprise Ireland being responsible for administrating rural development programmes going forward.
Mr Leavy said the proposals will not just have an economic effect on rural Ireland but also from a social dimension.
