Our vision is of ... sustainable rural communities

35% of the population live in rural communities.  Rural communities have higher numbers of older people, greater transport and fuel costs and limited access to employment opportunities and childcare.  Vulnerable groups such as lone parents, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people living in rural areas can face greater isolation than their urban counterparts.   Nearly 50,000 people are employed in the agriculture industry and agricultural production is a key contributor to the economy.

In order to realise our vision of a Northern Ireland with sustainable rural communities, politicians and political parties should:

• Support a Rural White Paper that works for rural communities and is backed up with a meaningful, targeted and resourced action plan. Ensure that the programme for government is rural proofed.
• Recognise the importance of agriculture in Northern Ireland. Conduct a full and open debate on the impacts of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy in Northern Ireland.
• Ensure that the review of the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure gives a higher weighting to the ‘access to goods and services’ element in order to better capture levels of deprivation in rural areas.  
• Develop a Sustainable Rural Transport Policy which obliges government departments to work together and which is shaped by the needs of rural citizens and communities.
• Ensure that the Northern Ireland Childcare strategy includes distinct issues for rural areas and builds on the experience of DARD Rural Childcare Programme.