Over 100 Macra members have gathered in Athy, Co Kildare, and are preparing to walk through the night to Government Buildings in Dublin.

Macra is aiming to walk the 79km to highlight to the Government the challenges facing young farmers and young people in rural Ireland. The 79km has extra significance, as 79 years ago Macra was founded in Athy.

Macra president-elect Elaine Houlihan told the Irish Farmers Journal that the Government needs to recognise the needs of young people in rural Ireland.

"There is currently mass emigration of Ireland's youth and the Government need to recognise that we don't want to leave, but it's not very appealing for us to stay.

"The youth of rural Ireland want to stay and we want to have a rural community that's vibrant and has shops, pubs, GAA clubs and community halls.

"Nobody realises the importance of a rural community until a time in need. And in those times of need, there's nothing stronger than a rural community," Houlihan argued.

North-west vice president of Macra Rob Lally stressed the need for a rural revival.

“We’re not being fairly represented at Government level and we are walking because we are frustrated.

“This mass export of young, trained and talented people is decimating rural communities. They don’t see a life in rural Ireland as it is, it’s about time now that we get our fair slice of the cake,” he said.

Sitting at the top table with Houlihan is Munster vice-president Aishling O'Keeffe, who had a number of issues to raise with Government.

The cost of housing and the ambiguity around planning permission were among her main priorities.

She also said that the definition of family farm at an average of 90 cows "is not feasible" and that it's "unfair to the majority of family farm in Ireland."

Minister Heydon meets Macra

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Martin Heydon said that he came to Athy on Tuesday to meet with Macra members in the place it was first formed 79 years and to talk to them about the issues they are raising.

“It’s really helpful that we are articulating these challenges, many of which the Government are working on.

“There are solutions coming from Macra and we will have a meeting with the Taoiseach after they walk to Dublin. Some areas I feel we are making good progress in Government and other areas we face challenges and constraints,” Heydon said.

Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty spoke about the march in the Seanad on Tuesday and encouraged her counterparts to meet the Macra members on Wednesday and listen to the members “genuine concerns.”

“Some of these young people have far more experience than those making decisions on their behalf,” she added.

Future

Bill Gleeson - dairy and calf to beef, Tipperary

Bill Gleeson runs a dairy and calf to beef operation in Tipperary. He is walking with his fellow Macra members in a bid to “walk for our future” and is encouraging members of the public to follow suit.

He told the Irish Farmers Journal that the current Target Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) and CAP policies are “driving inefficiency on young farms”.

Gleeson cited “rising costs and limiting policies as a source of strain for rural people”.

What does Macra want?

Macra aims to highlight and address eight key challenges faced by young farmers and the people of rural communities alike.

  • 1. The Government's definition of a family farm as ‘average’ and ‘typical’.

  • 2. Imposition of quotas on young farmers availing of grant aid support.

  • 3. No recognition or engagement by Government on a farming succession scheme.

  • 4. Proposals to rewet large areas of rural Ireland.
  • 5. Accessing affordable housing and cumbersome housing planning guidelines.

  • 6. Disjointed and sparse healthcare services for rural communities.
  • 7. Lack of planning for the future of our rural communities informed by rural people.

  • 8. Lack of public transport for rural Ireland.

    • Macra walkers hit Co Dublin

    The Macra protesters have reached Newcastle in Co Dublin, having walked through the night with only a brief stop for rest.

    Macra members walking through the night as they embark on their 79km walk to Government Buildings \ Philip Doyle

    In a statement from Young Fine Gael on Wednesday, president Eoghan Gallagher said: “These successes must not be squandered by avoiding issues such as rural planning, a lack of transport infrastructure, or farm succession schemes.”

    “Young people have the right to build homes, farms and futures where they grew up.”

    Rural Irish communities left behind – Cullinan

    IFA president Tim Cullinan greeted Macra members as they walked into to the Irish Farm Centre in Dublin before their final leg to Kildare Street on Wednesday morning.

    He said it's great to see Macra representing young people, young farmers, and rural communities.

    "Rural communities are being left behind so I think it's a great initiative by John Keane and the incoming president of Macra to get out and walk into Dublin. It shows the determination of young people and the young people of Ireland are all of our futures.

    "Taking their message to Government is the right thing to do," he said.

    Cullinan said that generational renewal is not just an issue in Ireland but across Europe as a whole.

    "If you look across Europe we are currently losing up to 800 farmers a day," he stressed.

    Final leg

    Macra members are on the final leg of their journey into Government Buildings. The group has left the Irish Farm Centre and will present its proposals to Government this afternoon.

    Macra to meet minister

    The Irish Farmers Journal understands that Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has extended an invitation to meet with Macra members at the Department of Agriculture on Wednesday following their arrival.

    'Pure determination and stubbornness'

    Macra president elect Elaine Houlihan said that it was pure determination and stubbornness that the Macra marchers made it to Dublin to deliver their message. "We want those abroad to see their future in Ireland but more so, in rural Ireland where they belong.

    "What we've done won't will go down in history books but we didn't do this to make history. We did this to create a movement within our Government."

    Houlihan pressed Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to help make a brighter future for rural Ireland.

    Meeting at Government Buildings

    A half dozen Macra members including president John Keane and president-elect Elaine Houlihan are due to meet Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, Minister of State Martin Heydon and Minister of State Pippa Hackett at 3:30pm to talk through Macra’s key asks and solutions.

    ’Somebody needs to stand up for the youth’

    In John Keane’s speech to the crowd on Merrion Square on Wednesday, he said along the way they met with many inspiring families who were out on the roadside cheering them on.

    “The message from those families was quite simple, you’re marching for these kids… somebody needs to stand up for them and their future. One of the little children we met said to us, 'we painted these last night because we want to stay here, where mammy and daddy live.'

    “If that’s not something that should inspire political representatives to make change, to do something different, to invest in the youth, to provide opportunity, I’m not sure what’s going to. “Let that be the message, it’s the future, it’s the future of our children and it’s the future of rural Ireland. That’s what we need investment in.

    “The last thing I want to leave you with, 18 months ago I stood on this very street, for a very different protest and a very different demonstration and I spoke about John F Kennedy in front of the Berlin wall before it fell and he said at that time the proudest boast in the world was “Ich bin ein Berliner.” I am from Berlin. 18 months ago I said the proudest boast was “Is mise feirmeoir as Eireann”, I am an Irish farmer. Well today, after 79km, after over 100,000 steps, after several hundred stories, after many hundred blisters, the proudest boast is, I am a Macra member.”

    Macra protest concludes

    Macra has concluded its meeting with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue and Ministers of State Pippa Hackett and Martin Heydon.

    It outlined its concerns and presented its proposals to Government.

    Macra president John Keane said the delegation had “a positive engagement”.

    “We feel that considerable progress has been made in the areas of a definition of a family farm and also in the area of the creation of a succession scheme for farmers," he said.

    The Taoiseach also made a commitment to meet Macra again to address its concerns in relation to the eight points as raised in two to three months’ time so that progress can be measured, Macra added.

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    Young farmers gear up to walk ‘for our future’