REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE RURAL RESETTLEMENT/LOCAL AUTHORITY
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE RURAL RESETTLEMENT/LOCAL AUTHORITY HOUSING PROGRAMME
Cuireann sé áthas ar mo chroí bheith anseo libh inniu agus tá mé buíoch díbh as an chuireadh as an fáilte fíorchaoin a chur sibh romham.
It is a great pleasure to be here with you today in Kilbaha, and as Patron of Rural Resettlement Ireland, it is a source of particular pride to me to witness the tremendous work of so many people within the organisation itself and the wider community here in Co. Clare.
Over the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about economic miracles in Ireland. Those who are closest to the coalface know that miracles don’t happen by chance. They take vision and determination, the ability to cajole and persuade, endless patience, stubbornness and a lot of very, very hard work. In the success of Rural Resettlement Ireland over the past 10 years, we have seen countless such miracles come about. And while many people came together to make them happen, there is no doubt that there is one person above all who deserves special mention - that man is, of course, Jim Connolly. It was Jim who first saw the possibilities of simultaneously tackling urban overcrowding and rural depopulation. Like all the best ideas, it seems so gloriously simple and glaringly obvious in retrospect: and yet isn’t that always the mark of genius? Jim not only captured our imagination all those years ago with his dream of what could be, he has worked tirelessly to make that dream a reality for hundreds of families and in communities all over Ireland. This is an occasion for Jim to take a well-deserved bow, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to say congratulations and well done. We need strong communities with an energetic core of voluntary endeavour. We need a healthy, robust civic spirit, where neighbour outreaches to neighbour, where people take the initiative and shape their own future. These are things no amount of legislation can generate from seed. These are things individuals spontaneously and generously commit to, dedicate themselves to, and every time they do, this organised space we call community grows more confident, more resourceful, better able to withstand the ups and downs of life, better able to use to the full the opportunities our lives and times offer.
Today, we celebrate the fruits of the hard work of all those who committed themselves to reshaping their world, with the official opening of this housing scheme and a new, long-awaited office for Rural Resettlement Ireland. For these seven families, and for dozens of others who have benefited since 1997, this innovative local authority “village scheme”, has truly provided the best possible start to rural living in these wonderful new houses. There is an Irish saying ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ – our strength is in our unity, and Clare County Council, together with RRI and with the assistance of the Department of the Environment, have shown just how much can be achieved when all our resources are galvanised and working in harmony. I would like to commend all those who have worked so hard to bring the project to fruition.
This scheme is just one of a number of imaginative housing initiatives developed by Rural Resettlement Ireland over the past decade. And while we all know that a roof over one’s head is one of the most important things of all – especially in these days of spiralling house prices – housing provision is only one of several ways in which RRI have made the move from urban to rural life a viable proposition for so many families. Just as important has been the recognition of the importance of skills development and training, so that subsequent chances of finding employment are maximised, and I know that Rural Resettlement Ireland have also assisted on this crucial front.
It can take a lot of courage for families to make the leap from the frenetic pace of the city, to the quieter rural life. Leaving friends and family behind can make the early days very, very lonely. It can be particularly hard on children who have to be helped to see the bigger picture, the vision for their futures which compels their parents to make this huge transition. Given time, support and understanding that transition will of course be rewarded. More than four hundred families have already made the necessary leap of faith, coped with and come through the initial hard period of adjustment and now they have created a better life for themselves and their children in their new homes. That remarkable success owes much to the determination of the families themselves and the help they have been given by Rural Resettlement Ireland. Critical too, though, has been the openness of so many people in the communities within which they have settled. We all need friends and good neighbours. In settled communities where friendships go back through families for generations, where there is an easy closeness and familiarity, making space for the stranger is demanding and it too takes courage and generosity. But your experience shows that with a bit of give and take on both sides, the perceived urban/rural divide in Ireland is far easier to bridge than many imagine and when we make that space for each other, everyone benefits. We have only to look at current efforts to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth, and the tremendous unity of purpose shown by people from town and countryside alike, to realise how strong that unity and sense of solidarity is.
I am delighted to have been asked to officially open this scheme. I wish all of the families every happiness in their new homes, and I congratulate Rural Resettlement Ireland and the community of Kilbaha once again on their efforts.
Is iontach an obair atá ar siúl agaibh. Go gcúití Dia bhur saothar daoibh.