Irish Rural Link (IRL) is a national network of organisations and individuals campaigning for sustainable rural development in Ireland and Europe. The network provides a structure through which rural groups and individuals, representing disadvantaged rural communities, can articulate their common needs and priorities, share their experiences and present their case to policy-makers at local, national and European Level. Central to Irish Rural Link’s current activities is the facilitation of communication and the solution of problems through networking and the sharing and adoption of best practice.
A vast range of experience in networking, communications, facilitation and community engagement make Irish Rural Link an ideal candidate to lead the communication and public relations strategy components of this project. Throughout the duration of the pilot project, IRL 32 will use its contacts with local and national media to increase the awareness of the project and its outcomes, highlighting the role of farmers in safety on their farms. Over the three decades, IRL has proven itself as a trusted organization which specializes in stakeholder engagement and facilitation. Leading projects on behalf of Bord na Mona, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, EirGrid and the Sustainable Energy Agency of Ireland, IRL has built extensive networks to call upon when disseminating information and organizing events.
Since early 2016, Irish Rural Link has been the lead partner in the delivery of the National Rural Network project on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The National Rural Network is a key component of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020; the NRN is responsible for maximising the RDP 2014-2020 and disseminating the outcomes to stakeholders and the general public as well as representing Ireland on the European Network for Rural Development. As lead partners in the NRN, IRL have worked closely with the existing 23 Operational Groups giving them an in-depth knowledge how to form operational groups and the delivery on their objectives. The previous experience of Irish Rural Link and its partners will allow them to hit the ground running when establishing the operational group and use standing relationships to maximize the project objectives.
Located less than 40km from County Tipperary, the offices of Irish Rural Link in Moate, Co Westmeath will act as the project team headquarter. All contact details will refer to this as the contact point for all interested parties. Maria Pettit will lead the project on behalf of Irish Rural Link. Maria has an extensive knowledge this knowledge will allow the project team to avoid pitfalls when communicating with local farmers.
