Thursday, February 23, 2017

HOW WOULD you like County Wexford to look 23 years’ time from now, in 2040?

Earlier this month, Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Housing Minister Simon Coveney launched a long-term plan for how the country ought to look by that year.

The government issued a call to individuals, organisations, community groups and others to submit their views on how they would like the country to look and, in so doing, to help to answer questions such as ‘how do we ensure that every place can realise its potential?’, ‘what are the key services people will need?’ and ‘what will success look like?’

In a bid to gain an insight into how we might answer these questions in a County Wexford context, the Echo spoke recently with a number of prominent people with a stake in the county’s future.

Each of the contributors comes from a different walk of life and brings their own unique perspective to bear on life in County Wexford.

They are not Councillors, TDs or MEPs and yet, through their thoughts, their words and their actions, they are sure to help shape how the purple-and-gold will progress over the next two decades and beyond.

 

Ben Doyle is Wexford Area President with St. Vincent de Paul.

The affable local woman helps to support families in need across the county through her work and the leadership she provides.

She is keen to see some improvement in Irish society by 2040.

‘Better education for our children,’ is foremost in her mind in this regard.

‘Parents not having to fight for everything concerning education.

‘Young mothers and fathers having enough to survive on weekly and not just having to scrape by.’

Healthcare is another aspect of the Irish system Ms. Doyle would like to see sorted out in the coming years.

‘No more waiting lists on hospital appointments… no more waiting to see doctors,’ she highlighted.

Within the next two decades, the local leader would like to see proper housing provided for those who need a home.

‘To see no-one sleeping on streets or sleeping rough,’ was another of the visions espoused by Ms. Doyle.

Noel Whelan is a barrister, a national political pundit, an Irish Times columnist and the Founder of New Ross’ Kennedy Summer School. He has also been Chairman of the JFK Trust in New Ross.

As a seasoned observer of politics locally, nationally and internationally, he is likely to be able to foretell how Wexford and Ireland will look 23 years from now.

Ideally, what he would like to see is ‘a county where everyone available to work would have a job, all would have a roof over their head and only those who want to travel would emigrate.’

Several people and resources are going to have to invest in helping to turn this vision into a reality, he highlighted.

‘Achieving that,’ he said, ‘will require the county to grasp the full tourist potential of its natural beauty and community spirit, to harness the county’s rising education standard into even greater innovation and success in the technology and communications industry and to exploit its agricultural and food resources around a strong Wexford brand.’

Fortunately, with the right preparation and execution, he does not feel such a reality is unreachable.

It can be achieved, he stated, ‘if we shamelessly exploit the profile of our great writers, sports stars and entrepreneurs as salespeople, those still living within the county and without, as active ambassadors for the purple and gold and all that is best about the county.’

 

David Beattie is a transgender teenager from the north of the county who received a very positive reaction when he appeared on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show recently to tell his story.

The young journalist, blogger, author and model is currently transitioning to female and is a beautiful and confident advocate of a diverse future for County Wexford.

As he described, ‘I always say that I loved Wexford, but it never really loved me.

‘I would love to see Wexford develop a more tolerant nature towards people of diversity.’

With the passing of marriage equality into law in 2015 and other milestones reached in recent years, he expressed his view that the county has ‘come so far… but there is so much more to be done.’

His wish for the future ought to be simple, but remains to be played out: ‘I hope to see people’s differences celebrated, rather than suppressed,’ he said.

 

Bernie Mullen is a dedicated community activist in the wider Kilrane / Rosslare Harbour area and across the Wexford district.

The Labour Party, Rosslare Harbour Lifeboat, Kilrane / Rosslare Harbour Tops / Community Group and Wexford Women’s Refuge are just some of the causes close to Ms. Mullen’s heart, giving her a wide-ranging perspective on the county and its future.

Over the next two decades, she said, she would like to see ‘improved transport links replace the beleaguered and loss-making systems we have presently.’

With an active interest in the arts, she is keen to see what she described as ‘more than a cursory nod given to the arts in the county.

‘Wexford Festival Opera is ground-breaking and a wonderful tourism draw, but I would like to see more connections with a far wider range of different arts media.’

Cheaper and more efficient fuel being made available within the county and a more concentrated First Stop Care approach being taken to health, particularly to mental health, are just two other things she would like to see happen locally in the coming years.

Read more in the Wexford Echo.