Calls to tackle the exodus of young people from the country

A Sinn Féin local election candidate in Thurles says rural Ireland needs to hold on to its younger people.

Dan Harty is standing for the first time on June 7th.

From a farming background he told Tipp today earlier that young people should be the lifeblood of rural Tipperary.

“In terms of keeping our young people around rural Ireland is proving to be a major challenge. Obviously to have a vibrant community in your rural villages and rural areas you need your young people to stay.

“We need to look at why our young people are moving abroad – they’re going abroad for better access to housing, for better access to employment and that’s something we need to focus on.”