Vol. 457 No. 8
18 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Taoiseach if he will make a progress report on his supervision of the implementation of a pilot programme for the development of a more integrated approach to the delivery of services particularly in less populated rural areas; and the way in which this initiative is making a positive contribution to the process of rural renewal. [15451/95]
In response to a recommendation by the National Economic and Social Council in its report New Approaches to Rural Development, as Minister of State for Western Development and Rural Renewal, I undertook the initiative of organising four one day public seminars during May and June 1995 on the theme “Rural Renewal: An Integrated Approach to the Provision of Public Services”.
The seminars were an integral part of the consultative process necessary to determine the scope and extent of a pilot programme of service centres in rural areas recommended by NESC. Four seminars were held in Roscommon, Sligo, Galway and Ennis during May and June 1995. The seminars provided an extremely useful forum for bringing together service providers and service users to examine at first hand the issues to be addressed in this area.
Subsequently, I had compiled and circulated a report on the findings of the four seminars and associated workshops to all participants with the aim of stimulating the maximum response at local level to the issues which need to be addressed. I also invited seminar participants and other interested parties to send me detailed proposals for the pilot projects.
