Vol. 510 No. 3
78 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the input his Department had into the recently published Planning and Development Bill, 1999; the reason the issue of rural development has not been addressed in this Bill; and the plans, if any, he has to introduce long overdue legislation regarding rural development. [22507/99]
My Department was consulted in the normal course, as required by the Cabinet Handbook, in relation to the Planning and Development Bill, 1999, which was intro duced by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government.
Government policy on rural development is set out in the White Paper on Rural Development: Ensuring the Future, which was published in August. The White Paper represents a comprehensive and coherent approach to rural development in Ireland for the foreseeable future. It contains, among other things, a commitment to balanced regional development, including development of a national spatial development strategy. Such legislation, if any, as may be necessary to give effect to the commitments in the White Paper will be brought forward by the appropriate Minister in due course.
As promised in the White Paper, arrangements for the rural proofing of policies have now been introduced.
