Vol. 510 No. 3
24 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the proposals, if any, he has to implement the proposals of the White Paper on Rural Development; when the rural fund, the Cabinet committee, the rural forum, the rural proofing and the development of pilot rural transport projects will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22437/99]
A number of the commitments in the White Paper have already been implemented. The title of my Department is the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development with effect from 27 September last, reflecting its lead role in rural development. Arrangements for the rural proofing of policy proposals are now in place. Arrangements for the Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by the Taoiseach, and the interdepartmental policy committee on rural development have been agreed. I expect to be able to announce very shortly the establishment of the National Rural Development Forum, which will be widely representative. The rural development fund will be in place from next year to support the review and analysis of rural development policy through appropriate research.
Pilot projects on rural transport are in progress in several areas to examine their effectiveness. In addition, each county development board, from next year, will carry out an audit of local transport needs and services as a priority and will identify with the relevant partners the most appropriate co-ordination and delivery mechanism to ensure effective local transport provision in its area.
The White Paper is a general policy statement setting out principles and commitments for the future. The commitments in the White Paper will be reflected in the national development plan to be published next Monday. The review of An Action Programme for the Millennium, published last week, reaffirms the Government's commitment to rural development.
The Minister will agree that the White Paper outlines a general policy statement for rural development and is highly aspirational with very few costings for specific proposals. Will the Minister agree to a full debate on the White Paper in the House as we all want the opportunity to prioritise rural development in the new millennium? How much will the rural development fund amount to? When will it become operational? Will funding in addition to what already exists under a number of heads be provided? Will all funding be gathered together and will it be incremental on a per annum basis?
Regarding the rural forum, will the Minister indicate the Departments, State agencies, assemblies or regional authorities which will be included? Will local authorities be included? What other functions will the forum undertake? What efforts will be made to ensure balanced regional development? I have another question, but perhaps the Minister will answer these.
The Deputy said the White Paper is aspirational. However, it is a genuine commitment on the part of the Government. It is the result of meetings and agreement with 14 Departments, with each Department delivering its own section.
The rural development fund will be operational from January next year. In the region of nearly £1 million will be provided for review of policy, feasibility studies and various other things for bodies. Regarding other available funds, each Department involved in rural development, and this includes all Departments with the exception of Foreign Affairs and Defence, will have its own funds in this area.
I have forgotten the other questions asked by the Deputy.
I asked about rural proofing, an issue which I have championed since being elected to the House. This is a very important part of overall policy direction and one I want to ensure gets top priority. How much resources will be allocated to establish the rural proofing unit? Who will be responsible for establishing this unit, seeing there is a diverse number of Departments involved? Will resources be made available for all the other Departments to employ officers to work in rural proofing across the different areas? As the Minister said, about 14 Departments are involved. How will rural proofing be managed and evaluated to ensure it is effective? How will transport proposals be rural proofed? Will there be a specific proposal for a budget for rural transport projects? This is extremely important as many people feel left out in rural areas because of a lack of transport. Will the Minister consider the idea of using school buses in the period from 9.30 a.m. until 1.30 p.m. or 2.30 p.m., something which has been working extremely well in a pilot project in Westmeath? Will moneys be provided to ensure this is adopted on a more widespread basis in midland counties, particularly in areas which do not have a public transport system? Is that where the money will be allocated, to ensure rural people are treated fairly vis-à-vis their urban counterparts? Is that the idea behind rural proofing? Will the Minister of State ensure, in terms of regional balance in development, that there will be discrimination in funding in favour of rural areas to ensure they get a greater number of industrial projects than they have heretofore?
With regard to rural proofing, each Department will appoint an officer to ensure that all legislation brought forward will be examined in the context of rural proofing. The interdepartmental committee will also examine legislation for rural proofing, as will the Cabinet sub-committee. There are a number of safety measures, therefore, to ensure rural proofing.
I agree with the Deputy's remarks about rural transport. There are a number of projects in Mayo, Meath, Wicklow, Ballyhoura, Feakle and Westmeath. They use school buses. It appears to be the simplest way of solving the problem because the transport is already there. It is particularly useful because it is local transport. I know a good deal about the project in Feakle. It brings people from remote areas of east Clare into Ennis one day each week. It is used by 37 people and is a great benefit to the area. The maximum fare a passenger pays, who does not have a free travel pass, is £5 return. A hackney for the same journey is £15 return and the hackney driver will not wait for four hours.
