Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 December 2012
99. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has a role in the new Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49607/12]
View answerI established a Commission to investigate the potential for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) in September 2012 in order to facilitate a detailed examination of the current status of the rural economy in Ireland. Mr Pat Spillane has been appointed Chair of the Commission and to date the Commission has met twice. It is an independent body and I have no involvement in its work beyond my responsibility for its establishment and its terms of reference, agreed with Government.
The Commission will conduct a comprehensive public consultation exercise and examine all relevant information available in order to inform its work. The public consultation process will include a number of public meetings to be held across the country from January to April 2013. In addition, there will be a number of individual stakeholder meetings with civil society organisations. The Commission has established a web site at ruralireland.ie where interested parties can follow progress. I expect that an interim research report will be available by June of 2013 with a final draft to be submitted to both myself and my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine by October 2013, at which time the Commission will have completed it work.
