Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 December 2019
35. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding progress in developing a new five year rural development policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50648/19]
View answerThe Action Plan for Rural Development has been the key vehicle for delivery of the Government’s support for rural development over the last three years. My Department is currently developing the next phase of rural policy for Ireland, to follow on from the Action Plan which reaches the end of its 3-year lifecycle at the end of 2019.
The new 5-year policy will be forward-looking and will build on the progress achieved through the Action Plan for Rural Development. It will seek to strengthen and build resilience in our rural economies and communities and will identify policy measures which need to be put in place to achieve those objectives.
The process of developing the new policy has involved a wide range of stakeholder consultation events with rural communities and groups, Government Departments, State agencies, young people, and the wider public.
An online survey was also conducted, which allowed the public to prioritise what they consider to be the main challenges and opportunities facing rural Ireland over the coming years. There was a very significant response to the survey, with over 1,700 responses. The insights and views captured through this extensive consultation process have helped to identify the issues that matter to people living and working in rural Ireland.
The new policy is now being finalized and I anticipated that it will be launched early in the New Year. As is the case with the current Action Plan, the new policy will reflect a whole-of-Government commitment to rural Ireland.
