Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 21 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 6

Written Answers. - National Rural Development Forum.

John Bruton

Ceist:

82 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs when the National Rural Development Forum will next meet; the details of the agenda of this meeting; and the proposals it will advance as public policy. [24140/03]

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

117 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the work to date of the National Rural Development Forum and its plans for future work; when the next meeting of the Forum will be held; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24062/03]

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Éamon Ó Cuív)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 117 together.

The fifth meeting of the National Rural Development Forum will take place on 7 November 2003 in Cashel, County Tipperary. The programme for the forum has been finalised. It will include workshops to deal separately with the issues of principles and challenges of rural development. There will also be a presentation on disability issues in a rural context by the Disability Federation of Ireland and a progress report on the study of supports for enterprise in rural areas, the CLÁR programme and on the Leader mid-term review. The forum will conclude with a questions and answers session.

The forum was first convened in May 2000 and the last meeting was held in January 2003. Issues discussed at previous meetings included progress on the implementation of the White Paper on Rural Development, farm incomes, the national spatial strategy, rural transport, rural tourism, rural planning, and financial services in rural areas.

The forum was established to debate current issues, review existing programmes and suitable policy responses to rural problems. Its membership is broadly representative, from Departments and State agencies to the social partners and the wider voluntary and community sector.

The forum therefore provides an opportunity for various actors involved in rural development to voice their ideas about the way forward.