Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2004
7 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department has had ongoing contact or interaction with groups seeking to develop the concept of sustainable villages. [16836/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for rural and community development lies with my Department and, in that context, sustainability is of interest to me. The Government is committed to ensuring the economic and social well-being of rural communities and to providing the conditions for a meaningful and fulfilling life for all people living in rural areas. In pursuing this, the rural environment will be respected and development in rural areas will take place in a sustainable manner.
The policy as set out in the White Paper on Rural Development has been enhanced by the publication of the national spatial strategy in November 2002. As the Deputy will be aware, the strategy outlines the spatial development of Ireland over the next 20 years and it deals extensively with the management of our rural areas in the interests of sustainability.
I will continue to address the issue of sustainable rural development in light of experience nationally and in the context of emerging EU rural development policy. In that context, as part of Ireland's Presidency of the European Union I have hosted two conferences in the past week on territorial cohesion and quality of rural life.
Against this background, while I have not had contact with groups seeking to advance the concept of sustainable villages, I am happy to meet with relevant interests committed to sustaining rural communities.
The Leader programmes exist to assist the social and economic development of local communities. In July 2001 the Government appointed groups in all rural areas to deliver the programmes. Leader is a bottom up initiative with decision-making devolved to local boards, which take decisions on grant aiding projects within detailed operating rules drawn up by my Department and approved by the EU Commission. As part of their overall strategies for the development of their own areas, Leader groups interact regularly with groups seeking to develop the concept of sustainable villages.
The Minister has chosen to answer the question generally, which is fair enough given the nature of the question. However, I was interested in knowing if he had interacted with specific groups and he has indicated he has not. It is more useful to spell out the concept of sustainable villages. While every village settlement can have sustainability in its day-to-day operations, I had in mind the sustainable village movement. A project in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary, called The Village, will soon come on stream and a group in Timoleague, an Baile Dulra, has proposals to add to existing village settlements or to create a new village settlement meeting all sustainability needs in terms of employment and services in the area itself and the materials used in the housing structures. This goes somewhat beyond what is proposed in the White Paper and needs more interaction than has been evident to date as it gives indications as to how such new-build and additional-build development can proceed with the appropriate Government support.
The groups mentioned have not approached me or sought a meeting. Other than those in rural Ireland who live in towns, everybody lives in a village. Unfortunately some villages are now totally deserted. I could name a number of villages in my area where families used to live and which are now empty. Of course I would love to reconstruct them as sustainable villages to help overcome the scourge of migration. Whenever I meet rural groups, community councils etc., I am always asked how to sustain the population in our villages. When I go to Aghabog, those in the villages around Aghabog ask how we can sustain them. Population sustainability is a huge objective of my ministry. I brought the issue to the fore in establishing the CLÁR programme.
