Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
904. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the implementation measures taken to date in respect of the 34 recommendations contained in the CEDRA report by specific expenditure or action detail in tabular form. [25301/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) was established in November 2012 as an independent expert group to examine and report on the medium-term economic development of rural Ireland. The CEDRA report was published in April 2014.
The Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development which was published in January 2017 built on, and went further than, the CEDRA report in seeking to address not just the economic development of rural areas, but also to support the social and cultural development of rural communities.
Many of the recommendations in the CEDRA report which had not yet been implemented were integrated into the Action Plan for Rural Development.
In 2019, my Department reviewed the status of all of the recommendations in the CEDRA report and found that the vast majority of recommendations had either been implemented where feasible, or were being addressed through the Action Plan for Rural Development or other Government initiatives.
The review, detailing the status of each recommendation, is available on the Gov.ie website at https://assets.gov.ie/10912/1c50e8f6472d4b539d1dc429d8697662.pdf.
The priority recommendation made by CEDRA was the need for a co-ordinated approach to rural development across Government, led by a Cabinet Minister. This recommendation was delivered through the assignment of responsibility for rural development to the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in 2016, and the subsequent establishment in July 2017 of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The Department of Rural and Community Development continues to retain the status of a stand-alone Department under the current Government, emphasising the importance the Government attaches to rural development.
