Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are developing the social enterprise strategy. It is important that this be done as quickly as possible. I will be working on it. I want to ensure that all of these strategies are right. We found it took a long time to develop the island strategy, but we got there in the end and it was welcomed as a good strategy.

Our Rural Future is a good policy document and has been recognised by the OECD as best practice internationally in terms of rural development policy. This year, I attended the future forum on rural development in Berlin, where I presented on what we were doing. Last month, the Danish minister for rural development visited Ireland to look at and learn from how our rural policy was working. The Nordic countries are usually held up as examples of best practice in public policy, so it was heartening to see one of them coming to Ireland and learning from us.

For me, rural proofing means investment, making a difference and improving quality of life for rural people. That is important and I want to see it happen.

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