Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future commits to developing an effective rural proofing model to ensure the needs of rural communities are fully considered in the development of Government policies.

Last year, my Department published a body of research including the international experience of rural proofing. The international evidence is very clear that effective rural proofing has been difficult to successfully achieve and there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Informed by this, and to inform the development of potential approaches in Ireland, my Department initiated Rural Proofing Pilots of the following significant initiatives:

• Revision of the National Planning Framework being led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage;
• Development of the new Sustainable Tourism Policy being led by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; and
• Development the new National Hubs Strategy by my own Department.

The development of the new Social Enterprise Strategy also benefited from a rural proofing process which included;

• Hosting a ‘Rural Proofing’ Rural Ideas Forum for rural stakeholders to ensure that the consideration of their perspective was central to the development of the new policy,
• A specific baseline data analysis and census of the Rural vs Urban Social Enterprises
• Sponsored academic research which will culminate in policy options to support regional and rural social enterprise.

I want to ensure a new model for rural proofing is practical and easy to implement and will help Government Departments deliver major policy initiatives that take full consideration of the needs and perspectives of rural Ireland.

Informed by these pilots my Department intends to finalise a report on Rural Proofing by the end of Quarter 1 of 2024, which will include guidance materials to support the rural proofing process.