Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will speak on the subject of rural proofing. When I was given this role, among the first groups I met were IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. I used to hear that the role of IDA and Enterprise Ireland was just to get the jobs into the country and that where the jobs went after that was not entirely their responsibility. I was very pleasantly surprised when they told me that rural Ireland is very much in their sights. I asked them to specifically include rural Ireland in their business plans for bringing jobs to Ireland and they told me they would do so. I have asked the Departments on my interdepartmental group to ensure that rural Ireland is specifically included in policy and I have also taken this request to the local authorities. The new local enterprise office structure, with regard to the new development and community plans, take specific account of the very rural parts of their counties when the new regional structures are being put in place.

The Minister, Deputy Bruton, stated that no specific targets had been set. We are looking at the whole alignment process and the delivery to rural Ireland at government level, at regional level and at my own level, which is very much down in the community. The Action Plan for Jobs mentions CEDRA, the development of enterprise zones and the creation of jobs in rural areas. While the Minister, Deputy Bruton, may be looking at delivering very large job announcements, I am looking at the type of rural area that I come from, where the creation of five jobs in a particular rural community would be extremely welcome.

I will refer to tourism because I think that tourism has great potential for delivering jobs in Ireland, and particularly in rural Ireland. These are sustainable jobs because they are jobs created out of the environment in which people live. We are looking at all areas of tourism and we have spoken to all the agencies informing them that all of their policies must contain reference to rural proofing. What I mean by rural proofing is that any new policies must have a reference to rural Ireland.