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

I launched the Leader programme as the Deputy has outlined, with €10 million for the town and village project; €5 million was announced last week for the Rural Economic Development Zones, REDZ, programme; €4.5 million for the rural recreation projects and the Minister of State intends to announce details of the new CLÁR programme shortly. We have done a lot in a relatively short period. None of these schemes in isolation is a silver bullet for the problems facing rural Ireland. I am very conscious of these problems. These schemes form part of a suite of measures to support rural communities.

The Department has commenced work on the action plan for rural development and the programme for a partnership Government contains more than 80 commitments relating to rural Ireland. The Minister of State, Deputy Ring, I or the Department cannot single-handedly solve all the problems facing rural Ireland. That is why we need a cross-Government approach. We need joined-up thinking to ensure that all policies and initiatives are rural-proofed. I have written to my Cabinet colleagues asking them to outline the steps their Departments will take to support rural Ireland. It is a question of holding Ministers to account on what they are doing for rural Ireland. As the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, said, the Ministers need to come in to discuss the local improvement schemes. I will hold them to account under the action plan but this committee needs to hold them to account too. I want to see other Departments discriminate positively in favour of rural Ireland. There are 2 million people living in rural Ireland and I am one of them. I live in the middle of a parish in the middle of the country. That is why the REDZ programme asks the towns to work with the hinterland. This is not just for the towns. There is tremendous community spirit and we need to tap into that. That is why I am going out on regional consultations. On Friday morning, I am going to Cavan for the first of these. They are organised through the local authorities and I will ask different community groups for their ideas. I do not have all the solutions. It is a question of working with communities across the country and harnessing that energy and the commitment that I and all the rural Deputies know exists.

The action plan will be an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives across Government. It is the first co-ordinated approach to rural Ireland. I believe it can make a difference and will benefit rural Ireland. My objective is to finalise the plan for publication in November. I will give a briefing session on the plan to Oireachtas Members in the audio visual room tomorrow. I have written to this committee and am happy to take any of the committee members' suggestions on board because we need to work together to find solutions.

In respect of the €1 million being spent on broadband, I am asking local authorities to help roll out the broadband to rural Ireland. I have asked each local authority to appoint a broadband co-ordinator in order that when the national broadband plan is rolled out in 2017, it will not find on going into a county that there are excessive development levies to build infrastructure for broadband. There should be no barriers to it because we need it rolled out as quickly as possible. I am working with them to find how we can deliver short-term solutions.

Deputy Ó Cuív mentioned Eir rolling out broadband, which is all fine and well. I am delighted to see the company rolling something out at long last because there seemed to be a reluctance to roll anything out before the national broadband plan was mentioned. Now it is in the procurement process and is planned for 2017. There seems to be a sense of urgency all round now to deliver broadband. I am very happy about that. The Deputy also lives in rural Ireland. When I go to make a telephone call, I am hanging out the window with the mobile phone because there is no coverage. These matters need to be addressed. I am glad that the commercial operators are starting to step up to the mark.

The Deputy mentioned the limits on the Leader funding. I am not familiar with that particular operating rule but I will consider it. I do not want any rules in place that will prohibit putting together and delivering projects for the benefit of rural Ireland.