Mr. Fintan O'Brien:

I thank the Chair and members of the committee for the invitation to attend today’s meeting. We very much welcome the opportunity to update the committee on the work of the Department in respect of Ireland's rural development policy, Our Rural Future.

Since its launch in 2021, Our Rural Future has set out the Government's ambitions for rural Ireland and provided the framework for rural development activity across Departments. This whole-of-government approach is central to the policy and its implementation. While the policy has been developed and led by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, a large part of the actions under its umbrella has been delivered by a range of Departments across the system. Some of the actions delivered across government to date include improvements in digital connectivity, support for regional enterprise and employment, improvements in education, research and skills development in rural areas, and developments in regard to key infrastructural provision.

Within the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, a range of funding schemes and initiatives continue to be implemented that directly support the aims of Our Rural Future. For example, from our recent engagement with this committee, members will be aware of the positive developments in relation to the investment in, and development of, our outdoor recreation sector and the attendant social, environmental and economic benefits that brings. Similarly, there has been continued investment through a number of schemes that aim to support the regeneration of rural towns and villages across the country. The town centre first policy continues to be implemented in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Earlier this month, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, announced a further round of funding under the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, with more than €20 million approved for 30 projects across the country. Further announcements of funding are due in the coming months under the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme and the CLÁR programme.

This is not an exhaustive detailing of activity across the system under the umbrella of Our Rural Future in recent years. Committee members will be aware that more detail of actions delivered by some 25 Departments and agencies has been reported through a series of seven progress reports to date. The implementation of actions under the policy is supported by an implementation advisory group, the membership of which includes several Departments and key rural stakeholders. Our Rural Future runs until the end of 2025 and work is well under way on the development of a new iteration of the policy from 2026. Indeed, the programme for Government commits to the development of a new policy. It will seek to build on the momentum achieved to date but must also recognise and address the challenges that remain and that will emerge over the coming years in rural Ireland.

While the new policy is still in development, the central principles that underpinned the current Our Rural Future will also underpin the new policy. These guiding principles for the development of the new policy include: ensuring the policy is rooted in extensive consultation - I will outline some more detail on this aspect shortly; recognising the interdependence of rural and urban development; recognising that rural Ireland is not homogenous - not all rural areas are the same and our policies and interventions must take account of that; and the importance of recognising the balance between what is working well versus the challenges that remain.

I mentioned the importance of consultation. Much work has been done in this regard over recent months. The process of gathering views to inform the new policy commenced with an online survey earlier this year, followed by a series of eight stakeholder and public events that took place across the country and online. Taken together, we have gathered the views of almost 2,000 people during the consultation process so far. The insights shared through this process will be invaluable in shaping our response to the opportunities and challenges faced by rural communities.

To briefly summarise for the information of committee members, some of the main themes emerging from the consultation to date include support for ongoing investment in digital connectivity, enterprise growth and community infrastructure, and a shared ambition to further strengthen local economies and enhance quality of life. There has also been strong support for a focus on infrastructure, housing, rural transport, essential services and continued investment in town regeneration. The feedback received to date will be central to shaping the direction of the new policy.

Informed by what we have heard to date, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, will shortly publish a public consultation document setting out the key emerging themes and priorities for the new policy and seeking views in relation to same. This will be the final formal stage of the public consultation process, and we would of course welcome any written submission committee members may wish to make in due course.

Importantly, the public consultation process and our ongoing bilateral engagements with Departments will directly inform both the strategic direction of the new policy but also the development of a clear whole-of-government set of actions for delivery which will seek to deliver real benefits for rural communities across the country.

I also note that over the lifetime of the current policy, continuous dialogue with stakeholders and people in rural Ireland has been important, and this will continue to be the case in the coming years through structures such as the rural ideas fora and the rural youth assembly.

I hope this brief outline has been informative for committee members. I look forward to hearing the views of committee members, and my colleagues and I are happy to respond to any questions they may have.