Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The amendments tabled by Deputy Tóibín propose to change the name of the Department to the all-Ireland Department of regional, rural and community development. While I cannot accept the amendments, I assure the Deputy that the new Department will be very active on North-South co-operation. Under the North-South Ministerial Council set up under the Good Friday Agreement, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the lead Department with regard to the agriculture sector, which also includes rural development. My Department will play a role in co-operation on agriculture and rural development issues, including ministerial involvement in the meetings. Officials from my Department will also participate on the steering committee on cross-Border rural development, where there is regular and ongoing contact between officials on both sides of the Border.

Another promising area of cross-Border activity is the North West Strategic Growth Partnership, where my Department will also be represented. That was established towards the end of 2016 by the chief executive officers of Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council with the aim of progressing economic and social development on a regional basis across the north west.

Strong regions provide the basis for improving economic opportunities and job creation in rural areas. While the term "regional" does not feature in the title of the new Department, there will be a strong regional dimension to its work. My Department will continue to support regional development and to deliver the regional initiatives that the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has been involved in to date. These include working with the Western Development Commission to support the economic development of the western region, progressing the Atlantic economic corridor proposals with key stakeholders and working with local authorities to facilitate preparations for the roll-out of the national broadband plan and improving mobile telephone services throughout the region.

The amendment tabled by Deputy Ó Cuív proposes to change the name of the Department to the Department of rural, community and Gaeltacht development. I cannot accept the amendment. However, I wish to make the following points. On 14 May 2017, when the Taoiseach announced the new Government he assigned responsibility for culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht to the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys. The Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, was assigned the role of Chief Whip and Minister of State with responsibility for promoting the learning and use of Irish, both within and outside the Gaeltacht. The Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, is providing a voice at the Cabinet for our first national language. A delegation of functions order has already been made assigning functions relating to the Irish language, Gaeltacht and the islands to the Chief Whip, Deputy McHugh, under the aegis of the Department of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has already signalled that she intends to rename the reconfigurated Department as the Department of culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht and the order to give effect to the change has been prepared. In drawing up the configuration of the new Department, the Taoiseach signalled a new emphasis that will be attached to the promotion of culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht and the newly-reconfigured Department will have a budget to match this emphasis.

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