Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the Deputies who have spoken with such passion in the earlier part of the debate and here again this evening. There might be some differences of opinions expressed from the various sides of the Chamber but it is clear we all agree that we want the best for rural Ireland and for our local communities. Along with the Minister, Deputy Ring, I have had the opportunity to witness first hand the vision, commitment and energy which is present in communities across the country, whether they are rural or urban areas. These communities can do great things when they are given the right opportunities and that is why our Department is trying, through our many programmes, to provide maximum opportunity to communities to deliver their ideas and to realise the potential of their local areas.

Even since we had the first part of this debate on 10 April, there have been significant developments on issues which were raised by Deputies in the House. On 7 May, the Government announced its intention to award the contract to a preferred bidder for the roll-out of high speed broadband in areas not covered on a commercial basis. This project will have a transformative effect on rural Ireland and will facilitate a structural shift in how people live and work in rural areas. Improved broadband connectivity will help to support job creation and will help to revitalise and re-establish rural Ireland as an attractive place in which to live and work.

We have also had an announcement of €50 million for a beef support scheme from Europe, which is to be matched by €50 million from Ireland. This is something else that was discussed and this is important to rural Ireland. Some Deputies spoke about how the process of applying for schemes can be often daunting for volunteers and small community organisations, and I agree with that. To help less experienced groups, the Department has been running a series of events around the country called 'helping hands' to make groups more aware of our programmes and to provide guidance on how to make applications. There are numerous groups and community organisations which are out there but that may not have considered seeking funding and may not have the resources or experience to submit applications. I hope our initiative will see any barriers that may exist being reduced and ensure that all eligible groups have the opportunity to access available supports.

The action plan for rural development runs until the end of 2019 and the Department has already begun consultation on a successor to the plan from 2020 onwards. A series of stakeholder workshops has been taking place around the country in recent weeks. These workshops included an event day on Inishmore on the Aran Islands. I know the importance of considering the islands was raised by Deputies Connolly and Maureen O'Sullivan in the course of the debate. The next phase of rural policy needs to be forward thinking and needs to build resilience in rural communities and rural economies to deal with issues such as Brexit and the adoption of climate change measures. The policy should also enable communities to grasp the huge potential that exists in rural Ireland, about which many Deputies have spoken. The contributions which have been made in this House have been noted by my officials and will be considered in the development of this policy.

On other priorities for the Department for the rest of this year, an implementation plan for the framework policy for local and community development is at an advanced stage of development. In addition, the Minister, Deputy Ring, recently announced an independent review of the community services programme. This review will seek to ensure the programme continues to provide the best possible support for individuals, communities and organisations across the country. Following a public call for inputs in December 2018, my Department is working on the national volunteer strategy. Just today, I have chaired the first meeting of the new national advisory group on volunteering, which will assist in developing the volunteer strategy. Our Department is also finalising Ireland's first national, social enterprise policy, following a public consultation process which closed recently.

The debate on rural and community development has been useful and I wish to thank the Members for their contributions. I, a rural Deputy, along with the Minister, Deputy Ring, will reflect on the many views which have been shared during this debate. I am proud to be involved in such an important Department. In the short period since its establishment, the funding supports and programmes delivered have helped communities to become better places in which to live and work. I am confident our plans and programmes will continue to support rural and economic development and the local and community development sectors and that they will provide valuable services and supports to both urban and rural communities.

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