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

I thank Deputy Kerrane for raising this matter. Our Rural Future is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy contains more than 150 measures for delivery across the whole of government, with the underlying theme of economic, environmental and societal sustainability. The policy has a vision of ensuring vibrant and thriving rural towns and villages, with a key objective of maximising opportunities for individuals, communities and businesses in rural areas. It recognises that rural areas play an integral role in the economic, social and cultural recovery and well-being of the country.

The policy commits to developing an effective rural-proofing model. This will aim to ensure all Departments fully consider the effects of new proposals on rural communities and the need to better target the particular challenges and opportunities facing rural areas. Following a competitive tender process, my Department has engaged independent consultants to fully examine the issue of rural-proofing in Ireland in order to provide a strong evidence base for further action. Their work includes consideration of rural-proofing initiatives internationally, so as to inform our approach based on the experiences of others. Following the recent receipt of an initial draft of the report, the consultants are expected to provide their final report imminently. This will present a series of recommendations on approaches to rural-proofing to my Department. Once received, the report will be given full consideration to determine the next steps.

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