Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that update. Did she receive an initial draft of that report? If so, has she gone through it? She said the final draft that will follow is imminent. What does she expect the next steps will be? This will be an important piece of Our Rural Future and an important mechanism going forward when it comes to policies right across government as, before they are introduced, they will be looked at through that rural lens. It will also be important in order to avoid any unintended consequences or any possible negative impacts of policies that may impact on rural communities. If that report is imminent, what are the next steps? The Minister will be aware that there is a rural-proofing mechanism in place in the North of Ireland. That may well have been looked at in the work that has been done. I ask for a timeline with regard to what will happen next after this report is finalised. Has the Minister looked at the draft that was issued to her?

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