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

Obviously, like the Deputy, I am aware of the change in the status of the Border and western region, but from my Department’s point of view, there has been unprecedented investment in that area. I am aware of the challenges faced by inland counties, such as my own county of Monaghan, the Deputy’s county of Roscommon, Leitrim, and Longford - although not in that region - and I have been focusing additional investment in those areas.

We are looking at developing a pilot scheme based on the report on rural proofing. I must note that the OECD conference was very impressed with our policy, Our Rural Future. The policy was held up as an example of best practice. Many people attended the conference, with 400 people attending from all over the world, including ministers from Canada, the US, Colombia, the Czech Republic, and other countries. The OECD said this policy could be a cut-and-paste job for other countries to follow. What we have here is a good policy. We review it and set targets every year. I hold the various Departments to account and will continue to do so.

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