Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

As the Deputy knows, the Department is progressing a number of initiatives and policies that provide both urban and rural regeneration through an integrated strategic way of delivering supports, programme schemes and co-ordinating measures to address social disadvantage and imbalance in our communities or, in some cases, a lack of opportunity. I gave the example of the national policy on social enterprise, the strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. We are working to develop new policies, synergies and partnerships, such as through Our Rural Future, and there is significant investment. Some people are still not where they should be and I fully accept that, but we are working to identify and respond in a variety of ways. Our Department is very much committed to a people-first approach in any funding we spend to deliver for people at a local level.

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