Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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45. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to the recent publication of the Government's plan for regional and rural towns and villages, her plans to publish a plan for the provision of services, jobs and infrastructure for those living outside of such settlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4315/17]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What the Government published is a plan for towns and villages and particularly towns. My question is when will we have plan for rural Ireland? What RTE reported, no doubt based on briefings from the Minister, is significant. It stated the action plan for rural development contains 270 measures aimed at rejuvenating 600 towns and villages in a three year period, but warned of the fallout for agribusiness. The Minister stated people are needed to revitalise towns. It seems we do not have a plan for rural Ireland. When will we get a plan for rural Ireland?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We launched the Government's action plan for rural development, which includes town, villages and rural areas, in Ballymahon, County Longford last Monday week. The action plan will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government, which will benefit rural Ireland. Supporting towns and villages is only one element of a much more comprehensive plan.

The action plan contains more than 270 actions to be delivered by a range of Departments, State agencies and other bodies across five thematic areas. The plan will support sustainable communities and enterprise and employment, maximise our rural and recreation potential, foster culture and creativity and improve rural connectivity. The actions set out in the plan will deliver benefits to all rural communities, whether they are located in a town, village, surrounding countryside or on one of our offshore islands.

A key objective of the action plan is to support the creation of employment throughout the regions to ensure people who live in rural areas have increased opportunities for employment locally. The action plan also contains a series of specific measures to enhance local services, including in the areas of health care, transport and rural schools. There are also actions in the plan to strengthen safety and security for people living in rural areas, and to support and empower local communities.

The actions in the plan are only the start of an ongoing process which will be built on continuously to unlock the potential of rural Ireland and improve the lives of people who live and work in rural communities. Focusing on towns and villages is sound regional development. We need vibrant towns and villages to support the environs and some might say the hinterland. This is not just about the towns and villages, it is about parishes, communities and the whole of rural Ireland.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for the reply. I did a word search on her famous plan. Town is mentioned 75 times, village 35 times, hinterland once, countryside four times and parish is not mentioned at all. Most of us know the geography of rural Ireland is largely based on parishes.

It is interesting there is no mention whatsoever of the provision of sewage in all the little villages which do not have sewage services. There is no mention of bringing water. In fact, there is no mention of water, apart from waterways, with regard to bringing water to those houses still dependent on wells and streams. There is no reference to reversing the vicious cuts affecting the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools. There is no reference to the horse industry, which is a rural industry. It cannot be a town industry. It is vital for the development of jobs in rural Ireland. There is no reference to fibre optic, which is the only type of broadband that suits rural Ireland. There is also no reference to townlands. I ask the Minister to be honest about this. As far as the Government is concerned, it wants to push everybody out of the traditional parishes and settlement patterns of rural Ireland and put them all into towns because it does not believe in rural Ireland.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I certainly do not want to push anybody out of rural areas because I would be the first person to be pushed out. I live in a one-off house in Aghabog, a rural parish in County Monaghan. I am very much aware of the community ethos to which the Deputy referred. Far from seeking to damage our rural parishes and communities, this action plan will support them.

The CLÁR programme is vital for community support. As the Deputy knows, it was his initiative and it certainly is a good programme. It was closed in 2009 and we were delighted to be able to open it up last year. We provided more than €8.5 million under the programme last year with a further €5 million available this year. This is direct investment into parishes and rural areas. We provided more than €7.5 million in rural recreation funding last year and almost €10 million in town and village renewal funding. This is the type of funding that supports some fantastic projects in rural Ireland.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The words of the Minister's plan belie what she has just said to me.

There is no reference to rural housing in the plan, except one, which is to an increased delivery of small housing schemes in towns and villages as an alternative to once-off housing. On top of what the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has clearly indicated, which is that he wants development to take place slowly in a small number of nominated areas, this clearly shows the Government's intent. I understand where the Minister and her colleague are coming from but the Government's intent is that we do not live in the traditional parishes of rural Ireland. St. Thomas', Ballyea and other great hurling strongholds do not exist as far as the Government is concerned or, if they do exist, the quicker we get rid of them the better. The Minister's own plan clearly states that housing in the countryside is not desirable. Does she not accept that is the situation?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I do not accept that. I am very familiar with planning guidelines and there are some areas in which people cannot build one-off houses in rural Ireland, under planning legislation brought introduced in 2008 or 2009. People are sometimes not allowed to build in areas under strong urban pressure but there is an alternative, which is to live in the centre of towns. If you have vibrant towns you will have vibrant rural areas to feed into the towns.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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A vibrant rural area will have a vibrant rural town.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This action plan was developed as a result of widespread consultation and comes on foot of the CEDRA report, chaired by Pat Spillane. One of the first recommendations of the commission was that the Government reinvigorate its approach to support for rural economic development by preparing a clear and committed rural economic development policy statement. That is what the action plan is. The commission also recommended setting up a policy delivery and co-ordination mechanism and that is what this will do. I will monitor progress on this plan, which contains 275 actions, very closely.