Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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69. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the development of a rural-proofing mechanism, as outlined in Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53698/22]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister for an update in relation to the development of a rural-proofing mechanism, as committed to in Our Rural Future.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades. The policy commits to developing an effective rural-proofing model within the lifetime of the policy. This will aim to ensure 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.

Building a on rural-proofing report my Department commissioned, I also recently hosted the 13th OECD international rural development conference. This event provided a further valuable insight on how the challenge of rural proofing is being addressed in other countries. To develop a rural-proofing model that is effective, it must be seen as a valuable tool to support the objectives of multiple Departments and not just the Department responsible for rural development. It must be focused on delivering positive outcomes for rural communities and the achievement of Government objectives.

My officials are in discussions with a number of Departments to pilot a new rural-proofing model as an aid to effective policymaking. This process will identify particular policy areas or initiatives that can benefit from the application of a rural lens to policy development. The pilot approach will serve to underpin the development of an effective, efficient, and implementable rural-proofing model that will support rural development and ensure we maximise the opportunities for rural areas to the greatest extent possible.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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Last month, the Minister provided an update on this. She said the report was completed and that she hoped to receive it shortly. Will she tell us more about the next steps? She also mentioned this is to be done within the lifetime of the policy, which is until 2025. Will she provide us with more information on the timeframe?

The implementation of a rural-proofing mechanism is very important. The EU Commission has again downgraded the west and north west for a second time, which it now considers a lagging region. That is very concerning. It tells us the west and north west is not getting an equal share of investment and infrastructure. Alarm bells should be ringing given we have been downgraded to a region in transition and now to a lagging region, the only region in Ireland in such a situation. That gives reason for the need of a rural-proofing mechanism, and we must to move on this as quickly as possible.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As I said, the development of a rural-proofing model is a key commitment in Our Rural Future, and work is progressing well on it in conjunction with other Departments. I do not want it to be a box-ticking exercise. We want other Departments to engage meaningfully, so it is important we get it right. We do hold other Departments to account through Our Rural Future. We have a work programme and actions for every year. I meet with the relevant Ministers in those Departments to make sure I hold them to account on their delivery for rural Ireland.

When I was appointed a Minister of this Government, I made a decision that the Department of Rural and Community Development would be kept as a stand-alone Department. It is very important that it has not been amalgamated with any other Department. We have benefited from that through the investment we have got for rural Ireland. The fact it is stand-alone Department is also a strong signal, from the Government and me, that we are committed to rural development.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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In her response, will the Minister outline the next steps in relation to the report, which I presume she has received by now, and the work done by the consultants on that rural-proofing mechanism?

It is important it is a cross-departmental approach and that all Departments are held to account. That brings me back to the point about the emergency situation in the west and north west, where we are now seen as a lagging region. We need to turn that into something positive and take as much additional funding as we can get through Europe and make sure it is invested in the west and north west. We need to turn that situation around.

The Minister spoke about engaging with other Departments and holding them to account. They need to be held to account regarding the region status that is of concern. The rural-proofing mechanism is one way we can turn that around. Has there been a response to the change in regional status, and has the Minister engaged with other Departments in that regard?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.