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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: It depends how many questions our guests are asked. I cannot say for sure, but it will be towards the end of the meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Business of Joint Committee (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: It is after both sessions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We will now consider the topic of the National Spatial Strategy 2002-2020 and its successor within the context of the committee's current project on what it takes to sustain a viable rural community. Our first witness is Dr. Brian Hughes. Later in the meeting we will consider the same topic with representatives of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. I wish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I apologise to Dr. Hughes. We want to see if we can get copies of the speech. I know that a 29-page document was circulated. I picked it up yesterday from the Lotus Notes system.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We will seek to get a copy and have it circulated. I ask Dr. Hughes to continue

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: There is about three minutes left for the speech and the Deputy has a full ten minutes for questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Every member has been sent a copy of the document.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: It is a 21-page document.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: We can return to the presentation. In three minutes we can start the questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I might draw a halt to the presentation element. The content that Dr. Hughes has supplied will be part of this committee's study and the report it will compile, and it will be read further by the members. I will open for questions, if this is alright with Dr. Hughes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I will ask Deputy Ó Cuív to start off the questions part of the session and there is ten minutes, which he can manage in any manner he wishes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I will let the Deputy back in. There are people waiting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: The Deputy's time is finished and there are people waiting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: No. I thank Dr. Hughes for coming in and for the deep and detailed report he sent to us. It was fascinating. It is startling that 70% of the total State tax revenue comes from the greater Dublin area. Something like 74% of growth that happened between the two censuses happened in the Leinster area, which is incredible. The fact the population of a number of different counties, even some...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: It would be fascinating for us as a committee to see the particular policy initiatives used to accelerate Tampere's population growth vis-à-visCork.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: Okay. One of the problems with the democratic system in this country when it comes to spatial planning is that we are cursed with the idea of one for everybody in the audience. When we hatch particular plans for developments, they are usually orientated by good and sound economic and demographic advice etc. However, by the time they get through the political system here, they are nearly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: The witness mentioned in his report that there were some towns that self-selected. He mentioned Portlaoise, for example, which did not necessarily have the same emphasis in the national spatial plan but had its own massive growth. I ask for the witness's views on that. Much of the demographic growth has happened in smaller towns around the country.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: In a way, one could say that they are self-selecting in a similar manner to which Portlaoise self-selected.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: The witness mentioned the new regional assemblies. Could he tell us a little bit about them? From the vantage point of Leinster House, it is very hard to see how they function and what addition they are delivering.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Sustaining Viable Rural Communities: Discussion (Resumed) (24 May 2017)

Peadar Tóibín: I have one final question. The witness alluded to the Dublin-Belfast corridor earlier. I know that he is involved with the advice to Government on the development of it. Is it the case that we are looking at this on an all-Ireland basis? Some of the figures in the witness's report indicate that the western Border area has had some of the largest falls in population. That creates a...