The policy is outlined in the strategy and it is important that all local authorities, planning offices, An Bord Pleanála and An Taisce take it into consideration. The strategy sets out a rural housing settlement framework which has a number of objectives, including to sustain and renew established rural communities, to strengthen the established structure of villages and smaller settlements, to ensure key assets in rural areas are protected, to support quality of life and economic vitality and to ensure rural settlement policies take account of and are appropriate to local circumstances.