Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

The current programme for Government commits to doubling the funding for the CLÁR programme to enable rural infrastructure deficits to be tackled, and also to establish community and development agencies as one-stop-shops for advice on grant support, business opportunities, training and development and the management of grant spending under the new EU fund for rural development.

The programme for Government also commits to conducting an enterprise audit of existing and redundant agricultural buildings and manufacturing plants in rural areas. There is also an agreement to expand the rural social scheme to provide additional income for farmers and fishermen by increasing the number of places available. A well-funded rural enterprise policy will be provided as part of the programme for Government to focus on a broad spectrum of rural enterprises, with special emphasis on artisan food production and production by small producers.

The programme for Government also commits to initiating a study in consultation with Fáilte Ireland, Leader companies, agriculture associations, county enterprise boards and rural tourism operators to devise a new plan for farm-based rural tourism, including the development of farm-based niche visitor attractions.

Another very interesting and welcome part of the programme for Government in the area of rural development is the introduction of an all-Ireland walkways development plan to map out the infrastructural needs and routes and maximise their use. The Minister has been very involved in working with various stakeholders throughout the country with a view to overcoming some of the problems that attach to setting up the network of countrywide walkways. He has done very important work in this regard and we are making progress in establishing such a network.

Irish Rural Link, which has done a lot of important work in this area, has highlighted rural public transport in terms of rural development. It makes the very significant point that with rising fuel costs, carbon emissions and the possible introduction of a carbon levy, Ireland will need to increase significantly its investment in rural transport and conduct a major reorganisation thereof. We should be considering now how to provide transport in rural areas.

The second issue Irish Rural Link has highlighted, and which is worth mentioning to the Minister, who will be aware of it, is that of rural proofing, as it is called. The organisation pointed out that there is growing consensus among international expert policy organisations that rural policy on its own——