Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very grateful for the invitation to attend the Upper House to provide an update on the recently launched Action Plan for Rural Development, entitled, Realising our Rural Potential.

As someone who has lived and worked in rural Ireland for most of my life, there are few subjects for which I feel as passionately as ensuring that we provide the right conditions to allow rural Ireland to further grow and thrive. The Government’s commitment to the regional and rural agenda is a clear priority in the publication A Programme for a Partnership Government. The publication just over a fortnight ago of the Action Plan for Rural Development has provided a clear roadmap for the implementation of the regional and rural commitments contained in the programme for Government as well as new ideas and initiatives.

I would like to begin by expressing my sympathies to those affected by the job losses announced at the Hewlett Packard site in Leixlip. Yesterday's news is, sadly, a reminder that we must not be complacent. We have to work hard to ensure we remain competitive and continue to encourage companies into Ireland as well as supporting our home grown businesses. Just this week, my colleague the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, announced over 200 jobs in Waterford and Kilkenny.

I was particularly pleased to hear the announcement that 140 new jobs will be created by the link-up between Mercury Filmworks and the wonderful Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny.I was particularly pleased to hear the announcement that 140 new jobs will be created by the link-up between Mercury Filmworks and the wonderful Cartoon Saloon in Kilkenny. I have visited Cartoon Saloon, which is an Oscar-nominated animation studio, and the place is quite literally brimming with talent and creativity. A further 60 jobs were announced at the software company Red Hat in Waterford underlining the vast range of skills and knowledge available to prospective employers in all areas of the country. It should be noted, of course, that these job announcements arrive on the heels of earlier announcements such as the creation in 2017 of 100 jobs in Athlone by the delivery company DPD with another 100 to follow before 2020, and the creation of 100 jobs over the next two years in Dundalk by the Almac pharmaceutical group. We want to build on that progress.

The action plan for rural development represents a whole-of-government approach to rural development. We are not looking at any single element of rural development in isolation. We look at the whole picture - from supporting the creation of jobs and enterprise right through to fostering culture and creativity in rural communities. It is the first plan of its kind and every Department is committed to delivering on the 270 actions outlined in this plan. We have set ourselves a number of ambitious targets across all sectors covered by the plan. In delivering the plan, we will support the creation of 135,000 new jobs in rural Ireland by 2020 by supporting indigenous businesses and increasing foreign direct investment by up to 40% in the regions; implement a range of initiatives to rejuvenate over 600 rural and regional towns, including a pilot scheme to encourage people to return to living in town and village centres; assist over 4,000 projects in rural communities through the Leader programme to boost economic development, tackle social exclusion and provide services to people living in remote areas; increase the number of visitors to rural Ireland by 12% in the next three years through targeted tourism initiatives, including increased promotion of activity tourism; and accelerate the preparation for the roll out of high-speed broadband, which will be a game-changer for rural Ireland and ensure that all homes and businesses in rural Ireland are connected to broadband as early as possible.

The plan also recognises the need to support and protect vital local services in rural Ireland so that people can live, work and raise their families in a vibrant and sustainable environment. For example, as part of the action plan, the Minister for Health and the HSE have committed to increasing the number of GPs in rural communities allowing rural dwellers better access to vital health services. The Government is also investing over €435 million for approximately 90 projects in public nursing home facilities and district and community hospitals in rural Ireland up to 2021. We will deliver 18 new primary care centres in rural Ireland next year.

In addition, as part of this plan, a range of measures will be taken to address crime prevention, including ensuring that gardai are mobile, visible and responsive in the community. A total of 3,200 new Garda members will be recruited nationally over the next four years to reach a strength of 15,000 members. Other security and safety supports to rural communities will be provided through schemes such as Neighbourhood Watch, Text Alert and Seniors Alert. A new community CCTV grant scheme will also be introduced by the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality as part of this action plan.

The action plan will also ensure that rural Ireland is well served by our transport systems. For example, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority will work with rural communities to assess and implement improvements to existing rural transport routes and develop new routes as necessary.

I believe it is vital that we focus on the cultural vibrancy as well as the economic viability of rural Ireland and with that in mind, my Department is working with local authorities to implement the Creative Ireland programme developing culture teams and creativity hubs across rural Ireland. I also intend to provide funding for competitive art works which contribute to public spaces and reflect the culture and characteristics of the town or region, all of which will enhance our rural communities.

I am acutely aware that the issue which is probably of greatest interest and concern to rural communities is the provision of high-speed broadband. In that regard, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and I are working closely together to pave the way for the roll out of this vital resource in rural Ireland. While the Department for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is managing the procurement process, my Department is taking all steps necessary to ensure that rural communities will be best positioned to capitalise on full access to the digital environment. Two regional broadband action groups involving every local authority in the country have been established with a view to identifying and addressing any barriers which could inhibit the roll out of broadband once the contracts are awarded. My Department is funding a broadband officer in each local authority who will act as a single point of contact with telecommunications operators regarding the roll out of broadband. We are also helping to upskill up to 30,000 people in rural communities who have never used the Internet so they can fully avail of the service when it is rolled out. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and I will also work together to implement the recommendations of the task force on mobile phone and broadband access published last December. The implementation of the plan will be overseen by a monitoring committee, which I will chair, and it will report to the Cabinet committee on regional and rural affairs, which is chaired by the Taoiseach.

I have appointed Pat Spillane to act as an ambassador for the action plan for rural development. He has kindly agreed to take on the role to encourage businesses, communities, sporting organisations and other organisations to engage with the plan. As Members of the House will be aware, Pat Spillane played a key role in the 2014 report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA, and is well placed to carry out this new role.

I thank Senators for their time today and I look forward to the contributions to come. While I am sure there will be different views on how we should approach the task of rural development, I think we can all agree on our deep commitment to the issue and the desire for us to succeed. I should also take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in consultations in developing the plan, our colleagues in other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, and all those who will partner with us in implementing this plan. We need the help and expertise of those who have worked in the area of rural development for many years to realise the vision set out in the plan. I have seen the capacity of local communities to come together to achieve great things when the right structures and supports are put in place to combine the efforts and expertise of all of us and I hope that Realising our Rural Potential: Action Plan for Rural Development will provide these structures.