Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs his plans to update the 1999 White Paper on rural development here; his views on whether the Government's rural development policy requires updating; the precise initiatives he plans to take in this respect over the next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22594/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The strategic goal of my Department for rural development is to promote and maintain living and working populations in rural areas by helping to foster sustainable and culturally vibrant communities. The White Paper on rural development defines Government policy in this regard and provides a framework for realising these goals.

My Department's rural development initiatives in the next year will include: implementation of the CLÁR and Leader programmes and the rural social scheme; administration of the farm electrification grant scheme; advancing the work of Comhairle Na Tuaithe; support of projects under the rural development fund; promoting debate and progressing rural development issues through the national rural development forum; cross-Border co-operation in rural development; leading the rural development co-ordinating committee under the NDP; participation as appropriate in interdepartmental committees on issues appropriate to rural development, such as the national spatial strategy; support of the Western Development Commission in the discharge of its functions. Evaluation of the rural development fund and follow up with relevant Departments on the review of enterprise supports will also fall for consideration.

Following the recent adoption of the EU regulation on rural development for the period2007-13, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture and Food, will prepare a joint national rural development strategy and a detailed national rural development programme. This will include a stakeholder consultation process later this year. Any review of priorities to be addressed under the White Paper on rural development will be considered in that context.