Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the significant changes which have been implemented by his Department to date in 2005 in delivering the national spatial strategy; and the costs, benefits and savings that have accrued. [34083/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The White Paper on Rural Development sets out the Government's strategic vision for the future of rural communities. It sets out the Government's commitment to the economic and social well-being of rural communities by setting out a framework for realising the vision.

The national spatial strategy, NSS, complements the White Paper by setting down clear markers for continuation of progress in rural development and addresses many of my concerns in relation to such issues as rural housing, services and cultural identity.

The Deputy will be aware that my Department is represented on the interdepartmental committee, led by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, supporting the implementation of the NSS. In common with other Departments, my Department submitted an issues paper to the committee identifying the activities to which implementation of the NSS is linked, the degree to which those activities currently support the implementation of the strategy and the potential for better alignment between these and implementation of the strategy.

This is an ongoing process and while no specific cost-benefit analysis has been conducted by my Department, issues of particular relevance to the NSS in 2005 include the following.

The CLÁR programme is targeted at particularly disadvantaged rural areas and thus supports the objectives of the NSS. CLÁR has continued in 2005 to address depopulation as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas. CLÁR investments support physical, economic and social infrastructure across a wide range of measures. The financial provision for 2005 is €13.7 million.

The Western Development Commission, WDC, has developed a strategy for towns on radial routes in the west to maximise the benefit to the west of the NSS. The WDC is in regular contact with the spatial planning unit of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on implementation of the NSS. Areas of discussion have covered the gateways study, hubs, monitoring and indicators, the National Development Plan 2007-2013 and balanced regional development. Promoting the region is a strategic aim of the WDC. The WDC launched the Look West campaign to attract workers to the region. The campaign is targeted at those living in the greater Dublin area who might consider relocating to the west. The media campaign comprises billboard advertising, a radio advertising campaign, newspaper advertising and press features.

The operation of Leader+ and the national rural development programme is continuing, and like the CLÁR programme, supports the objectives of the NSS. Public funding of almost €150 million has been allocated to the new Leader programmes over the period 2000 to 2006, with approximately €25 million allocated in respect of 2005.

The Department's overall objective of maintaining vibrant island communities is in line with the broad objectives of the NSS. To assist it in this regard, funding is provided annually for the improvement of island infrastructure and the provision of life-line ferry, air and road transport services. A total of ten contracts for the provision of these services have been renewed this year. In line with the stated objective of promoting marine and natural resource-based development contained in the NSS, the Department is also currently rolling out a new enterprise scheme for the non-Gaeltacht islands under which enterprises of this nature may be grant-aided. Similar assistance for such enterprises on Gaeltacht islands is available from Údarás na Gaeltachta.

On Gaeltacht and Údarás na Gaeltachta matters, the national spatial strategy recognises that Gaeltacht areas depend on their natural resources as a base for development, particularly in the areas of marine, tourism, and local business services. In this context, I have provided a sum of €34.3 million, comprising €20.5 million for capital expenditure and €13.8 million for current expenditure, to Údarás na Gaeltachta for the current year. Among the projects progressed in 2005 are: the establishment of Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, part of NUI Galway, in Gaoth Dobhair, now offering diploma and degree programmes; co-operation with Letterkenny Institute of Technology to examine the role it can play in the advancement of the Gaeltacht; and new developments in aquaculture to grow abalone — shellfish — for commercial production on Clear Island, County Cork, and to grow cod for commercial production at Carna, County Galway.

On the New Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, a key feature thereof is the inclusion of a dedicated priority axis of measures aimed at addressing the critical social and economic difficulties faced by many rural communities throughout the European Union experiencing aging, static or declining populations. My Department is working in close partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Food in this regard. Work has commenced on a national rural development plan which will include preparation of a joint national rural development strategy and the new detailed national rural development programme. Recently, both Departments jointly advertised in the national press requesting expressions of interest from representative organisations that wish to be consulted on the preparation of the national strategy and the subsequent programming.

Further programmes and initiatives of broad relevance to the underlying objectives of the national spatial strategy are set out in the following appendix.

Appendix

Comhairle na Tuaithe was established in January 2004 to address the issues of access to the countryside; development of a countryside code and development of a national countryside recreation strategy. Comhairle na Tuaithe is currently working in partnership with stakeholder organisations to develop a national countryside recreation strategy.

The rural social scheme was launched in May 2004 to provide an income supplement to small farmers and part-time fishermen who are currently in receipt of long-term social welfare payments while, at the same time, harnessing their skills for the benefit of rural communities. There are currently 1,935 participants on the scheme throughout the country, with a further 105 persons employed as supervisors.

On the delivery of programmes, funding of €7 million across local structures is being provided over 2005-06 to bring about greater cohesion in delivery of the local development social inclusion programme and rural development programmes in the post-2006 period.

The continued operation of the community development programme enhances the capacity of disadvantaged communities to participate in mainstream training, education, enterprise and employment opportunities, thus contributing to the spatial development of more peripheral areas, including rural ones.

On volunteering, the role of the existing network of local and community development groups in supporting volunteers and volunteering is being formalised.