Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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315. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the commitment that a wide-ranging rural development policy framework will be developed by the end of 2016 and will feed into the development of the national planning framework due to be completed by the end of 2016 following the publication of the rural charter in January 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40821/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Charter for Rural Ireland was published in January 2016 and contained a number of commitments to support the economic, social and cultural development of rural areas. The Charter included a commitment to develop a policy framework which would feed in to the newNational Planning Framework (NPF) which is currently being developed by the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. TheNPFwill be finalised in 2017, and will be a strategy for the place-based development of Ireland over the period to 2040.

As the Deputy will be aware, I am currently finalising an Action Plan for Rural Development which goes further than the commitment in the Charter for Rural Ireland to deliver a rural development policy framework. The Action Plan will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives right across Government which will benefit rural Ireland.

My officials are liaising with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to ensure that the Action Plan for Rural Development feeds into the development of the NPF and helps to shape the ambitions for rural Ireland.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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316. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the commitment that a national rural development forum will be held in early 2016 following the publication of the rural charter in January 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40822/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Charter for Rural Ireland was published in January 2016 and contained a number of commitments to support the economic, social and cultural development of rural areas. The aim of the National Rural Development Forum which is referenced in the Charter was to ensure that rural stakeholders could contribute to the development of rural development policies and to highlight key issues that needed to be addressed.

The Action Plan for Rural Development which my Department is currently finalising builds on the commitment in the Charter for Rural Ireland. The Action Plan will act as an overarching structure for the co-ordination and implementation of initiatives across Government which will benefit rural Ireland.

As part of the process of developing the Action Plan, my Department held a series of structured workshops across the country, seeking inputs to the Plan. The workshops included representatives from LEADER Groups, community organisations, the farming community, Local Authorities, Local Employment Offices, and the Public Participation Network. I, and my officials, have also met a number of key rural stakeholder groups and invited submissions from them. I also provided a briefing on the Action Plan to members of the Oireachtas and invited them to input to the process. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was also invited to make a submission.

The level of consultation which has been undertaken on the Action Plan exceeds the single Forum event envisaged under the Charter for Rural Ireland. I will be publishing the Action Plan for Rural Development shortly and it is my intention that it will be a living document which will allow additional actions to be added on a regular basis and with continuing engagement with key rural stakeholders.