Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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190. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the recommendations of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas report and the charter for rural Ireland have been reviewed, as outlined in action 86 of the Action Plan for Rural Development; when the review findings will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23388/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CEDRA report was a substantial body of research work on the issues affecting rural Ireland and it helped inform the preparation of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development which I published last January. The Action Plan builds upon, and goes further than, both the CEDRA report and the Charter for Rural Ireland. While the remit of the CEDRA report was to focus on the economic development of rural areas, the Action Plan for Rural Development also addresses the social and cultural development of rural communities.

The Plan contains over 270 commitments to be delivered by a range of Government Departments, State agencies and other bodies, and acts as an overarching structure for a coordinated whole-of-Government approach to rural development.

Action 86 of the Action Plan for Rural Development states that my Department, in conjunction with relevant partners, will "review the recommendations of the CEDRA Report and the Charter for Rural Ireland and identify how best to progress any recommendations that have not yet been implemented".

This action is due to be completed by the end of September and I can confirm that my Department has commenced work on the action with a view to its completion within the anticipated timeframe.

The outcome of the review will be published at the end of the year as part of the six-monthly Progress Report on the implementation of the Action Plan. However, I am open to considering publishing the details earlier, to avoid any undue delay.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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191. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if the industry-wide long-term plan for Ireland as a global hub for the production of film, television, drama and animation has been drawn up, as stated in the Action Plan for Rural Development; if not, the stage of completion the plan is at; the estimated date for publication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23389/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Creative Ireland Programme 2017 – 2022 which was announced in December 2016 is a cross-Government initiative to mainstream culture and creativity in the life of the nation and to promote individual, community and national wellbeing.

The objective of the fourth pillar of the Programme – establishing Ireland as a centre of excellence in media production – is to elevate the creative industries including media, architecture, design, digital technology, fashion, food and crafts together on an all of government basis. The initial focus of the Creative Ireland programme this year is to undertake to develop an industry-wide, long-term plan for Ireland as a global hub for the production of Film, TV Drama and Animation by the end of 2017. This objective is also reflected in the Action Plan for Rural Ireland given the importance of the film industry to rural Ireland.

In this regard, my Department has commissioned an economic analysis of our screen based creative industries, in partnership with the Departments of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This study will examine the economic impact including employment and the potential of the Irish film, TV and animation sector. Following an open tender process, Olsberg SPI Ltd in association with Nordicity, was selected to conduct the study in November last year. The commissioning of the study was also a commitment in the Action Plan for Jobs 2016.

The recommendations of the economic study will inform the development of the plan envisaged under the Creative Ireland Programme and Action Plan for Rural Ireland.

On 5 May last, I hosted a very successful Media Production Workshop at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham which attracted attendance by representatives of the film, broadcast, animation and gaming industries. The outcomes of this event will also input into the consultants study and the proposed Government plan. It is intended that the economic study will be completed this Summer and that the Government plan based on the study will be published in the early Autumn.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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192. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the review of the rural economic development zone initiative with regard to its impact on rural communities; the estimated date of completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23390/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZ) are geographic areas that reflect the spatial patterns of local economic activity and development. The central objective of the REDZ concept is to use the synergies and interdependencies between rural towns and their outlying areas to generate local economic activity.

A pilot REDZ initiative was launched in 2015 and, based on that pilot, I launched a further phase of the initiative in 2016. Following a competitive process, I approved total funding of €6.142 million in 2016 for 47 REDZ projects across the country.

As outlined in the Action Plan for Rural Development, I intend to conduct a review of the REDZ initiative this year. I anticipate that the review will commence in Quarter 3 and that it will be finalised by the end of the year.

In the meantime, based on initial feedback from the 2015 REDZ pilot, I am welcoming, under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which I launched in April, applications that demonstrate a REDZ-type component, to stimulate economic activity between towns/villages and their outlying areas.