Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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66. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to establish a rural resettlement scheme to stem outward migration from rural areas. [8722/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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The Government's Action Plan for Rural Development: Realising our Potential, has a clear objective of working across Government Departments to deliver a co-ordinated group of strategies and actions to ensure the success of vibrant rural communities across Ireland.

My Department works closely with the Department of Rural and Community Development on rural housing issues. In relation to social housing, it is already possible for households to move and relocate between local authority areas, including relocating from an urban to a rural location, under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme.

My Department is also currently examining additional ways to facilitate households, who are qualified for social housing, and who may wish to relocate to rural areas.