Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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695. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount spent on producing the Action Plan for Rural Development; the breakdown of costs in tabular form; the number of times the monitoring committee overseeing the plan has met; the milestones and key deliverables that have been met and not met to date, respectively; and the payment ambassadors of the Action Plan for Rural Development receive on a yearly basis. [37053/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Rural Development was launched in January 2017. The costs associated with the design and printing of the Action Plan are set out in the following table.

The Monitoring Committee which oversees the implementation of the Action Plan has met on four occasions since the Plan was published, and is scheduled to meet again in Q3 2018. In addition to monitoring progress on measures contained in the Action Plan, the Committee has examined a number of specific themes of particular relevance to rural Ireland, including mental well-being, job creation, the LEADER programme and the work of the Fisheries Local Area Action Groups (FLAGs).

Progress Reports on the implementation of the Action Plan are published on my Department's website, www.drcd.gov.ie. The first Progress Report was published in August 2017, while the second Progress Report was published in May 2018. The reports outline the status of each of the actions due for delivery in the Plan over the reporting period. The latest report shows that 254 of the 270 actions to be reported on were either completed on schedule or substantially advanced, representing an implementation rate of 93%.

Work is under way on compiling the third Progress Report, which will outline the status of actions due for delivery in the first half of 2018. The draft report will be considered at the next meeting of the Monitoring Committee and will be published on my Department's website thereafter.

Mr. Pat Spillane, the former Chair of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) was appointed as an ambassador for the Action Plan for Rural Development when the Plan was launched in 2017. The role of the ambassador is to assist in communicating the key messages of the Plan to people in rural communities across Ireland and to encourage engagement in the implementation of the Plan. The role also involves identifying the impact the Action Plan is having in practice on rural Ireland, in particular by identifying and reporting to the Monitoring Committee on best practice which could be replicated across rural communities in Ireland.

A fee of €20,000 plus travel and subsistence expenses was paid in respect of this role in 2017, while a fee of €10,000 plus travel and subsistence expenses is due to be paid for 2018.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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696. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason an action (details supplied) under the Action Plan for Rural Development was not delivered by the timeline committed to; the revised timeline by quarter and year for delivery of this action; if no revised timeline has been set to date, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37111/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The action referred to by the Deputy is just one of a number of measures in the Action Plan for Rural Development designed to revitalise town and village centres in rural Ireland.

A Steering Group was established by my Department to progress the action and oversee the design and delivery of a pilot model to encourage increased residential occupancy of available properties in rural towns and villages. The Steering Group is chaired by my Department and involves a number of other key Departments and agencies, including the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Finance, and the County and City Management Association which provides representation from the Local Authority sector.

The reasons why properties are not being used in town centres for residential purposes are complex, and this has contributed to the delay in the introduction of the pilot scheme. As the Deputy will be aware, the factors which attract people to live in particular settlements can be many and varied, including the availability of schools, shops, transport and other services. These issues needed to be properly considered in order to ensure, insofar as is possible, that any pilot scheme put in place would be successful and result in increased numbers of people living in town and village centres.

The Steering Group has considered a number of options for a pilot scheme based on its discussions and a specific proposal has been presented to me for consideration. I hope to be in a position to provide further details of the preferred approach very shortly.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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697. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an action (details supplied) under the Action Plan for Rural Development; the quarter and year in which the policy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37119/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To progress this initiative under the Action Plan for Rural Development, my Department established a research partnership with the Social Finance Foundation in the second half of 2017. This partnership was for purpose of carrying out targeted research and stakeholder engagement with the social enterprise sector to inform the development of the National Policy on Social Enterprise.

A Steering Group, chaired by my Department, was established to oversee the conduct of the research. This Group comprised representatives of the social enterprise sector, social enterprise practitioners and relevant Government Departments. As part of the research work, a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process took place involving regional workshops and an online survey. Over 100 people representing a diverse range of organisations attended the workshops and 376 submissions were received as part of the online consultation.

The research work has been completed, and the outputs of this research, along with the consultative aspect of the work and other recent developments in relation to the sector, are informing the drafting of the policy. It is now planned to publish a draft Social Enterprise Policy in Q4 2018 for public consultation.

The responses to the public consultation process will be considered and the policy will be refined, as required. This process will ensure that all stakeholders can actively engage with the policy development process and inform the final policy.

I would therefore expect the final policy to be published in early 2019. While this timeframe is longer than originally envisaged, I am satisfied that the additional level of consultation will ensure that a robust policy is developed which has the support and engagement of the social enterprise sector and other stakeholders.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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698. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason an action (details supplied) under the Action Plan for Rural Development was not delivered by the timeline committed to; the revised timeline by quarter and year for delivery of this action; if no revised timeline has been set to date, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37124/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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This action involves the development of a scheme which potentially involves changes to legislation to enable the scheme.

In order to progress the action, my Department has been working with the State Claims Agency in relation to the development of a pilot scheme, with a view to a wider rollout over time, to strengthen the protection for landowners in respect of recreational users of private lands. My Department has also recently been in touch with the Attorney General's Office with a view to progressing the matter.

I have asked my officials to prioritise the finalisation of the work on the pilot scheme and I anticipate that progress will be made by the end this year in relation to identifying the precise legislative requirements and/or processes which might be required give effect to the scheme.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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699. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an action (details supplied) under the Action Plan for Rural Development; the local authorities that have and have not developed a local digital strategy, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37131/18]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The development of Local Digital Strategies will ensure that Local Authorities are primed to take best advantage of high-speed broadband coverage over the coming years to support both economic and social development in their respective areas.

Following a tendering process last year, my Department has engaged a consultancy firm to provide support for the development of a Local Digital Strategy in each Local Authority area.

As part of the development of the strategies, a Digital Readiness Assessments tool was developed to help the Local Authorities to identify their strengths, weaknesses and level of preparedness when planning their Digital Strategies. While some Local Authorities, such as Clare and Limerick, already have Digital Strategies in place, these Authorities were given the opportunity to have their strategies reviewed using the Digital Readiness Assessment tool.

Work is also now progressing on preparing a suite of guidelines that will assist Local Authorities to produce comprehensive, appropriate and effective Digital Strategies. Workshops and other supports are being provided to Local Authorities as they research and prepare their strategies, which are anticipated to be completed by the end of the year.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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700. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason an action (details supplied) under the Action Plan for Rural Development was not delivered by the timeline committed to; the revised timeline by quarter and year for delivery of this action; if no revised timeline has been set to date, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37132/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The action in question falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, T.D.

However, an update on this action was included in the Second Progress Report on the Action Plan for Rural Development which was published in May 2018 and which is available on my Department's website at: .

A further update will be provided in the next Progress Report on the Action Plan which will be published shortly.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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701. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason an action (details supplied) under the Action Plan for Rural Development was not delivered by the timeline committed to; the revised timeline by quarter and year for delivery of this action; if no revised timeline has been set to date, the reason therefor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37133/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The action in question was for delivery by ComReg, as set out in the Action Plan for Rural Development.

While the regulator does not fall under my Department's remit, I understand that the action in question has now been completed and that ComReg published a decision in relation to the matter on its website on 27th June 2018.

The delivery of this action has the potential to improve the experience of mobile phone users in households in rural areas.