Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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26. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of each of the recommendations of the CEDRA report; the number of recommendations implemented in full, in part and not at all, respectively; the anticipated date by which each of the outstanding recommendations will be implemented in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24398/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) was established in November 2012 as an independent expert group to examine and report on the medium-term economic development of rural Ireland. The CEDRA report was published in April 2014. 

The Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development which was published in January 2017 built on, and went further than, the CEDRA report in seeking to address not just the economic development of rural areas, but also to support the social and cultural development of rural communities.

Many of the recommendations in the CEDRA report which had not yet been implemented were integrated into the Action Plan.

In 2019, my Department reviewed the status of all of the recommendations in the CEDRA report and found that the vast majority of recommendations had either been implemented where feasible, or were being addressed through the Action Plan for Rural Development or other Government initiatives.

The review, detailing the status of each recommendation, is available on the Gov.ie website at .

The priority recommendation made by CEDRA was the need for a co-ordinated approach to rural development across Government, led by a Cabinet Minister.  This recommendation has been implemented through the establishment of the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2017.  The Department continues to retain the status of a stand-alone Department under the current Government, emphasising the importance the Government attaches to rural development.