Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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2057. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the Action Plan for Rural Development; if this plan has been aligned with the National Planning Framework Ireland 2040: Our Plan; and if the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 will be accounted for as part of any renewal of the plan. [14692/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Rural Development was launched in 2017 as a three year framework to progress the economic and social development of rural areas.  The Action Plan ran to the end of 2019.

I will shortly be launching a new whole-of-Government Rural Development Policy for the period 2021-2025.  The policy will be forward-looking and ambitious.  It  will build on, and go beyond, the achievements of the Action Plan for Rural Development. 

The new rural policy will be aligned with Project Ireland 2040, and in particular the strategic objective of achieving Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities.  The policy will also complement other Government strategies and initiatives, such as the Climate Action Plan, the forthcoming National Economic Recovery Plan, the National Broadband Plan, and the National Remote Work Strategy, placing a particular emphasis on the relevance of those initiatives to rural areas. 

The development of the policy was informed by an extensive consultation process.  The insights and views captured through these consultations helped to identify the issues that matter most to people living and working in rural Ireland.

The policy will be supported by a set of commitments for delivery across Government which will address challenges faced by rural communities, including the impacts of COVID-19 and Brexit.  The policy will also focus on realising new opportunities for people living in rural areas, including through remote, or connected, working. 

In addition to helping rural Ireland to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 in the short-to-medium term, it will support the long-term development of rural areas, to benefit individuals, families, communities and businesses throughout the country.