Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has finalised its report on rural proofing; when this report will be made public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20899/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Rural proofing is one of the tools that will help us to realise Our Rural Future’s vision of a vibrant and thriving rural Ireland.

It is an approach that helps to ensure that major policy initiatives take full consideration of rural perspectives and issues at formulation stage. This means that across Government we are considering the impact that proposed policies may have on rural areas, but also that we are fully aware of the opportunities that exist in rural areas in relation to particular policies.

Last year, my Department published a body of research on rural proofing which is available on the Department's website. Following this, a number of Rural Proofing Pilots have been undertaken across Government Departments in relation to the National Planning Framework review, the development of the new Sustainable Tourism Policy, the development of the new National Hubs Strategy, and the development of the new Social Enterprise Strategy, which I will publish shortly.

The experience of the pilots to date is that they have strengthened our view that rural proofing is not a policy or a model. Rather, rural proofing is a process to be undertaken which leads to better policies.

Following on from the pilots, my officials are at an advanced stage of finalising a report which will include guidance for policy makers to help them to ensure that rural issues are taken account of when policies are being developed.

This will include guidance for Government Departments on key issues such as

• the challenge of defining ‘rural areas’ as an important first step in ensuring rural needs are taken account of,
• the availability of key statistics in relation to rural areas,
• the importance of meaningful and early consultation with rural communities as part of policy development, and
• how to ensure that rural issues are considered as a central part of policy development.
• I am anxious to ensure that our approach to rural proofing is effective and easy to implement.
• It is also vital that any model leads to better policies being developed that take account of the rural perspective.
• My intention is to shortly publish a report on the work undertaken which will include guidance material on how best to undertake a rural proofing process.