Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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2611. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of fully completed public online surveys during the consultation process for the new Our Rural Future policy, which closed on 2 April 2025, that were received by his Department. [20190/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to the development and publication of a successor policy to Our Rural Future, Ireland's national rural development policy, which reaches its conclusion at the end of 2025.

My Department recently conducted an online public consultation survey to inform the development of the new policy. This survey is the first step in an extensive consultation process which will continue throughout this year.

The survey ran from 10 March until 2 April 2025 and included questions on a broad range of themes of importance for rural Ireland. Over 1,200 responses were received and the findings are currently being collated, validated and analysed by our survey partners, Amárach Research.

I am very satisfied with the strong level of engagement with what was a very detailed survey. My Department will analyse the findings and review the survey responses in detail in due course.

The views expressed by survey respondents will directly inform the policy development process, including the next stage of the consultation process which includes a series of stakeholder and public consultation events across the country.

The framework of the new policy, outlining the emerging themes and priorities will be published for a period of written public consultation later in the year.

My intention is that, through the new policy, rural development will remain integrally linked to the work of all relevant departments and that the new policy will demonstrate the Government's commitment to building on the success of Our Rural Future.