Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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548. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the delivery of the actions under Our Rural Future, relevant to rural towns and villages; and to outline which commitments remain outstanding and the way in which his Department plans to accelerate progress in areas facing depopulation, weak public transport links, and declining local services. [68540/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Our Rural Future contains more than 170 commitments and implementation is monitored through a series of Progress Reports, published twice-yearly, which provide detailed updates on actions outlined in annual Work Programmes for delivery across Government.

Progress Reports are published on my department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development-and-the-gaeltacht/collections/our-rural-future-annual-work-programmes-and-progress-reports/

The consistent high level of completion rates across the first four years of the policy shows the continued commitment by government to support rural communities. Where an action was not completed or has been delayed, detailed reasons are outlined in the published reports.

The final progress report, detailing progress on the actions in the 2025 Work Programme, is scheduled to be published in early 2026.

Meanwhile, work is ongoing on development of a successor policy to build on the success of Our Rural Future in delivering vital investment and supports, strengthening local economies and improving quality of life across rural Ireland.

An extensive process of consultation has already been put in place which has already gathered the views of stakeholders and communities across the country on what matters most for rural Ireland and its people.

This consultation commenced in March with an online public survey, followed by a series of eight stakeholder and public events across the country and online. The Rural Youth Assembly was consulted in September, ensuring that the voices of young people are fully considered in the policy development process.

Bilateral meetings with key stakeholders, representative groups, and public bodies have also taken place.

Informed by the extensive engagement already undertaken, and building on the progress already achieved, a consultation document setting out the proposed key themes and priorities for the new policy was published on 17 November. Written submissions are invited until 12 December. 

Drafting of the new policy will reflect the feedback gathered from all elements of the consultation process.

Engagement with Departments is also well underway with respect to securing ambitious commitments for delivery under the new plan as we continue our whole-of-Government approach to this next phase of Ireland’s rural development policy.

The policy is also being informed by an OECD Review of Ireland’s rural policy framework which will be published in the new year.

Government is committed to building on the success of the current policy as we seek to secure a more sustainable and resilient future for our rural communities.