Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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72. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the way in which his Department is co-ordinating with other Departments and local authorities to ensure adequate access to services, such as childcare, GPs and dental services, in rural parts of Ireland, in particular County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68005/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Our Rural Future, the whole-of-government policy for sustainable rural development in Ireland, seeks to ensure that rural areas are attractive places for people to live, work and raise their families in. In line with this, one of the priorities in the policy is to improve access to services for people in rural areas.

While significant progress has been made in recent years, Government recognises the importance of continuing the level of supports and investment in rural areas.

Accordingly, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to publish and implement a new Our Rural Future policy from 2026. The process of developing this strategy is well underway.

The issues around access to essential services for people living in rural areas have featured strongly in our consultations to date, including an in-person workshop in Ballina, Co Mayo last May, and will continue to shape its development.

Informed by the extensive public and stakeholder engagement already undertaken, a consultation document setting out the proposed key themes and priorities for the new policy was published on 17 November.

Ensuring equitable and timely access to high-quality healthcare services and supporting families in rural communities by improving access to affordable childcare services are identified as priorities under Pillar One of the new policy consultation document.

The responsibility for delivery of these services falls under the remit of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, and the Department of Health respectively. Engagement with these Departments, and others in respect of other policy areas, is ongoing in order to secure 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.

Within my own Department, I am committed to ensuring that schemes and supports in place retain a clear focus on supporting the vibrancy and sustainability of rural areas.

Government is committed to building on the success of Our Rural Future and securing a more sustainable and resilient future for our rural communities.