John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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131. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his Department’s response to the findings and recommendations of the OECD Review of Rural Development in Ireland, published in February 2026; the specific actions being considered to address these recommendations in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38302/26]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The OECD was commissioned to undertake an independent review of the rural development policy structures in place in Ireland.

To inform its work, the OECD carried out an extensive information-gathering process, including a comprehensive questionnaire completed by a number of departments, a series of online engagements with sectoral and civil society stakeholders, and two mission visits to Limerick and Roscommon. More than 500 rural stakeholders and government officials participated throughout the process.

The Review was also informed by a team of policy experts from other OECD countries, who were directly involved in the process, including the mission visits to Ireland.

The Review was published in February of this year, and together with an extensive public and stakeholder consultation process, has played an important part in informing development of the new Our Rural Future policy.

The OECD acknowledges the substantial progress made in Ireland, both under Our Rural Future and more broadly since the establishment of my department. Ireland is recognised as unique among OECD countries for its whole-of-Government approach to rural development, and for the high level of awareness and visibility given to rural needs across departments.

The Review also provided a series of recommendations for consideration, notably on supporting rural enterprise, service delivery and improving our use of ‘rural intelligence’ and data.

These findings and recommendations have been taken into account in the policy development process.

The new policy will be based on five interconnected policy pillars, focusing on rural places, rural services, rural communities, the rural economy and the rural environment.

It will be supported by ambitious, clear and practical actions to deliver sustainable and balanced regional development, with thriving towns, villages and rural communities across the country.

I am confident that the new Our Rural Future policy will demonstrate this Government's continued support for rural Ireland.