Government putting final touches to rural development policy
The policy should be published by the end of the year.
A new rural development policy is being finalised by the Department of Rural and Community Development for the 2020-2025 period, the Dáil was told.
Minister Heather Humphreys said the new policy will be forward-looking and will build on the progress achieved through the Action Plan for Rural Development 2017-2019.
“The new policy will seek to strengthen and build resilience in our rural communities and economies, particularly in response to Covid-19, and it will identify policy measures that need to be put in place to achieve that objective,” she said.
Ms Humphreys, replying to Claire Kerrane (SF), said the process of developing the policy has included a wide range of consultation with key stakeholders.
The insights and views captured through this process have helped to identify the issues that matter to people living and working in rural Ireland.
The minister said her department has also consulted with key stakeholders to explore the short and longer-term implications of Covid-19 for rural communities and rural economies and to identify actions required to assist them to recover from the impact of the virus.
She said the inputs from all the consultations are being factored into the drafting of the policy, which she expects to be published in the last quarter of the year.
In further written replies to Deputies Kerrane and Catherine Connolly (Ind), the minister said the Programme for Government includes a commitment to developing a new policy for island development.
It will identify and address the main challenges and opportunities for island communities to support their social, economic, and cultural development.
She said a large amount of consultation with island communities in relation to the development of this policy has been held under Minister Catherine Martin’s department and will continue as the islands function transfers to the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Ms Humphreys said prior to Covid-19, officials engaged with island communities through public meetings on the islands to facilitate their input to the policy development process.
Due to travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic, scheduled meetings had to be deferred. However, the process has remained open and submissions from individuals and groups are still welcome via email.
In the interim, officials have been examining alternative options to enable the island consultation stage to recommence, she said, adding that online meetings will be held in the coming weeks.
