Government unveils €60m plan to revitalise rural Ireland

The Government has unveiled a €60m programme to help rejuvenate rural Ireland.

The 273-point Action Plan for Rural Development includes a promise to revitalise 600 towns and villages, and support 135,000 new jobs within four years.

It is also promising to set up a new oversight group to make sure high-speed broadband is rolled out to every home in Ireland, and contains a plan to help families and first-time buyers convert derelict commercial premises and shops into homes without needing planning permission.

The Taoiseach said the plan would help to rebuild community spirit in isolated parts of rural Ireland.

The plan, launched today in Ballymahon, Co Longford, contains 276 actions in five sectors, which are:

· Supporting Sustainable Communities

· Supporting Enterprise and Employment

· Maximising our Rural Tourism and Recreation Potential

· Fostering Culture and Creativity in Rural Communities

· Improving Rural Infrastructure and Connectivity

The initiative will include assisting more than 4,000 projects in rural communities to boost economic development, tackle social exclusion and provide services to people living in remote areas.

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross indicated his Department had worked closely with the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on the development of the plan and would work to implement the actions in the transport, tourism and sport spheres within the timeframes identified.

Minister Ross said: "The plan recognises that the provision of a high quality, interconnected system of transport in rural Ireland is key to these areas. Arising from the Programme for Government, the plan commits to conducting a full review of public transport policy, including the rural transport dimension, to ensure that it meets the needs of rural communities."

Meanwhile, Indepetent Donegal TD Thomas Pringle called the initiative "insincere" and said post offices and other services in rural Ireland "continued to be undermined by the Government".

He added: "The €60m allocated to the Rural Plan will be spread very thinly, leaving under €2m per county. That kind of money will do nothing to address the persistent problems arising from chronic under-investment in Donegal. I’m talking about the lack of broadband, access to transport or development of our road infrastructure and an under-funded third level education sector.

"These are the social provisions required to maintain a town life and many have already left to set up new lives as a result."

he also said the "strong focus" on IDA companies was a concern, adding: "These companies tend to settle in urban hubs which further encourage internal migration away from rural towns. It’s a falsehood to claim that increasing IDA visits will revitalise rural Ireland.

“While proposals to lure people back to town centres by converting shop fronts into homes are welcome, it must be introduced alongside proposals to keep services for the people already living there or moving in.

“For a start we could get serious about preserving the post office network. 500 post offices have been deemed unviable across the State yet proposals to revitalise this network have been slow."