Press release
Minister Ring says new Government rural development policy 2020 – 2025 will respond to emerging needs
From Department of Rural and Community Development
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Rural and Community Development
Published on
Last updated on
Mr Michael Ring, TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development , has today called on rural communities across Ireland to engage with his Department as it prepares a new whole-of-Government policy for rural Ireland.
Minister Ring has urged local communities, groups and individuals to participate in the process by contributing to an online survey and registering for upcoming public consultation events.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships in Ballintrane, Fenagh, Co. Carlow, Minister Ring said that it is important that people take the opportunity to have their say on issues which impact rural communities :
“As part of the consultation process, my Department is currently running an online survey which gives everyone a chance to have their say on the future of rural development policy. The survey is open until the 11th of October and I strongly encourage people to visit gov.ie/drcd and have their say on how we continue to support rural Ireland.”
The Minister went on to speak about the wide variety of funding supports the Government is already providing to rural areas :
“A strong and vibrant rural Ireland is what we need and we are committed to achieving that through balanced regional development. We are already delivering on this objective with significant investment in rural areas through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, a key part of Project Ireland 2040, the LEADER programme, Town and Village Renewal Scheme and many other funding initiatives. Since the establishment of my Department the total funding approved for these rural programmes alone has risen from €39 million in 2017 to €63 million in 2018 and is expected to reach €157 million by the end of 2019. These investments are driving rural and regional economic development and improving the quality of life in rural areas.”
The Department of Rural and Community Development is planning to host two workshops, on the new rural development policy, in the following locations;
Minister Rings says that these workshops are extremely useful as they bring communities into the process of policy development :
“These events are open to all and will give the public the opportunity to give their views on the challenges and opportunities facing them and their communities over the next five years. The approach of my Department is to engage with communities and gain ground-level support so we can all work together to make rural Ireland an even better place to work and live.”
The Minister concluded :
“The Government of Ireland village at this years’ ploughing championships, the online consultation and the workshops that my Department will host over the coming days are part of an ongoing conversation about how we want to develop our rural areas and our communities. My Department and I are committed to rural and community development and together we will make it happen.”
To access the online survey or register for a public consultation event visit www.gov.ie/drcd.
Anyone interested in attending the public consultation event on the next phase of rural development policy for Ireland should register via Eventbrite using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ie/o/department-of-rural-and-community-development-20051109089
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to contribute to this public consultation, you can also submit feedback through our online survey via the link below.
The public consultation survey is available online until Friday 11 October 2019 at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CTPVSHB
Tá leagan Gaeilge le fáil ag https: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K2PJ323
Realising our Rural Potential, the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development was published in January 2017. The Plan was the first ever whole-of-Government approach to rural development, containing over 270 actions for delivery across Government, State agencies and other bodies, to support the economic and social progress of rural Ireland. The Action Plan has been a key vehicle for implementation of the Government’s support for rural development over the last three years, and the implementation rate of measures contained in the Plan continues to be very high.
The Department of Rural and Community Development is now developing a new rural policy for Ireland, to follow on from the Action Plan for Rural Development which reaches the end of its three-year lifecycle at the end of 2019. The new policy will reflect a whole-of-Government commitment to rural Ireland and will take account of other key policy initiatives such as Project Ireland 2040, Future Jobs Ireland and the Government’s Climate Action Plan.
The new rural policy will be forward-looking, with a 5-year timeframe, and will focus on strengthening our rural communities and economies. It will take account of emerging economic, societal and international developments. These include changing demographics within rural communities, the increasing focus on climate change adaptation, diversification in the agri-food sector, the next version of the CAP and LEADER programmes, new ways of working and the changing nature of jobs, and Brexit.
In order to develop the new policy, the Department of Rural and Community Development has held a series of consultation workshops over the last number of months to obtain stakeholder views facing rural Ireland. Following on from these events, the Department is now inviting wider feedback, through an online survey, on the challenges and opportunities facing people living and working in rural Ireland. The survey will be open until 11 October 2019.
Full List of Exhibitors in the Community: Rural and Gaeltacht Supports area of Government of Ireland Village: