Government launched Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 – “Our Rural Future”

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, today (Monday), welcomed the Government’s launch of “Our Rural Future” This policy will promote rural development over the next five years, supported by more than 130 measures which will address the challenges and capture the opportunities for people living in rural Ireland.

The Vision of rural development  policy is for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well being and development. An Ireland which is built on the interdependence of urban and rural areas. An Ireland which recognises the centrality of people, the importance of vibrant and lived-in rural places, and the potential to create quality jobs and sustain our shared environment.

Vision and Objectives

Our Rural Future is a key milestone towards achieving its vision. It responds to the issues which will affect rural Ireland over the coming years, including those identified through an extensive consultation process with the people who live in and care about rural Ireland. It complements other Government policies and initiatives such as Project Ireland 2040, the National Economic Recovery Plan, the Climate Action Plan, and the National Broadband Plan. It places a particular emphasis on the relevance of those initiatives to rural areas. The policy also reflects the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the increased prevalence of remote working, and the development of our offshore islands.

This policy will have a real and transformative effect on rural areas. It will benefit individuals, families, communities and businesses. It will enhance the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in rural areas, and build resilient and sustainable rural communities and economies through integrated investment, supports and services.

Our Rural Future focuses on the following thematic objectives

  • Optimising the opportunities for rural communities from high speed broadband
  • .Supporting improved quality employment and career opportunities in rural areas.
  • Assisting the regeneration, repopulation and development of rural towns and villages.
  • Enhancing the participation, leadership and and resilience of rural communities.
  • Enhancing public services in rural areas
  • Supporting a Just Transition to a climate neutral economy.
  • Supporting the sustainability of Agriculture, the Marine and Forestry.
  • Supporting the sustainability of our island and coastal communities.
  • Nurturing our culture and heritage.

The policy will be delivered through a joined-up, whole-of-Government approach to service delivery and investment, underpinned by regular consultation with rural stakeholders and the flexibility to be able to respond to changes in the external environment.

To deliver on the objectives set out in this policy government will

  • Invest significantly in remote working infrastructure to provide an opportunity for people to continue to live in rural communities while following their career ambitions.
  • Invest in rural towns and villages as hubs of economic and social activity.
  • Transform the opportunity for the diversification of rural economies, including through the deliveryof high speed broadband to every part of the country.
  • Adopt a place-based approach to rural development to meet the needs of different areas in a holistic way and maximise the impact of investment in those areas.
  • Invest in and empower rural communities to design and deliver responses that meet their local needs.
  • Actively involve young people in rural areas in decisions that affect them and their future.

Speaking at the launch of the policy, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:“Ireland is heading into an era of unprecedented change, and with that comes unprecedented opportunity. Over the course of the pandemic, we have discovered new ways of working and we have rediscovered our communities. The policy we launch today, Our Rural Future, provides a framework for the development of rural areas over the next five years.  The policy is forward-looking and ambitious and addresses both the challenges facing rural areas and the opportunities which rural economies and communities can capitalise on. The Government’s vision is for a rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development. That vision is built on the talent, skills and creativity of people in rural communities; on the importance of vibrant and lived-in rural places; and on the potential to create quality jobs and sustain our shared environment.”

Minister McGrath said:“I believe it is important to set out a vision for rural Ireland which will be particularly important for post-COVID recovery and integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development.This policy is intended to encourage more people to live and work in rural Ireland, with our rural towns becoming vibrant hubs for commercial and social activity, with good career prospects for people living in these areas.I note, in particular, that the policy proposes investing in remote working infrastructure and targeting 400 new IDA investments for regional locations outside of Dublin. This will be an important economic counterbalance for our regional and rural areas, as envisaged under the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan”.

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