Protecting Rural Ireland: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Dara Calleary (FF), Mayo

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí Collins agus Tully as an rún agus le gach Seanadóir atá tar éis labhairt anocht. Is príomhthosaíocht don Rialtas seo tacú le tuath na hÉireann, agus fáiltím roimh an deis labhairt i Seomra an tSeanaid faoi na ceisteanna tábhachtacha seo. Mar Aire, agus mar Rialtas, tá tiomantas agus uaillmhian againn do thuath na hÉireann agus muintir na tuaithe. Tá pobail tuaithe nasctha, acmhainneacha agus cuimsitheacha i gcroílár ár bhfíse don fhorbairt tuaithe. Gan tacaíocht agus infheistíocht leanúnach inár gceantair thuaithe, ní féidir linn an fhorbairt eacnamaíoch, shóisialta, chultúir agus chomhshaoil a bhaint amach a thacóidh le cáilíocht beatha gach saoránach.
I welcome the chance to speak to this motion this evening. Recent figures from the CSO show that there is a 5.8% increase in the number of people living in rural areas between 2016 and 2022. In areas classified as highly rural and remote, the increase was 6.4%. These findings align with the analysis of the OECD, which in its recent independent review, quoted by Senator Boyhan, found that the rural and remote regions in Ireland recorded the highest population growth of all OECD countries between 2001 and 2021. That evidence does not support the claim that there is widespread rural depopulation. Of course, I acknowledge that there are significant variations within these statistics. There are areas that are facing particular challenges that we must and will support, but the Government recognises this, and supporting the sustainability of all rural areas remains a key priority.
Employment continues to be strong in rural areas. Incomes are rising. As we all agree in this Chamber, rural Ireland has a much better overall quality of life. This is why the Our Rural Future policy takes a whole-of-government approach to rural development. Launched by the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, in 2021, the policy has delivered vital investment and supports to rural areas, strengthening local economies and improving quality of life for people across rural Ireland. Significant achievements, which are not acknowledged in the main motion and which is why we have tabled an amendment, include improvements in digital connectivity, referred to by Senator Scahill, and the development of a national network of over 400 remote working hubs and improvements in essential services in rural areas.
Our flagship projects include the rural regeneration development fund, RRDF. This has delivered over €440 million to 164 major projects countrywide since 2020, bringing new life into previously dilapidated buildings and structures. Senators have referred to CLÁR. In that time, over 1,500 projects have been allocated funding of €65 million under the CLÁR programme, funding projects in areas of rural need. I have taken on board Senator Byrne's proposals around emergency first responders. I have seen at first hand the extraordinary work they do.
In 2025 alone, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I allocated a spend of €53.8 million on RRDF; €30 million on LIS for non-public roads and laneways; €58 million on SICAP to support disadvantaged urban communities; €21.9 million on the town and village renewal scheme; €58 million on the community services programme, CSP; €16.8 million on the offshore islands for passenger and cargo transport and key infrastructure projects; breis is €12 milliún chun tacaíocht a thabhairt do chúrsaí Gaeltachta; agus breis is €11 milliún chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid sa tríú leibhéal.
We are now working on a new version of Our Rural Future. I spent some of today in my lateral meetings with colleagues across government. We will publish it in the autumn. As had already been acknowledged, we have done so with a public consultation which gather the views of well over 2,000 participants. We will share those views, as Senator Boyhan has proposed. The engagement was online and included a series of eight public and stakeholder events and a public written consultation. Most importantly, as has been referred to, it included a formal rural youth assembly, which we hosted last autumn, ensuring that young people from some of the most rural areas in the country had an input into the policy.
Key themes that emerged included much of what has been discussed this evening, namely, supporting local economies and strengthening the resilience and sustainability of rural communities, villages and towns, to continue to promote balanced regional development. We also commissioned the OECD to do an independent review of rural policy in Ireland as part of the preparation of Our Rural Future. That demonstrates we are not precious and we are open to new ideas. That review was published in January of this year. It acknowledges the substantial progress that has been made in lreland, both under Our Rural Future and more broadly since the establishment of my Department in 2017 under the then Minister Michael Ring.
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 need across Departments. It is my intention to continue that visibility and awareness. It is my job as Minister for rural affairs to put the studs on for rural Ireland. That is something we do daily and they are used where is necessary. The plan will be supported by ambitious, clear, practical and measurable actions. I have spoken to some of the funding programmes available within my Department. As has been referred to, we have secured €611 million in budget 2026, the highest ever allocation to the Department, which demonstrates my Government's commitment to investing in rural communities.
Tá tiomantas láidir ann freisin, ní hamháin don tír ach do na hoileáin amach ón gcósta agus do phobal na Gaeltachta. Sin an fáth go bhfuil an méadú is mó le blianta anuas sa mhaoiniú don Ghaeltacht mar chuid den ardú suntasach sin de €611 milliún. Tá an t-airgead seo á úsáid chun an Ghaeilge agus cultúr Gaelach a chur chun cinn agus a chosaint ar fud oileán na hÉireann agus ar fud an domhain. Táim tar éis cuairt a thabhairt ar gach ceantar Gaeltachta chun plé fairsing a dhéanamh leis na pobail sin chun a fháil amach uathu féin cén cineál tacaíochta ar féidir a chur ar fáil dóibh chun cabhrú leo. Táim chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair sin sa bhuiséad le teacht agus na buiséid eile.
The rural development investment programme includes RRDF, which I have already referred to. The sixth call for category 1 applications remains open until later this month. We are engaging with local authorities around the country. Last month, I turned the sod on major works to the Ballintubber Abbey Visitor Centre, which has been allocated €6.4 million, and the Edenderry regeneration project in County Offaly, which received €15 million. The 2026 CLÁR programme, which is a €12 million investment, opened in March. It provides the funding for the small-scale projects in some of our smallest rural areas that we have all spoken about. A total of €61 million is being allocated to projects under the current LEADER programme. A total of €20 million has been allocated to the outdoor reaction and infrastructure scheme, ORIS, which is currently open for applications. Since 2020, over 1,000 projects have been supported by €140 million of funding under the town and village renewal. The community centre investment fund closed on Monday at 3 p.m. To be clear, the initial tranche is €25,000, not €5,000, and it goes to €100,000. Individuals do not have to apply for the €100,000. We have record interest in this year's refurbishment programme.
The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are committed to launching new builds programme so that people such as a community in Rylane can have the kind of advantages that are offered. I will speak to Rylane. I want to make a more general point. I visited many areas. I visit many voluntary groups and one of the strengths of rural Ireland is that it is driven by women across the country. The Rylane group, particularly Senator Lynch, comes to mind. We met a group in Limerick this time last year.
It is local women driving rural projects forward. I compliment and thank them. Senator Tully also found that in Cavan earlier this year. It is important and really significant.
Urban communities are being assisted as well, through SICAP, where core funding of €147 million has been allocated. One of the unsung heroes of my Department is the community services programme, CSP, which provides services to many of the voluntary organisations that have been referred to. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will be in a position to announce new entrants to the scheme for 2027 this autumn. I have already referred to the island funding. The biggest project in the history of our Department is the €35 million investment currently under way on Inis Oírr Pier i gContae na Gaillimhe. Tá sé sin tábhachtach do phobal agus do mhuintir Inis Oírr, atá ag fanacht ar chaladh nua le blianta. Tá sé tábhachtach don turasóireacht, do mhuintir an oileáin agus don sábháilteacht.
We referred extensively to the national broadband plan. Two weeks ago, I was on Inishturk, one of the smallest islands in our country, which now has access to fibre broadband. That is really important, also in terms of building community resilience.
Many Senators have referred to the improvements in rural transport through Our Rural Future. Yes, there is more work to be done, but there is actually a lot of work to be done to join up the improvements that have been made. Senator Tully is right. When we consider that over 8 million passenger journeys were recorded across Connecting Ireland services in 2025, that gives us a sense of the demand. The Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has provided funding for three smart demand transport services, in Killarney, the north east of Limerick city and on Achill. TFI Anseo is basically Local Link on demand and is working incredibly successfully. The connecting Ireland rural mobility programme is putting in important public transport infrastructure such as shelters and real-time signage to encourage people to use it. The roads network constantly needs investment. In 2026, €780 million has been allocated to the regional and local roads network. Senator Tully is absolutely right on the impact weather is having. We continue to invest in climate preparation. The kind of weather we are having now is in stark contrast to the showers and snow we will have in a few months' time. It is very difficult to invest in those kind of circumstances. Since 2020, over €150 million has gone into the local investment scheme.
We are zeroing in on housing. Housing is the priority. With the draft planning guidelines published the Minister, Deputy James Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, last week, it is now the first time since 2005 that we have planning regulations in place for rural Ireland. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an dréachtráiteas soiléireacht agus comhsheasmhacht níos fearr a thabhairt do bheartas tithíochta tuaithe i bpobail tuaithe agus i bpobail Ghaeltachta. Is é seo an chéad dréachtráiteas pleanála don Ghaeltacht riamh. It is the first time we have a planning statement for Gaeltacht communities. We have work to do and I look forward to adopting and finalising that work.
Continuously investing in our rural economy is our major platform. Senator O'Loughlin highlighted that. In 2025, 69% of Enterprise Ireland job creation was located outside the Dublin region. Enterprise Ireland is investing in Irish-owned, Irish-founded companies. Similarly, 59% of IDA investments were located outside the Dublin region. We will continue to work, looking at the progress we can make through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and, as Senator O'Loughlin said, through supporting our local enterprise offices.
Many Senators referred to Garda numbers. The Garda workforce is now at 18,276 compared to 15,900 ten years ago. The Garda is on trend for the first time to meet recruitment targets. In 2025, 800 new Garda trainees entered the Garda College and we know we can meet the target of 5,000 new trainees in the next five years. When we consider that 11,000 people sought to join An Garda Síochána, it means we will reach those targets, and then we can allocate gardaí to communities across rural Ireland.
Agriculture is the backbone. We have all been in the Mansion House today, or everyone has said they were anyway. Energy security is key and crucial. Everybody wants energy security but nobody wants wind energy. We have to strike a balance and get a real discussion, but food security is most important. Ireland is the food security centre of Europe and we are going to use the Presidency to progress it.
Our Rural Future will be republished in October. We are focusing on many areas in it. I thank all those who made submissions. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness made a formal submission on behalf of Sinn Féin. As we finalise that, I am certainly more than open to individual ideas from Senators. We will continue the record investment. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are absolutely focused. Many Senators have spoken about healthcare. While we have gaps there, we are addressing them. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has announced the minor injury units, which will take the pressure off major hospitals and ensure services are available. Community healthcare networks, the use of technology and the national broadband plan in health are bringing digital health to our rural and island communities in a way that we could never have done before we had the national broadband structure.
Mar fhocal scoir, léiríonn an fhianaise go bhfuil an leibhéal infheistíochta ann agus go bhfuil aird á tabhairt do thuath na hÉireann mar phríomhthosaíocht Rialtais. Mar Airí sa Roinn, déanfaidh mise agus an tAire Stáit, an Teachta Buttimer, gach iarracht chun a chinntiú go mbeidh tacaíocht ann chun freastal air. We are determined to drive this on and make improvements. We are lucky to work with a super Department. I thank my officials who are here and right across the country. Most importantly, I thank the volunteers the length and breadth of our island who make things happen in rural communities. Without them, there would be no GAA, social groups, chambers of commerce or IFA and no life in rural Ireland.

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Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:16+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15