Departmental Policies
Dail Éireann — 2022-04-05
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Heather Humphreys (FG), Cavan-Monaghan

As I said, the development of rural-proofing is a key commitment in Our Rural Future. We expect the consultants' report in the coming weeks. I have not seen the draft but when I get the final report I will consider it carefully. I want to make sure we put an effective model in place. We do not want it to be a box-ticking exercise. We have looked at the practice in other jurisdictions and I am aware that there is legislation in Northern Ireland in this regard. It is about how we collect the metrics and how we can make sure they have a real impact on the ground. I want to make sure what we are doing is the right thing. I want Departments to engage seriously with this so we have to do it in the right way. On receipt of this report, I will fully consider the options presented in consultation with my officials and I will weigh up the merits and challenges of each option. My objective is to ensure an effective rural-proofing model that will support rural policy development and will consider and capitalise on the opportunities for rural areas where possible.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2022-04-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:19+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-04-05