Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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75. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his Department's plan to critically evaluate the outcomes of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021–2025; and the extent to which this will inform the development of a new policy. [14861/25]

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Ar dtús báire, déanaim comhghairdeas leis an mbeirt Airí. I congratulate the Ministers on their respective roles. As Deputy O'Reilly has said, both she and I, as their counterparts on this side of the House, will endeavour to co-operate with them and engage constructively with them, but it is also our role to hold them to account. Accountability is at the crux of my question. It relates to Our Rural Future and the rural development plan, which, as we know, is terminating this year. I note that public consultation has begun. What metrics will be used to inform the next development? Will there be an appraisal of the key deliverables in the last one?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta McGuinness as a bheannachtaí. Táim ag tnúth le hobair leis ar chúrsaí a bhaineann leis an Roinn seo agus leis an nGaeltacht. Our Rural Future was launched in 2021 and over its five year duration has provided vital investment and support, strengthened local economies and improved the lives of many people across rural Ireland. The programme for Government includes a commitment to publish and implement a new rural future policy from 2026. In order to ensure that the development of the new policy is informed by an independent evaluation of the current policy, my Department has commissioned an OECD review. This review will examine not just Our Rural Future, but will also focus on the rural policy framework more generally for Ireland. The review began in earnest under the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, last year and the OECD review group has now met with more than 500 officials and stakeholders across a variety of in-person and online engagements as part of its work.

The OECD is currently drafting a report based on this work, which will be published later this year and which I have no doubt will make a strong contribution to the development of our rural future policy. I look forward to engaging parties across the floor on that report. I also want to engage directly with the public and stakeholders on the new policy. A comprehensive public consultation process has been designed in this regard. The process started with an online survey which is open until Wednesday, 2 April. I encourage all Deputies to help to promote that. The survey findings will inform a series of in-person events which will take place across the country from May onwards, and there will also be an opportunity for parties to make submissions about the new policy later in the year. This level of consultation is designed to ensure that the experience of people living in our rural communities is absolutely central to the development of a successor policy programme.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an bhfreagra sin. I am glad that the OECD report is to be published. I think that will provide food for thought for everybody living and working in rural Ireland. From my conversations with people in rural Ireland and my own experience, I imagine the biggest result and theme that will emerge from the consultations, which will no doubt be reflected in the OECD report, will be the issue of housing, particularly in rural Ireland. One of the key deliverables is the regeneration and repopulation of rural Ireland and another is the aim to actively involve young people in rural development and rejuvenating rural Ireland, but that cannot happen when people cannot live in rural Ireland.

In communities all across this State, young people are leaving rural Ireland in their droves. They are leaving because there are not homes for them to live in.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I am anxious to get the views of younger people in rural areas. Part of the consultation will be specifically focused on them and getting them to engage with the review. Housing is a major issue. Táimid ag plé cúrsaí tithíochta i gcomhthéacs cúrsaí Gaeltachta freisin ach ní fadhb Ghaeltachta amháin í. Is fadhb í i ngach ceantar agus i ngach baile, rural agus urban. We will be looking at that.

The outgoing strategy has exceeded many expectations. We now have the biggest budget in the history of the State within the Department of €472 million, which is being spent in communities right across the country. I want to see what Our Rural Future looks like in 2026 - in housing but also an infrastructure and in facilities. We are much more online now than we were in 2021. What do we need to do to promote that or do we need to consider what impact it is having? There are many areas such as climate and the impact of climate change on rural communities will have to be part of this policy document as well. I look forward to engaging in debate on it. What is most important is that we get out and about debate these matters.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister's comments, in particular about the importance of housing, infrastructure and facilities. The previous plan had a very significant focus on digital connectivity. That might have been a product of the time it was put together. The focus must now shift, as my colleague said earlier, with regard to bricks and mortar, and having facilities, homes and infrastructure so that people can live their lives in rural Ireland, raise their children there, and access public services. That must be the focus - be it GP services or the post office network. The Minister understands they are critically important to so many rural communities, as are school places and homes for people to live in.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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We agree on a lot. I also point out that, as the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, has just said, the RRDF is helping in terms of building community revitalisation to assist in housing as well. We announced 30 RRDF projects last year, worth €164 million. A total of €20 million was spent under the town and village renewal scheme. That window is open again this year. We are looking at how we build infrastructure to encourage people. Under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the vacant properties grant is assisting in a lot of rural areas. I see houses opening up that have perhaps not been opened in my lifetime or at least for many decades. We will continue to promote that grant. We will see what changes need to be made to make it more flexible, to get people to revitalise existing properties. That, in turn, will support the post office, school, local facilities and local teams. It is all interconnected.