Cathy Bennett
Ceist:149. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will report on the implementation of rural proofing. [38367/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 21 May 2026
Ceisteanna (149)
Freagraí scríofa
Rural proofing refers to the processes adopted by policymakers to ensure that new programmes and initiatives understand, and take account of, specific needs and capacities of rural communities.
Our Rural Future 2021-2025 committed to strengthening our approach to rural proofing and in May 2025 my department published a Guide to Rural Proofing for Policy makers to build on and strengthen existing approaches, and to serve as a practical tool to assist policy makers in the rural proofing process.
Including a simplified Rural Proofing Assessment template and key resources, the Guide provides a clear outline of what rural proofing is and seeks to make rural proofing easier to understand and implement. The principal purpose is to aid and support policymakers to ‘think rural’ when developing policies. The Guide, available online, has been circulated to all Government Departments to be added to the suite of tools used by policymakers.
My department applies rural proofing across all policy areas and there is evidence of early engagement by other Departments in the development of key strategies, which can help ensure the principles of effective rural proofing are built into the design of those strategies.
My officials are also continuing to bring awareness to the importance of rural proofing through the many interdepartmental groups they participate in, and in ongoing engagements with other Government Departments regarding the development of the new Our Rural Future policy. This will ensure that actions developed across Government to support the implementation of the new policy will more effectively consider the impacts for rural areas and help result in better outcomes for rural communities.
I am confident the Guide will continue to serve as a practical and user-friendly tool for Government Departments and help ensure that rural issues are fully taken account of in the development of major policy initiatives across Government.