Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 June 2026
546. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the progress that has been made in relation to the setting up of a pilot scheme in south Kerry to address depopulation and the amalgamation of clubs (details supplied) not just in Kerry but throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46550/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the report of the GAA National Demographic Committee published in December 2025, and I was happy to engage directly with the GAA on this issue as they were developing the report.
I acknowledge the challenges for the Association which the report outlines, and the importance of their clubs as focal points for communities all across the country. I welcome the fact that the GAA is committed to working within rural and urban communities and at national level to address these challenges, via their National Demographics Committee and their county demographics officers, and including through pilot projects.
The Government’s Our Rural Future policy adopts a whole-of-Government approach to rural development, with a wide range of measures aimed at ensuring that all rural areas are attractive places for people to live, learn, work and raise families.
Measures delivered under the policy have delivered improvements in key areas such as broadband provision, increased rural transport services, support for rural enterprise, and ongoing support for the agri-food sector.
My own department has seen significant funding increases in recent years across a range of capital investment schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. This investment is delivering real impacts in rural communities all across the country.
The development of the new Our Rural Future policy will continue to provide a framework for continued investment in our rural communities over the coming years.
My department undertook an extensive programme of consultations to help shape the new policy, and many of the issues relating to attracting and retaining young people and their families in rural areas featured strongly. I was happy to see that the GAA also engaged proactively in the call for written submissions, and all such submissions received will feed into the development of the new policy.
As part of the development of the new iteration of Our Rural Future, I am continuing to engage with my ministerial colleagues to ensure that our ambition for rural Ireland is underpinned by a series of ambitious and practical actions.
