Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands to discuss ‘Our Rural Future’ and the implementation of Town Centre First Policies

Officials from Dept. of Rural and Community Development, representatives from Roscommon County Council and representatives from The Heritage Council will appear at the Committee.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Denis Naughten said: “Our Rural Future is the whole-of-Government policy for sustainable rural development over a five-year timeframe to 2025. It sets out a range of actions and approaches in key areas such as; the number people living in rural Ireland, the number of people working in rural Ireland and the regeneration of rural towns and villages.”

“The Town Centre First Policy, published in February 2022, emerged from the work of an inter-departmental group which purposefully drew on the input of a wide range of stakeholders. Central to the policy is the fact that no two rural areas are identical. Accordingly, Town Centre First clearly recognises the role of locally led Town Teams in developing plans that recognise their own circumstances, challenges and opportunities. The policy supports a place based approach to development whereby town teams and communities chart the future direction of their towns based on each town’s own unique characteristics.”

“We look forward to discussing the successor to the Our Rural Future Plan and the input this Committee will have into any plan.”

Watch the Committee live here or on the Oireachtas smartphone app for Apple and Android.