Dara Calleary
Mayo · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Agriculture is the backbone. We have all been in the Mansion House today, or everyone has said they were anyway. Energy security is key and crucial. Everybody wants energy security but nobody wants wind energy. We have to strike a balance and get a real discussion, but food security is most important.”
“While we have gaps there, we are addressing them. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has announced the minor injury units, which will take the pressure off major hospitals and ensure services are available.”
“Recent figures from the CSO show that there is a 5.8% increase in the number of people living in rural areas between 2016 and 2022. In areas classified as highly rural and remote, the increase was 6.4%.”
“Enterprise Ireland is investing in Irish-owned, Irish-founded companies. Similarly, 59% of IDA investments were located outside the Dublin region. We will continue to work, looking at the progress we can make through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and, as Senator O'Loughlin said, through supporting our local enterprise offices.”
“That is something we do daily and they are used where is necessary. The plan will be supported by ambitious, clear, practical and measurable actions. I have spoken to some of the funding programmes available within my Department.”
“Táim tar éis cuairt a thabhairt ar gach ceantar Gaeltachta chun plé fairsing a dhéanamh leis na pobail sin chun a fháil amach uathu féin cén cineál tacaíochta ar féidir a chur ar fáil dóibh chun cabhrú leo. Táim chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair sin sa bhuiséad le teacht agus na buiséid eile.”
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“I thank the Deputy. We are all greatly disturbed by recent geopolitical developments, including the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Wars are destroying lives across the world and in communities and will deepen and entrench rather than resolve any situation. As a nation, we feel the impact of these conflicts in the upward pressure on fuel costs, in particular. We should always remember those who are suffering in other ways. In response to the spike in fuel prices, the Government has acted more decisively than many other Governments. We have made an investment of over €750 million, which will bring down fuel prices and provide targeted support to households on low incomes in receipt of the fuel allowance payment. More generally, the Government increased core welfare rights above the rate of inflation in budget 2026.”
“I can do some work and come back to the Deputy on invalidity generally. As he said, there have also been increases in disability and other areas, such as carer's allowance. There is definitely no policy to discourage people from applying. It can be challenging in terms of getting the necessary medical information, in particular where a case is not as black and white as other cases may be. The appeals team and medical team are very much attuned to those cases. That is why we have put a focus on invalidity and domiciliary care allowance appeals and reducing the processing time in order to give certainty to those making the appeal. I will engage with the Deputy directly on the specific case he mentioned and will come back to the House generally on invalidity pension and illness benefit and the relevant figures.”
“More importantly, the processing times for appeals have reduced from 23 weeks in 2024 to nine and a half weeks today, in particular in the case of invalidity pension. I am very focused on appeals. I thank the appeals office, which is independent, for its work in this space. There is a specific issue with regard to the case raised by the Deputy, which we will discuss separately. I assure him that there is no policy to dissuade people from applying for any payment or making appeals.”
“I can absolutely assure the Deputy that is not the policy and approach. As I said in my initial response, we are working continuously to improve the appeals process and are continuously investing in that process. We are also investing in the initial process in terms of medical assessment and knowledge. By introducing a new IT system, we have given people the capacity to make appeals online. They do not have to physically post applications; they can apply and exchange information online from the comfort of their own homes. We have also increased staffing in the appeals process office considerably. As I want to reiterate, some 21,630 appeals were on hand at the end of December 2024, which we reduced to 7,470 by the end of March.”
“These changes have resulted in a reduction in the number of appeals on hand from 21,630 appeals at the end of December 2024 to 7,470 appeals on hand at the end of March 2026. Processing times have also improved from an overall average of over 23 weeks in 2024 to just 9.5 weeks today in the case of invalidity pension. However, having said all of that, some cases, in particular those involving the exchange of complicated medicine, take time to finalise. With respect to the case referenced in the Deputy's question, while I cannot discuss specific details on the floor, I have raised the case with the chief appeals officer, who acts independently in the performance of her duties, I will engage directly with the Deputy.”
“For example, over the past year, we have introduced new regulations that extend the period of time during which a person can make an appeal from 21 to 60 days. The new regulations also grant additional rights to seek an oral hearing of the appeal and receive an explanation if an oral hearing is not granted. In addition, they grant specify specific timelines for the exchange and processing of appeal documentation. In parallel, we have introduced a new IT system, including the ability to submit appeals online. An average of 60% of appeals are now received online. We have also significantly increased staffing in the appeals service. Indeed, I welcome members of the appeal service, who are in the Public Gallery.”
“It is important to ensure people claiming benefits satisfy the criteria established by the Oireachtas for entitlement to that benefit. However, in doing so, it is also important that we offer people who may not receive a favourable decision the opportunity to seek a review of that decision and submit a formal appeal. In that way, we work to ensure the entitlement is not denied to people who have a need for support and satisfy the relevant qualification conditions. In the case of invalidity pension, we offer claimants both a review by the decision area as well as a formal appeal mechanism. In most cases, these reviews and appeals can be dealt with expeditiously. We are also continuously working to improve the service.”
“If someone is not comfortable with it – I am speaking as one such person - those services and options should be fully available.”
“I look forward to engaging with the committee on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. I emphasise the voluntary nature of this. It is the Department’s policy that this is digital by desire. We understand there are people who do not wish to or are not comfortable using digital services. We will continue to make our services available on an optional basis. Equally, there is a level engagement with the public services card. There are a total of 3.4 million verified MyGovID accounts. In 2025 alone, we had over 44 million logins. That gives the Deputy a sense of the level of interest and use of it. We will have further questions later about the ongoing online services. I have made it clear within the Department that this should be digital by desire.”
“Since 2012, over 5 million people have completed the SAFE registration process for the public service card. There are approximately 3.5 million users of MyGovID who complete about 60 million transactions per annum. It makes the provision of services a lot easier and quicker for citizens.”
“As the Deputy said, the ruling is under appeal. We are appealing it. I also thank the committee for beginning pre-legislative scrutiny of the social welfare Bill yesterday. There are initiatives contained in that Bill for a card holder to use their public service card for identity purposes at their own discretion in exactly the same way they can do with a driving licence or a passport. That is particularly for people looking for ID for bank accounts or credit unions, etc. We are trying to give people the ability to use the card at their own discretion and judgment. The public service card currently does not display card holders' dates of birth. The proposed changes provide for a card holder to opt in to have their date of birth inscribed on their public service card. If they so wish, they can have it removed at a later point.”
“We will also provide the core public service identity data, such as the name and date of birth, but we will not hold or have access to any of the credentials from other public service providers they subsequently download. We will not know what other credentials have been downloaded, nor will we have any access to usage data. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, OGCIO, is currently inviting the public to take part in a consultation and testing phase of a pilot Government digital wallet. Launching a consultation and testing at this stage enables the Government to engage with the public to understand what they would like from the Government digital wallet.”
“A key benefit of the wallet is that the personal data will be held and controlled by the citizen. The citizen will decide whether they want to use the wallet, what credentials they hold in the wallet and where and to whom they provide any credential. The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has responsibility for implementing the regulation while the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation has responsibility for the development of the Government digital wallet. The wallet must meet EU technical, security, interoperability and certification requirements. My Department’s role is to use the existing MyGovID service to verify that the person seeking a wallet and wishing to download identity credentials into the wallet is the person they claim to be.”
“I thank the Deputy for her question. In April 2024, the European Parliament and the Council introduced eIDAS regulation 2. The overall aim of this regulation is to create a predictable and legally binding framework for digital identities that will enable citizens, residents and business to securely access public and private services across member states. The regulation requires each member state to develop and provide at least one European digital identity wallet by the end of 2026. The wallet will enable people to store various identity credentials, such as driving licences, EU health insurance cards and age verifiers, securely on their mobile phone or device and produce them, at their own discretion, to evidence entitlement to services and benefits anywhere in the EU.”
“They are means-tested but the service is there to provide assistance. As I have said, we have so much more work to do in this space and all of us need to talk about the supports that are available, grow those supports and ensure people know that support is there when they make that incredibly courageous decision - that the support and back-up is there. I thank Cuan, Safe Ireland, Women's Aid and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for working with us on this, but I am very conscious that this is only a small step and we have a lot more to do. I thank the Upper House. This is probably the kind of forum where this can get done, more so than in the Dáil, frankly, because of the shared commitment of everybody here to this.”
“I reiterate my thanks to Senators Stephenson, Rabbitte and O'Loughlin, the Civil Engagement Group and all the Senators who spoke that night because it really brought this issue home to me. We have outlined the details of the protocol. The payments will be administered by community welfare officers in my Department, who are available online as well. I emphasise that people do not have to make physical contact with them. It can be done online. We have gone through the levels of payment and the additional costs. To touch on Senator Stephenson's point, there are other forms of financial assistance available through additional needs payments to assist with essential expenses such as rent deposits, rent in advance and household bills that cannot be paid from weekly income at a particular time.”
“I thank Senator Stephenson and her colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group, as well as Senators O’Loughlin and Rabbitte, for their ongoing engagement over the past six months. I look forward to working further on this agenda because we have so much work to do in this space.”
“They will be flexible in ensuring that a person is not left without the support they need. While the payments will be administered by community welfare officers, confirmation will be required to process the claim, such as a referral from a Cuan-funded service provider, a copy of a court order or written evidence from a member of An Garda Síochána or a healthcare professional. After the first three months have passed, a person may be provided with a further three-month extension of the supplement. However, at that stage, payment will be subject to the usual means assessment alongside a review of a person's eligibility. I have asked my officials to ensure this supplement is available as soon as possible. It will be in place from 5 May.”
“We know that providing such evidence is incredibly difficult for a person who may depend on a partner or former partner, who has subjected them to violence, and does not wish to have contact with that person. The value of the supplement paid to an individual will vary on a case-by-case basis. It is important that rather than setting a standard rate, we are flexible and we build the support around the need of the individual, taking into account, for example, the number of children they may have to support, the number of journeys they may have to make, the distances they have to travel and the modes of transport they have to use. These issues were highlighted on the evening of the debate on the Bill in October. Our community welfare officers have a great deal of experience in responding to these types of difficult situations.”
“As already agreed in the case of the domestic violence rent supplement, a person who is fleeing domestic violence will not have to satisfy a means test, nor will their employment status or participation in education be taken into account when determining their entitlement to this supplement, and neither will they be required to be in receipt of a social protection payment. These conditions, which typically apply in the case of travel supplement payments, will not apply for an initial three-month period. This will not only broaden entitlement to the payment, as requested by the Senators and the advocacy groups, but it will also significantly reduce the need for applicants to provide documentary evidence of their means and their status.”
“While many of those commitments fall under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, this is an issue that requires not just a whole-of-government approach, but a whole-of-Oireachtas approach. To this end, since October we have engaged with the Senators, but also with Cuan, Women's Aid, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Safe Ireland to identify the issues faced in relation to travel and to develop solutions for domestic violence victims with travel costs. It has been agreed that a protocol, mirroring the one in place for domestic violence rent supplement, should be developed to support victims of domestic violence. Accordingly, we are introducing the domestic violence travel supplement in agreement with the representative groups.”
“We will not delay them too long. I thank the Cathaoirleach's team for facilitating this. I thank Senator Stephenson, the Civil Engagement Group and Senators O'Loughlin and Rabbitte for their work on this since last October. I hope it shows that the Seanad is not all about big speeches and grandiose speeches. I thank everybody for liaising with my adviser, Craig Dwyer; with officials in my Department; and, most importantly, with groups in this area to try to get a response as quickly as possible to Senator Stephenson's Bill. The House will be aware that tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a major priority. The programme for Government includes a number of commitments in this regard.”
“Gabhaim míle buíochas le gach duine as páirt a ghlacadh sa díospóireacht seo inniu. Bhí sé úsáideach. Táimid chun an polasaí nua a fhoilsiú i gceann cúpla seachtain. Táim ag tnúth go mór leis an bpolasaí sin a chur i bhfeidhm. I am looking to the new draft, but, most importantly, the policy will not be the important thing. It is the action plan that will go with it. It will include measurable, ambitious actions that I will have no difficulty, as long as I am Minister in this Department, reporting back on. I will conclude by thanking all of the officials in my Department who work incredibly hard in this space. I especially thank each and every person across rural Ireland who volunteers in any format, in any organisation and in any club to make our rural communities stronger, more vibrant, more welcoming and more active.”
“At a time of such division internationally, there is no need to divide this country between urban and rural. Urban areas need rural communities and vice versa . The west coast of Ireland is providing some leading healthcare, pharmaceutical and health technology. It is providing services and treatments around the world from rural brains and a rural sense of enterprise. It is a kind of enterprise or meitheal. I speak of this all over the country. Meitheal must be a Mayo thing. I am struck by the fact that people do not seem to realise the work that volunteers to do in coming together in common purpose is meitheal. It happens everywhere in the country, but that is driven from within rural communities. It is driven from the passion of rural communities - a passion that was in evidence in the Chamber today.”
“I am certainly open to ideas and proposals on how we can do that. If we can do that, while there is a generation who may never walk into a shop, we have to give them a reason to use and go to a town and a village, be it for schools, community events, sport or the activities I referred to earlier. That is why we invest in infrastructure. That is why we invest in community infrastructure in order to do that. I thank all the Deputies for their contributions, including the Leas-Cheann Comhairle. We have taken that on board and we will incorporate it into Our Rural Future. Equally, we all have a job to drive this debate on within our groups and parties, but also to actually deliver changes that support rural communities. That is something that we want to lead on. Many Deputies have referred to this. There is no need to divide our country.”
“Life would be a lot more complicated then if people had to entertain the kids themselves. That volunteer spirit is what keeps rural Ireland going. Deputy Roche and a number of other Deputies referred to what we call the bureaucracy burden that we unintentionally place on volunteers. That is something I am committed to addressing. We have made changes to CCIF. LEADER is one of the programmes that comes back a lot as having a major bureaucracy element to it, and it does because it is cofunded. We have to make sure that the form filling and the necessary information is not frightening people off. That is something we are committed to. A lot of issues were raised regarding businesses in rural areas. We face a major challenge. As we go online and become more online, we have to try to protect businesses and base businesses in rural areas.”
“We have seen that in Mayo, led by Sarah Togher and her fantastic board. There has been a transformation of the service. Yes, we need to continue to investment and a number of areas have been challenged around that. My colleague, Deputy Ryan O'Meara, raised community cafés and community services. That is something I will seek to support in the new Our Rural Future. The community café model is fantastic and it shows. Many Deputies have spoken today about volunteers. The point I always make is that parents, young parents in particular, get very busy doing the runs and being in ten places at the one time for the same training, but could you imagine if there were no trainers? Imagine there was no local committee to do the training. Imagine there was nobody to give the drama classes.”
“I commend the work under way in the University of Galway around that space. It is about how we can bring remote healthcare to islands by using technology. There is some very good work there. Both Deputies McGuinness and Mac Lochlainn have spoken about rural fishing communities. I have asked Deputy Mac Lochlainn to provide me with the information in relation to the Faroe Islands. I certainly want to see how we can do in that. I will come back to the Deputies. A number of Deputies, including Deputy Conway-Walsh, raised seaweed harvesting. It is a traditional industry that we need to respect and regard. Many Deputies have raised challenges in relation to Rural Link and Local Link. Equally, we have to acknowledge the massive transformation that has been made on Local Link in the last number of years.”
“Deputy Timmins made the comment about families wanting to come back into rural areas and it being held against them that they may have property in urban areas. I am committed to working with the Minister, Deputy Browne, on that. Deputy McGuinness called for targeted supports for the Gaeltacht and our islands. I have introduced that. I have introduced extra supports in terms of RRDF, town and village renewal and CLÁR, specifically for Gaeltacht areas, but also for islands. We would have been at the Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann AGM last week - it was postponed, unfortunately - to try to address the challenges that we face there. I also want to see skills, particularly on our islands, to ensure that we have the services on the islands. That is why we have worked with technology in relation to healthcare.”
“Many Deputies spoke about the withdrawal of post offices, Garda stations and banks, for instance. That is something that we need to look at to ensure that there are facilities within rural villages and towns to get that footfall. There has been a lot of talk about housing, particularly the proposal by Deputies Wall and Timmins around serviced sites in rural areas and rural communities. Deputy Martin Kenny raised a point about DEDs and the population of DEDs. It is something I will reflect on, combined with the proposals in relation to serviced sites in areas. The Minister, Deputy Browne, is committed to rural housing guidelines. Many of the issues that have been discussed across the House are shared in terms of people who need access to rural areas, families who want to return.”
“Deputy Collins summed him up wonderfully. He was a joyful character. He brought passion to politics and to people. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife, Sheila, and his family, on his very untimely passing. A number of key issues were raised around infrastructure and services. I will touch on some of them. Many people raised post offices. Through Our Rural Future, we have provided the funds to the Department of communications for rural post offices in particular to assist them. It is one of the challenges, as we invest in the national broadband scheme - which is rolling out ahead of schedule - that we are giving people more access to online services. That means we have to ensure that subsidies are available for services such as post offices.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí go léir tráthnóna inniu. Cé nach bhfuilimid ar aon intinn ar gach rud, is léir nach bhfuil ach dea-rún ag gach duine anseo i leith thodhchaí níos dóchasaí a chruthú do cheantair agus do mhuintir thuaithe na hÉireann. Is ceart - agus tá sé soiléir - go bhfuil bród ag gach duine as a gceantair thuaithe, as ár n-oidhreacht thuaithe agus go háirithe as ár bpobal tuaithe. Is cuid lárnach iad dár ndúchas mar thír, agus tá ár bhforbairt náisiúnta amuigh anseo fite fuaite lenár bhforbairt thuaithe ansin. I thank every Deputy. While we may disagree on many of the items, there was passion and pride in the debate today. I join Deputy Michael Collins and Senator Margaret Murphy O'Mahony in paying tribute to the late Councillor Joe Carroll. There have been many tributes to him for his passion.”
“Ensuring the sustainability and attractiveness of all rural areas is my key priority, the key priority of the Government and will be the key priority for the development of our new Our Rural Future policy. I am very proud to be from rural Ireland and very proud to represent rural Ireland. Our rural areas must be and will always be at the centre of who we are as a country. While much has been delivered, my commitment is to ensure that we build on the last five years, continue to invest in our rural communities, continue to engage in our rural communities and continue to ensure a whole-of-government approach to deliver for rural Ireland. I have no doubt that this commitment is shared across the Chamber.”
“Last week's publication by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, of the Urban and Rural Life in Ireland 2025 report shows that over one third of our population is living in a rural area, with the population of highly rural-remote areas increasing by 6.4% between 2016 and 2022. This growth is posing challenges in terms of housing, including in Gaeltacht areas, infrastructure and services, which we in government must address. Employment in rural areas is strong, incomes are rising and for many families, rural Ireland is providing a much better overall quality of life. These findings align with the analysis of the OECD, but I am not comfortable enough nor naive enough not to know there are significant variations within these statistics. There are areas facing particular challenges that we must recognise and act on.”
“There will be an expectation concerning the document and we will continue to try to deliver on the ambitions that come with that expectation. My officials are working intensively with Departments across the Government on the new policy, with a particular focus on meaningful and ambitious commitments in the first action plan, which will cover the period to 2028. The policy and the associated action plan are nearing completion. I will continue to work with colleagues to finalise outstanding issues in this regard before bringing a draft of the policy to Government ahead of the summer. I conclude by addressing the narrative that rural Ireland is declining or, worse still, dying. This evidence does not support that narrative, nor does the ambition of many of those living in, and working with, rural communities.”
“Mar shampla, tá obair ar siúl anois ar fhorbairt cé nua €35.7 milliún ar Inis Oírr. Tá an tionscadal seo ar cheann de na príomhghealltanais a rinneadh faoin phlean forbartha náisiúnta, PFN, agus is í an infheistíocht is mó a rinne mo Roinn féin riamh. Trí infheistíocht straitéiseach, nuálaíocht, agus comhpháirtíochtaí áitiúla sna seacht gceantar Gaeltachta ar fud na tíre, leanfaidh Údarás na Gaeltachta lena n-obair le cinntiú go mbeidh fostaíocht agus deiseanna forbartha ar fáil i gceantair thuaithe imeallacha. I measc na n-infheistíochtaí PFN i dtionscadail Ghaeltachta, tá maoiniú á chur ar fáil i gcomhair Ionad Gaeilge nuálaíoch ar Shráid Fhearchair i mBaile Átha Cliath agus i gcomhair forbairt scoil samhraidh Ionad Oideachais agus Óige Indreabháin i nGaeltacht Chonamara. I eagerly anticipate the new Our Rural Future policy.”
“Budget 2026 also saw funding of €74 million for SICAP and similar social inclusion supports and the inclusion of a new funding stream of €5 million for an urban programme to target particular centres of disadvantage. These developments are helping us to ensure that social inclusion and equality continue to be at the core of the approach to supporting rural communities. One of the major achievements under the first Our Rural Future was the substantial investment in remote working, particularly the establishment of the connected hubs network. Having achieved the target of 400 hubs on connectedhubs.ie , and to further leverage the benefits of hub working, we will continue to develop and expand that network. Táimid ag leanúint freisin lenár n-infheistíocht sna ceantair Ghaeltachta agus inár n-oileáin amach ón gcósta.”
“I was struck by the range of local groups making use of the centre, and I am committed to ensuring that such local groups around the country have the modern and safe facilities that they need. Our rural communities are also being directly supported by programmes such as the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and the community services programme, CSP. Under budget 2026, I was happy to secure increased funding of €4 million for the community services programme, which brings its annual allocation to €59.4 million. Over 400 community organisations now benefit from the increased funding I announced, alongside my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jerry Buttimer, at the end of last year. We have now opened a new call for applications to this scheme.”
“In addition to the rural development investment programme, a range of other investment programmes are being administered by my Department that will continue to expand and deliver in the coming years and will directly benefit rural areas. A new round of funding with €25 million under the community centre investment fund, CCIF, focusing on the refurbishment of community centres at the heart of lives in all of our communities, was opened on 26 March. This will build on the €110 million already allocated to date, ensuring that our community centres are fit for purpose for years to come. I acknowledge the work of the Compass community centre in Portlaoise, which I visited last week and which received funding under this programme.”
“Our farming community remains at the heart of rural Ireland and we must continue to support the development and viability of the sector in producing world-class food and delivering important environmental benefits. Within this context, I am also prioritising the ongoing funding of the LEADER programme and will continue to advocate strongly at home and at EU level for increased funding for the next round post 2028. I acknowledge the work of the Minister, Deputy Martin Heydon, and the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, in this process. The new Our Rural Future policy will commit to continued investment under the rural development investment programme. We are also listening to our delivery partners and to local communities to ensure that we make improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of these schemes moving forward.”
“Its bottom-up approach to rural development was introduced by Commissioner Ray MacSharry and has now been operating successfully in rural Ireland for over 35 years. I am absolutely sure that everyone in the House will be aware of the vital supports delivered by their local LEADER groups over that time. The LEADER programme forms part of a wider package of EU co-funded supports contained in the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. Negotiations in relation to the development of a new multi-annual financial framework, MFF, which will include continued rural development investment, are well under way at EU level. It is a priority for this Government that these negotiations see the continuation of a well-defined and fully funded suite of supports for the CAP from 2028.”
“Earlier this year, I announced an increased allocation of €17.5 million under the local improvement scheme, LIS, to help meet the high level of demand for works on private roads across the country. The €150 million allocated under the LIS since 2020 has funded work on over 3,000 road projects, benefiting over 16,000 people. I have already mentioned our commitment to supporting rural areas as world-class destinations for outdoor recreation. This ambition has been backed up by an investment of over €110 million since 2020 to develop outdoor recreational amenities. I am happy to confirm that I intend to open a new round of funding under this scheme in the coming weeks. The longest running component of the rural development investment programme is the LEADER programme.”
“This project involved the renovation of three buildings to provide new public amenities, community buildings and a reception area. This stunning site in an historic location will help deliver on its tourism potential for Wexford and bring tangible benefits to the local community. Likewise, over 1,500 projects have been allocated total funding of €65 million under the CLÁR programme since 2020. The 2026 edition of CLÁR opened for applications in March, alongside the publication of the review of CLÁR areas committed to in the programme for Government. That review has resulted in 110 new electoral divisions being designated as eligible for CLÁR funding and brings the total population in areas covered by CLÁR to over 1 million people for the first time.”
“Building on the community-owned Portarlington regeneration strategy, this project will have a transformational impact on the town and bring a strategically placed and historically important building back into use for local people and for local organisations. Since 2020, over 1,000 projects have been supported by funding allocations of €135 million under my Department’s town and village renewal scheme. These projects are significant local investments that are rejuvenating town centres, driving economic growth and town footfall, combating dereliction and vacancy, and boosting the tourism and heritage potential of our rural areas. I was delighted last Thursday to open the restored Duncannon Fort in Wexford, which was supported by €500,000 in town and village renewal scheme funding.”
“In February, I launched a new call for category 1 applications under the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF. This fund supports ambitious large-scale projects designed to regenerate rural areas and has allocated total funding of €440 million to 164 major strategic capital projects since 2020. Only in the last fortnight, I was delighted to be joined by An Taoiseach to officially open the new Campas Íosagáin Digital Hub i mBaile Bhuirne, Contae Chorcaí. With investment of over €3.4 million from the RRDF, we will deliver a state-of-the-art enterprise development, training and research facility and new gTeic hub by restoring the former derelict site of Coláiste Íosagáin. Last week, I opened the heritage-led restoration of Market House and Market Square in Portarlington in County Laois.”
“Investment will help to provide the necessary facilities and infrastructure in communities to assist in attracting people to live, work and invest in rural areas while aiming to ensure that those rural communities can prosper in the years ahead. In budget 2026, I secured a €611 million allocation for my Department. This is the highest ever budget allocation for our Department, which demonstrates the Government's continuing commitment to investing in rural towns, villages and communities. Within this investment, the rural development investment programme is continuing to provide an unprecedented level of funding for rural Ireland. Indeed, there are a number of funding schemes currently open for applications designed to directly support our rural communities.”
“This action plan, as I have said many times, will be a whole-of-government approach and I wish to place on record my sincere thanks to my Government colleagues who have already come forward with impactful and ambitious proposals for inclusion. I once again use this opportunity to challenge them to be more ambitious in their proposals. A second action plan will follow to cover the remainder of the policy from 2029 to 2031, which will allow for the policy to be responsive to any emerging needs over that time. Of course, the funding and supports delivered by my own Department will have a critical role to play in the implementation of the new Our Rural Future. These programmes are designed to support the delivery of projects in communities right across rural Ireland that will revitalise our rural towns and villages.”
“There were also strong inputs at all stages of the consultation on the need to build strong, resilient and empowered rural communities while also protecting and sustaining our unique natural environment. Informed by the results of the consultations and the OECD's review, the new Our Rural Future will be based around five policy pillars, focusing on rural places, rural people, rural services, the rural economy and the rural environment. In addition to the policy setting out the key priorities in each pillar, a series of detailed actions is being developed, which will be outlined in an accompanying action plan covering the initial period until the end of 2028.”
“I firmly believe that the extensive time and effort, including today's discussions, that have been invested in the consultation process will ensure a more effective and targeted policy for 2026 to 2031. So far, throughout our engagements, a number of clear issues have been identified as being of primary concern to people living and working in rural Ireland. These include some of the key strategic priorities that underpin rural development, such as increasing the availability and affordability of rural housing and the essential infrastructure and services to support population growth in rural towns and villages. We have also heard loud and clear the need to continue to support rural businesses and strengthen the rural economy, particularly tourism, which came through as having rich potential for growth.”
“That review was published in February of this year and has played an important part in informing the new policy. In it, the OECD acknowledges the substantial progress made in Ireland, both under Our Rural Future and more broadly since the establishment of my Department. Ireland is recognised as being unique among OECD countries in its whole-of-government approach to rural development and for the high levels of awareness and visibility given to rural needs across Departments. The review also provided a series of recommendations and challenges for consideration, notably on supporting rural enterprise, service delivery and improving the effectiveness and use of rural intelligence and data.”