'Energising Ireland’s Rural Economy' Report Published

The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) report, "Energising Ireland’s Rural Economy", has been launched by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Jointly commissioned in September 2012 by Minister Phil Hogan and Minister Simon Coveney in recognition that a number of commitments relating to economic development contained in the Programme for Government, in particular, commitments to encourage job creation and sustainable enterprise development, are reliant on the ability of all parts of Ireland to contribute to economic growth going forward.

Chaired by Mr Pat Spillane and consisting of a range of experts in both rural and economic development the Commission have now produced this very interesting and informative report that addresses not only the frameworks required at national level to support rural economic development but also the human and resource potential in rural Ireland . The report contains 34 recommendations and is the culmination of a large body of work throughout 2013.

In launching the report the Taoiseach said: "The Government has a plan for rural Ireland. The previous Government and its policies left rural Ireland completely exposed to the strong economic headwind that hit our country. Change for the better is coming.

"New ways of helping people are being rolled out across the country to give everyone the opportunity to update their skills, to work, to start their own business and to raise their family in the place they call home.

"I am passionate about rural Ireland - its past, its future, its people. It is vital to plan for the future and this is where this report on the Economic Development of Rural Areas comes into play.

"When my colleagues Minister Hogan and Minister Coveney commissioned this report at the end of 2012, it was with the purpose of providing Government with the information necessary to development new policy to better support rural Ireland. I want to thank the Commission and its Chair Mr Pat Spillane for working tirelessly during 2013 to ensure that anyone who wanted to contribute to this report was facilitated to do so."

This report launched here today along with a more comprehensive research report will be available on www.ruralireland.ie and the websites of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government www.environ.ie and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine www.agriculture.gov.ie.

(MH/IT)