Members of the Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) say they are are looking forward to their role in the delivery of the ‘Our Rural Future’ Strategy.
The government document, released on Monday, charts the government’s blueprint to develop rural Ireland over the next five years.
The policy aims to help rural Ireland to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, enable long-term development of rural areas, and create more resilient rural economies and communities for the future.
The IDP said the publication is a welcome step with potential for Inishowen.
They said: “Local Development Companies such as ours have been pillars of Rural Development for over 30 years. Covid-19 and the rollout of the National Broadband plan provides an opportunity for a reimagining of the potential of rural areas.
“The Strategy identifies the creation of ‘Local Master Plans’ to meet the long-term needs of Rural areas. Local Development Companies, with our track record in Rural Development and strategic planning will be central to this process. Our Envision Inishowen series is timely, and has already laid a good foundation for this element of the strategy rollout.”
“IDP are delighted that each of the 153 actions are listed with the Sustainable Development Goals which we have been promoting throughout Inishowen for some time. We look forward to working in partnership with all our stakeholders in delivery of a wide range of the plan’s actions.
“IDP through its Sustainable Energy Committee(SEC) welcomes the plan’s commitment to reducing the use of fossil fuels and transition to a climate neutral economy. We are already looking to pursue funding opportunities to realise some actions in this regard.
“The LEADER Programme has been identified as a key measure in this plan. As the implementers of LEADER across Inishowen IDP welcome the continued commitment to this critical programme and call on the Government to fully support LEADER through maximising EU funding and Exchequer co-funding in the years ahead. LEADER can provide the required development capacity and finance needed to deliver measures identified in the strategy. Furthermore LDCs have been at the forefront of the emerging Smart Village concept which will be a major element of the next round of EU programming and an important element of any successful Rural Development approach. We look forward to supporting the plan’s commitment to remote working and optimising digital connectivity.
“We welcome that the role of Local Development Companies such as IDP is interwoven throughout the strategy. As providers of Employment Support measures such as the Rural Social Scheme, Tús and Community Employment as well as our SICAP programme, Job Club ,the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance and Inishowen Skillnet, we will be vital partners in ensuring that the ambition of this plan is realised. IDP look forward to working positively with Government in this endeavour.”
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