merrion street

Local Government Minister Phil Hogan today announced that Pat Spillane will be the Chairman of the new Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA).

Minister Hogan said:

Too often policy is created at central government, I believe it is the people on the ground, who often have the answers to the challenges we are facing. The Commission will examine the non farming, “outside the farm gate” aspects of economic development in rural areas and undertake an extensive public consultation on the future economic potential of rural Ireland and how best to channel funding and resources between 2013 and 2025.

The Commission will involve 3 stages:

• A nationwide consultation of rural stakeholders including employers, unions, farm bodies, community organisation and the public sector

• Research and analysis of economic factors affecting rural areas

• The preparation of a report supporting the medium-term economic development of the Rural Areas for the period to 2025

Welcoming the CEDRA, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said:

The Government is determined to pursue policies that can keep young people in their Communities in rural Ireland. This Rural Commission is about talking and listening to people living in rural parishes across the country as the basis of policy development to maximise the potential for jobs and rural communities. We have a very clear development and growth plan for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food sector but there are other areas that need to be supported and developed in rural Ireland- that’s what this Commission is all about.

Pat Spillane on accepting his role said:

I am delighted to be able to accept this important appointment. The unemployment situation is the real national crisis, affecting people deeply, the length and breadth of the land. It has particularly affected young people, who are struggling to get employment, many of whom are being forced to emigrate, decimating the fabric of rural society. I look forward to working with the members of the Commission to try to come up with ideas that will help to alleviate this situation.