merrion street

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, today (Monday), welcomed the Government’s launch of 'Our Rural Future'.

This policy will promote rural development over the next five years, supported by more than 130 measures which will address the challenges and capture the opportunities for people living in rural Ireland. 

Minister McGrath said:

“I believe it is important to set out a vision for rural Ireland which will be particularly important for post-COVID recovery and integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing and development.

“This policy is intended to encourage more people to live and work in rural Ireland, with our rural towns becoming vibrant hubs for commercial and social activity, with good career prospects for people living in these areas.

“I note, in particular, that the policy proposes investing in remote working infrastructure and targeting 400 new IDA investments for regional locations outside of Dublin. This will be an important economic counterbalance for our regional and rural areas, as envisaged under the National Planning Framework and National Development Plan”.

The Government has committed in the Programme for Government to mandating public sector employers to move to 20% home and remote working in 2021. 

Commenting on ambitions for the Civil and Public Service, Minister McGrath said:

“My Department is, as a matter of priority, working with employers across the civil service to develop the longer term approach to remote working in the sector. DPER is also working closely with the wider public sector to ensure a consistency of approach.  To this end, the Department is working on a Blended Working Policy Framework for Civil Service Organisations which will assist those organisations in developing long-term remote working policies”. 

ENDS

Contact:
Claire Godkin - Press Officer, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform - 085 806 3969