954. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if a matter will be examined and addressed (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49530/26]

The specific issues raised by the Deputy on behalf of the National Association of Regional Game Councils fall under the remit of my colleagues, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

However, it is the case that direct consultation with communities remains a core element of policy development and implementation across government. For example, within my own department. the Government’s Our Rural Future policy takes a whole-of-government approach to rural development and is underpinned by extensive consultation with rural stakeholders.

The policy has delivered significant achievements and investment to date, and the Programme for Government includes a commitment to publish and implement a new Our Rural Future policy. The development of the new policy is at an advanced stage and has been informed by an extensive public and stakeholder consultation process which took place throughout 2025 and gathered the views of well over 2,000 participants.

This engagement included an online survey, a series of eight public and stakeholder events, and a public written consultation which received more than 270 responses. The extensive nature of this consultation process was designed to root the development of the new policy in the expressed views and priorities of our rural communities.

The new policy will continue our whole-of-government approach, building on the progress and investment delivered to date and setting out a renewed vision for the years ahead.

Informed by both the results of the consultations and the recent OECD Review, the new Our Rural Future will be based around five interconnected policy pillars, focusing on rural places, rural services, rural communities, the rural economy and the rural environment.

In addition to the policy setting out the key priorities in each pillar, a series of ambitious, clear and practical actions is being developed which will be outlined in an accompanying Action Plan covering the initial period until the end of 2028.

The policy and associated action plan are nearing completion, and I will continue to work with my ministerial colleagues to finalise this process over the coming weeks before bringing a draft of the policy to Government in the autumn. The new Our Rural Future policy will provide the framework for the Government's ongoing commitment to, and support for, rural communities as thriving and attractive places to live.

Under Our Rural Future, my department has also sought to strengthen the role of rural proofing across government. Essentially, this approach seeks to ensure that the challenges and opportunities for rural communities in particular are expressly taken into account in the development of new policy initiatives. My department has published a guidance document for government departments in this regard and also continues to engage across government to ensure that the rural perspective remains central to policy development.

I addition, my department’s strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, aims to provide communities with both the means and the opportunities to be involved in decisions that affect them. Its high-level objectives and actions support consultation, inclusion and participation of communities, particularly disadvantaged communities, in public policy and decision-making at all levels. A successor strategy is currently at an advanced stage of the development following an extensive process of consultation with stakeholders and will be published later this year. My department also supports the Public Participation Networks which were established in each local authority area under the Local Government Acts. Their primary function is to provide representation for the community sector in local authority structures, giving local volunteers a greater say in local government policymaking which affects their own communities.

In terms of the implementation of the wide range of supports and initiatives that my department delivers, I am also keen to ensure that a bottom up approach remains in place to ensure that the needs of rural communities are central to delivery. In many cases, this approach is facilitated by our approach to partnering with key bodies who are directly engaged at local level and my department works closely with local authorities, local development companies and Local Community and Development Committees in this regard.