· Minister Humphreys welcomed 400 national and international delegates to the first Conference of its kind to be held in Ireland
· Unique opportunity for Ireland to share its experience in Rural Development, and progress under the Our Rural Future policy
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (28th September) welcomed delegates to the 13th OECD Rural Development Conference.
It is the first time that the Conference has been held in this country, and provides a unique opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities in rural areas with representatives of the 38 OECD member states.
Ireland will share its experience of rural development, particularly in relation to the national policy ‘Our Rural Future’ – 2021-2025.
The Conference sees approx. 400 delegates from across the OECD countries, including Government ministers, senior policy makers, academics and a range of key stakeholders in the rural sector.
It will provide a platform for more than 80 Irish and international speakers to highlight the current status and progress of rural development across the globe.
Opening the conference, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome such a significant number of international representatives, working in rural development, to this wonderful rural setting in Co Cavan.
“The opportunity to host this important Conference reflects the ambitious nature of rural development in this country, with Ireland, and the Our Rural Future policy in particular, seen as a fine example of rural policy-making in action. I am very excited about Irish rural stakeholders having a role in shaping international rural development policy priorities.
“Nonetheless, we still have much to learn from our OECD colleagues, and I look forward to meeting our friends from all over the world, to exchange our views and ideas on the shared challenges and opportunities facing rural areas.”
OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yoshiki Takeuchi added:
“I hope policy makers grab the opportunities brought by long-term transformations and short-term shocks to work together across policy areas and levels of government to take action for thriving rural places”.
The Conference will take place over three days, and includes an address by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD on Thursday, with a final day cultural tour for delegates, to highlight local rural programmes and tourist attractions.