Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, today opened the first Rural Development Research Symposium of its kind in twenty years at University College Cork.
The Symposium brings together researchers, academics, policymakers and rural
development stakeholders to explore key opportunities and challenges shaping the future of rural Ireland.Organised by University College Cork and Teagasc, the Symposium is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG) under Ireland's national rural development policy framework, Our Rural Future.
Opening the event, Jerry Buttimer, TD, Minister of State at the Department with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, said:
“I am delighted to open today’s Rural Development Research Symposium which provides an excellent opportunity for researchers and academics to engage with policymakers.
“Research and evidence are essential to good policymaking and the breadth of research presented at today’s event demonstrates the importance of Ireland’s whole-of-Government approach to rural development.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in today’s Symposium and I look forward to their continued contribution to developing effective, evidence-based policy for rural communities.”
Professor John F. Cryan, UCC Vice President for Research and Innovation, added:
“We are delighted at University College Cork to welcome the first Higher Education Institutions Network (HEIN) Rural Development Research Symposium in over 20 years. The symposium, co-convened by UCC and Teagasc and moderated by UCC Professor Mary O’Shaughnessy, brings together leading researchers, academics, policymakers and practitioners to explore the opportunities and challenges facing rural Ireland. The symposium provides an important forum for connecting research, policy and practice. By bringing together diverse perspectives and evidence from across the rural development community, this symposium will inform the policies and actions needed to support thriving rural places and communities into the future.”
The Higher Education Institutions Network, established under Our Rural Future in 2021, has greatly enhanced collaboration between HEIs, research organisations and government in recent years.
Today’s event is an excellent demonstration of that ongoing collaboration and Government’s commitment to supporting research into rural development priorities.
Speaking about the Government’s support for rural development research, Dara Calleary, TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht said:
“The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht is proud to support a number of rural development research initiatives to strengthen the evidence base for rural development policy.
“I would like to thank the Higher Education Institutions Network for its continued work in bringing together researchers and policymakers and for supporting greater collaboration across the sector.
“The research being presented at today’s Symposium is particularly important as we enter the next phase of Ireland’s rural development policy and continue to ensure that our approach is grounded in strong evidence and informed by the experience of rural communities.”
Our Rural Future Higher Education and Research Institutions Network
Our Rural Future recognises the critical role of Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and other organisations in advancing research in the area of sustainable rural development, and in ensuring public policy is informed by evidence and research.
In 2021, DRCDG established the Our Rural Future Higher Education Institutions Network to enhance collaboration between HEIs, research organisations and government, and to ensure Our Rural Future continues to be informed by the cutting-edge research taking place in HEIs and research organisations across the country.
The Network continues to meet twice yearly.
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