People from rural communities are being urged to attend a consultation event on developing a new Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Framework to improve the quality of lives in rural areas.
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle O’Neill has urged stakeholders to attend the event at Loughry College at 12:45pm on Thursday 10 December 2015 to air their views on proposed new measures to tackle poverty and social isolation.
“Our existing TRPSI Framework has been in operation since 2011/12 and it is an opportune time to refresh and update to ensure its continued relevance in outlining the poverty and isolation challenges facing our rural communities and areas,” explained Minister O’Neill.
“TRPSI has been a great success delivering a range of measures in rural areas, identifying and addressing issues such as access to broadband and transport, health and well-being, youth employment, community development and supporting localised solutions to local problems. Working with a range of statutory and voluntary partners has been key to the success of TRPSI and ensuring maximum impact for the benefit of vulnerable people and groups in rural areas. My aim is to ensure that this work is built on, not just by DARD but by all statutory and voluntary organisations, to deliver an improved quality of life for our rural dwellers and communities. As part our public consultation we are hosting the stakeholder event to tell people about our draft proposals for a new scheme and to allow us to hear their views on the plans and key priority areas” added the Minister.
The stakeholder event will be hosted at CAFRE’s Loughry Campus, Cookstown, from 12.45pm on Thursday 10 December 2015. More details on this event, including how to register, are available on the department’s website:
www.dardni.gov.uk/consultations
The public consultation, which closes at 5pm on 20 January 2016, can also be viewed on the DARD website.
]]>
