10-year plan to make Clare a rural integration hot spot

An app for rural car pooling, the development of five digital access hubs and a strategy to create and sustain 4,000 new jobs are the main aspects of a rural development strategy published by Clare County Council.

The council aims to make rural Clare a more attractive place to live and work through the development of technology-based solutions.

The strategy also advocates the development of community-run multi-service centres which offering GP, postal, social protection, health transport, advice and information from a single building.

The strategy launched by Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring makes Clare County Council the State’s first local authority to launch a plan in response to the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development.

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Five local digital hubs to be located in Kilrush, Feakle, Miltown Malbay, Ennis and Enistymon are to be set up over the next 18 months with high-speed broadband.

“So if you’re a farmer who wants to file your returns or a commuter who wants to work ‘from home’ a couple of days a week, you can go to your local digital hub and take care of your business,” said Mr Ring.

The Minister said it would be his priority to ensure all local authorities “follow the same strategic path” in developing plans which “focus on rural job creation, improved transport linkages, access to broadband and joint services”.