Programme from the forthcoming conference Future of Rural Society: Opportunities for Rural Economic Development June 10th 2013 In association with CEDRA http://www.ruralireland.ie/ at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth http://www.nuim.ie/

1. The Future of Rural Society:
Opportunities for Rural Economic Development
June 10th 2013 | National University of Ireland, Maynooth
CEDRA
Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas
Coimisiún um Fhorbairt Eacnamaíoch na gCeantar Cuaithe
Environment, Community and Local Government
Comhshaol, Pobal agus Rialtas Áitiúil
www.ruralireland.ie

2. The Future of Rural Society:
Opportunities for Rural Economic Development
June 10th 2013 | National University of Ireland, Maynooth
The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas
The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) was established by the
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government in October 2012 to undertake a
comprehensive research exercise and produce a detailed report that will inform the medium
term economic development of rural areas to the period 2025.
This aim will be achieved through the delivery of a work programme that has been put in place by CDERA.
The programme:
• Identifies the ways in which rural areas can contribute to the benefit from national economic
development strategies
• Examines the key actions needed to ensure that rural areas, to the maximum extent will, contribute to
and benefit from economic recovery
• Informs prioritisation made by Government and other stakeholders in implementing future actions
• Takes on board inputs from the public consultation and analysis provided by the secretariat, comprised of
the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Teagasc and the Western
Development Commission.
• Is cognisant of pressures on the public finances in drawing conclusions
Conference Overview
The conference,‘The Future of Rural Society: Opportunities for Rural Economic Development’is being
organised in association with the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The aim of the conference is to feedback some of the results from research undertaken on behalf of CEDRA to
date and, more importantly, get the views of those attending regarding how this knowledge should be used
in the development of a strategy for the economic development of rural areas.
The conference will hear from a range of national and international speakers. The presentations will provide
the latest available research on national and international experience in the area of rural development, the
impact of the recession on rural areas, and the opportunities for future economic development.
The conference will also mark the 25th Anniversary of the first EU Rural Development Strategy‘The Future of
Rural Society’and co-author of the report Dr Dirk Ahner will speak about the relevance of this document to
the issues confronting rural communities.
Nora Casey, fifth year student of
Coláiste Naomh Eoin in Inish Meáin,
is the winner of the CEDRA Art
Competition for Secondary Schools
Students in Co. Galway.
Students were asked to submit an
image that inspires hope for the
future and reflects rural Ireland. Nora
Casey said, after her piece was
chosen as the overall winner…
“As a young person in rural Ireland
I am proud to be a part of something
that is so relevant in my own area.
I wanted to create a poster that would
catch people's attention and sum up
what CEDRA represents.”

3. The Future of Rural Society:
Opportunities for Rural Economic Development
June 10th 2013 | National University of Ireland, Maynooth
08.00 Registration and Tea & Coffee
Session 1
Chairperson: Geraldine Tallon, Secretary General, Department of Environment,
Community and Local Government
09:10 Welcome
Professor Philip Nolan, President NUI Maynooth
09.15 Welcome Address and Overview of the Commission for the Economic Development
of Rural Areas (CEDRA)
Pat Spillane, Chairperson CEDRA
09.30 Taking Stock of EU Rural Development: Learning from Pillar 2 Experience
Professor Janet Dwyer, Rural Policy at University of Gloucestershire
09.55 Rural Ireland 1986-2011: Key Drivers of Change
Dr David Meredith, Senior Research Officer Teagasc and Head of Research CEDRA
What are the implications?
10.20 Discussion
10.45 BREAK
Session 2 | Enterprise Supports for Rural Economic Development
Chairperson: Ian Brannigan, Head of Regional Development, Western Development
Commission (WDC)
11.15 Supporting Rural Enterprise
Dr Kevin Heanue, Economist Teagasc
11.40 Response
Professor Sally Shortall, Queens University Belfast
Discussion
12:30 LUNCH
Session 3 | Economic Development
Chairperson: Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc
14.00 Minister’s Address
Minister Phil Hogan T.D. Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
14.20 Economic Development (Rural Resources and Local Development)
Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, Head Teagasc Rural Economy and Development Programme
and Head Executive of CEDRA
14.45 Rural Commuting, Skills and Barriers to Rural Enterprises
Deirdre Frost, Policy Analyst, Western Development Commission
Discussion
15:30 BREAK
Session 4 | The Future of Rural Society
Chairperson: Professor Jim Walsh, Vice President NUI Maynooth
15:45 The Future of Rural Society 25 years on
Dr Dirk Ahner, Former Director General for Regional Policy, European Commission
Open Discussion
17:00 Closing Statement
Pat Spillane, Chairperson CEDRA
www.ruralireland.ie
Environment, Community and Local Government
Comhshaol, Pobal agus Rialtas Áitiúil

4. PAT SPILLANE
Pat is Chairperson of
the Commission for
the Economic
Development of
Rural Areas (CEDRA).
He has been a leader
throughout his life,
whether it be on the sporting field, where
he won 9 All-Star awards, in his professional
life as a School Principal in St. Gobán’s
College, Bantry or in his media career.
Coming form a rural area Templenoe in
County Kerry, he has direct experience of
the challenges facing rural Ireland.
PROFESSOR
CATHAL
O’DONOGHUE
Professor Cathal
O’Donoghue is Head
of Teagasc Rural
Economy and
Development
Programme and Head Executive of CEDRA.
He has studied at UCC, UCD, Oxford and the
London School of Economics, taking
degrees in Mathematics, Statistics,
Economics and Social Policy. Prior to joining
REPD Cathal spent a number of years at the
Department of Economics at NUI Galway,
Ireland. Earlier he worked at the Department
of Applied Economics, University of
Cambridge for 6 years and previously at the
Economic and Social Research Institute,
Dublin and as a Fast-Stream Civil Servant in
the UK Government.
DR DAVID
MEREDITH
David is a Senior
Research Officer in
the Spatial Analysis
Unit in Teagasc Rural
Economy Research
Centre and Head of
Research for CEDRA. David's research
focuses on issues of rural change with a
particular emphasis on exploring the links
between global and EU drivers of change
and their impact on farm structures and the
composition of the rural economy.
David currently works as part of a number of
national and international research
networks. He has worked on a range of EU
funded research projects and as a
consultant in the Western Balkans. David sits
on the Royal Irish Academy Committee for
the Geographical Sciences.
DEIRDRE FROST
Deirdre Frost is a
Policy Analyst with
the Western
Development
Commission. She has
analysed and
published on a
range of policy issues related to rural and
regional development such as infrastructure
constraints and labour market issues.
Publications include Connecting the West,
Next Generation Broadband in the Western
Region and Travel to Work and Labour
Catchments in the Western Region.
Prior to working with the WDC, Deirdre
worked with the Economic and Social
Research Institute (ESRI) in Dublin. She also
worked as a consultant to FÁS and worked
at the University of New South Wales,
Sydney and at the Institute for Employment
Studies, UK. She was educated at Trinity
College Dublin (BBS in Political Science and
Business Studies) and the University of
Sussex, (MA in International Relations).
DR. DIRK AHNER
Dirk worked in the
field of economic
research in Germany
and France before he
joined the European
Commission in 1978.
He held a number of
different positions in the Directorate
General for Agriculture and Rural
Development and was also a member of the
team of policy advertiser for the President of
the Commission. In 2003, he was appointed
Deputy Director General where he was
responsible for economic analysis, policy
planning and rural development. In 2007, he
became Director-General for regional
development. Since his retirement at the
end of 2011, he is still active as a policy
adviser and teaches regional development
policy at the College of Europe.
DR KEVIN
HEANUE
Dr. Kevin Heanue is
an Economist
working in Teagasc’s
Rural Economy and
Development
Programme. Kevin’s
research and publications include enterprise
support and development; rural housing;
education in rural areas; rural development;
rural and agricultural innovation; rural
community radio; industrial & enterprise
policy; and innovation in low and medium
technology enterprises. He has participated
in EU Framework projects on enterprise
innovation and as an external expert to the
European Network for Rural Development.
During his career, Kevin has also worked in
the private sector as an economic
consultant and strategist to Irish
government departments, semi-state
agencies, national representative
organisations and private clients. Kevin is
actively involved in rural development and
is Chairman of Connemara West Plc.
PROFESSOR
JANET DWYER
Janet is Professor of
Rural Policy at the
University of
Gloucestershire, and
Co-Director of the
Countryside and
Community Research Institute. At the CCRI,
she directs and undertakes research related
to agriculture, the environment and rural
development.
Her research expertise centres on European
and UK rural development policy and
practice, with particular interest in
integrated approaches, environmental
sustainability and institutional adaptation.
Janet is well-known in policymaking circles
in the UK and EU. Recent projects include a
farmer-centred pilot for delivering
ecosystem services; a major, EU-27 study of
Rural Development Impacts
(www.rudi-europe.net), which developed
recommendations for future policy; and
ongoing expert support to the European
Network for Rural Development.
PROFESSOR
SALLY
SHORTALL
Professor Sally
Shortall is a Reader
in Sociology in the
School of Sociology,
Social Policy and
Social work in Queens University Belfast. Her
areas of interest include agriculture, rural
development, farm families, the role of
women on farms, community development,
social inclusion, and evidence-based policy.
She has acted or is currently acting in an
advisory capacity to the Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development
Northern Ireland, Defra, The Food Standards
Agency, The Scottish Government, The
European Parliament, The European
Commission and the FAO. She has just been
appointed an advisor to the OECD on urban
rural inter-linkages.
Speaker biographies