There was still a “long way to go” to fully deliver on Government commitments to improve the lives of people living and working in rural Ireland, but progress to date is “extremely encouraging”, Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring has said. The Minister said his department was examining ways to measure the impact of its policies on rural Ireland, to allow it to further support successful initiatives and to divert resources from those that had not worked as well. 

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/government-action-plan-on-rural-ireland-extremely-encouraging-1.3196250