The rural economy will benefit by as much as £6.7 billion, the Minister of State for Rural Development said yesterday.
Mr Noel Davern said the plan would express the commitments in the White Paper on Rural Development published in August. The strategy contained in that paper provided for regional development and the distribution of the benefits of economic and social progress through the State.
The plan has a commitment to set up a national regional development programme to work alongside the LEADER11 programme, which is funded by the EU.