In Ireland, rural regions matter both in where people live and in how the country sees and presents itself. Ireland’s rural regions are central to the country’s economy, society and territorial identity. Approximately 42.5% of Ireland’s 5.3 million residents live in rural regions, slightly above the OECD average of 41.5%. Additionally, Ireland’s rural regions have had the second-highest rural growth rate in the OECD (1.19% annually between 2001 and 2021) and above-average GDP growth over the past two decades. Rural heritage also plays a defining role in Ireland’s self-image and global reputation, and rural regions form the backbone of the country’s tourism industry.
However, challenges persist. Across all dimensions, demography, economy, environment, education, and services, rural Ireland demonstrates substantial human capital and growth potential but also persistent structural imbalances. While communities near urban centres benefit from connectivity and spill-over investment, more remote regions are challenged by smaller and weaker labour markets, higher emissions, infrastructure gaps, and limited access to services.
Ireland’s whole-of-government approach to rural development, guided by the stand-alone rural department DRCDG (Department of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht), is unique in OECD countries. First, most rural portfolios in other member countries sit within Departments of Agriculture or Regional Ministries rather than as standalone entities. Second, the national strategy, Our Rural Future, incorporates direct actions for rural development within the remit of DRCDG and indirect actions by other departments across government that are developing strategies that will impact rural Ireland. Achieving this dual perspective at the national level can be challenging for other OECD members. In fact, in many OECD countries, different agencies or ministries implement policies that profoundly affect rural regions without recognising them as rural in nature.
While this government-wide visibility on rural policy is welcome, it comes with nuanced challenges that require more attention to place-based policies that can better reflect the diversity and complexity of Ireland’s rural regions. As Ireland prepares the next phase of its rural development policy, this report offers recommendations and related actions to: improve rural economic development, enhance the collection and use of rural intelligence, encourage the adoption of more innovative monitoring and evaluation processes, and strengthen subnational capacity, while continuing to engage and leverage the local knowledge of rural actors.
The report assesses trends, challenges and opportunities in rural Ireland and examines the country’s rural development policy. The findings and recommendations are drawn from desk research and nine fact-finding meetings with over 600 Irish actors, including national, regional, and local authorities, representatives from civil society and the private sector, and academics. The report also benefits from input from peer reviewers in the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland.
This review is part of the OECD Rural Policy Reviews series. It utilises a comprehensive analytical framework built around the OECD Principles of Rural Policy and the OECD Rural Well-Being Framework. The report was submitted for comment to the Working Party on Rural Policy [CFE/RDPC(2025)9] on 12 December 2025.