Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has opened a 12-week public consultation on an ambitious 15-year rural development strategy aimed at reshaping how government supports Northern Ireland’s rural communities. The draft policy, titled Rural NI: Our New Approach 2026-2041, seeks to replace previous frameworks with a co-designed approach that places rural voices at the centre of decision-making through to 2041.
The consultation, launched today by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), invites individuals, community groups and sector representatives to help refine five strategic proposals intended to create a “thriving, sustainable and inclusive rural Northern Ireland.” Three dedicated working groups focused on understanding, championing and supporting rural communities produced 27 recommendations now distilled into five core proposals. Responses must be submitted by 23:59 on 1 June 2026.
Minister’s Vision for Collaborative Rural Policy
Minister Muir emphasised that the policy represents a fundamental shift toward collaborative governance. In a statement issued today, he said:
“This draft policy led by my Department is an approach to understand, champion and support rural communities. It aims to reflect the diversity of rural areas and the experiences of those who live and work in them.
The proposals seek to identify how people and government can work together to address the challenges and opportunities that face rural communities and highlight the need for coordinated action to support improved outcomes.
I want everyone to talk rural. Contributions from individuals, community groups and sector representatives will play a vital role in refining the proposals and informing future decisions. Together, we can unlock the full potential of rural Northern Ireland.”
The Minister’s comments underscore the policy’s emphasis on “co-design”—a methodology that has already engaged government departments, local councils, voluntary and community organisations, and academic partners in shaping the framework.
From Framework to Action
The draft policy arrives four years after DAERA published the Rural Policy Framework for Northern Ireland in 2022, which was intended to guide rural development following the cessation of the NI Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. However, Assembly research papers suggest the 2022 Framework is now considered defunct, raising questions about policy continuity and the lessons learned from that previous iteration.
The new 2026-2041 approach explicitly complies with the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, which requires public authorities to have due regard to rural needs when developing policies. The Act has been in operation for government departments since 1 June 2017.
Consultation Events and How to Participate
DAERA has scheduled an extensive programme of engagement to ensure rural voices are heard:
- In-person events: 11 sessions across Northern Ireland including Enniskillen (24 March), Omagh (30 March), Bangor (17 April), Armagh (20 April), Ballyclare (21 April), Ballymena (22 April), Strabane (27 April), Limavady (28 April), Lisburn (7 May), Newry (8 May), and Cookstown (12 May)
- Online events: Two virtual sessions on 25 March and 18 May 2026
- Closing date: 1 June 2026 at 23:59
Participants can respond online via Citizen Space, email [email protected], or write to the Strategic Rural Policy Branch at Jubilee House, Limavady.
Gaps and Unanswered Questions
While the consultation document sets out ambitious proposals, the announcement leaves several critical implementation questions unresolved. Notably absent from today’s press release is any mention of specific budget allocations to support the 15-year strategy—a significant omission given that DAERA’s 2023/24 resource budget of £579.8 million already faced a 1.5 per cent cut to non-ring-fenced areas, with officials warning at the time that “difficult decisions will likely be needed” to meet statutory obligations.
The policy’s 15-year lifespan also invites scrutiny. Spanning 2026 to 2041, the framework commits to outcomes beyond the current Programme for Government 2024-2027 period, yet offers limited detail on how it will survive potential changes in government composition or ministerial portfolios—a pertinent consideration given Northern Ireland’s history of political instability.
Furthermore, the consultation emerges just weeks after the OECD published its Rural Policy Review of Ireland 2026, which emphasised the need for rural economies to diversify beyond agriculture and for stronger local governance capacity. While that review focused on the Republic of Ireland, its findings highlight broader questions about whether Northern Ireland’s centrally-coordinated approach will sufficiently empower local authorities and address economic diversification in rural areas.
Questions for Consideration
As the consultation progresses, several questions remain central to evaluating the policy’s potential:
- Given the 15-year timeframe, what mechanisms will ensure continuity across potential changes in government or ministerial portfolios, particularly given Northern Ireland’s political history?
- How will DAERA secure adequate funding to implement these proposals, given previous budget constraints and competing departmental priorities?
- Does this framework formally supersede the 2022 Rural Policy Framework, and if so, what assessment has been made of that previous strategy’s shortcomings?
- In light of the OECD’s recent emphasis on local governance capacity, how will this policy move beyond central coordination to empower local authorities and communities?
- How will the policy ensure that “rural needs” are interpreted broadly enough to include economic diversification beyond traditional agriculture, addressing the OECD’s warning about over-reliance on farming?
What Happens Next
Following the consultation closure on 1 June 2026, DAERA will analyse responses before seeking Executive approval to bring forward the first set of action plans. The policy’s success will ultimately depend not only on the quality of submissions received during this consultation period but on the Executive’s willingness to allocate sufficient resources to match the ambition of the 15-year vision.
For rural communities, the consultation represents an opportunity to shape policy that will influence service delivery, infrastructure investment and economic support for the next decade and a half. With consultation events scheduled across the region and multiple response channels available, the onus now falls on rural residents and stakeholders to engage with the process before the June deadline.