Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 October 2024
338. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she has allocated funding over the past three years under the various headings available to her Department to assist rural communities or town centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40896/24]
View answer339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total monies awarded by her Department to various community-based initiatives throughout the regions since she took up Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40897/24]
View answer340. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether consideration will be given by her Department to various groups who have currently applied for further funding from her Department under the various schemes operated by her Office where a top up may be needed to complete specific works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40898/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, together.
My Department was established in 2017, and operates a large number of schemes aimed at supporting both rural development and community development. These interventions are improving not just rural areas, town centres and urban areas, but also strengthening the communities that live there.
The main rural development programmes, which underpin Our Rural Future 2021-2025 and other policy documents such as the Town Centre First policy, are the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), LEADER, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS), the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the CLÁR programme, and support for Islands transport services and capital works. There are also a range of other smaller supports including the Walks Scheme, Tidy Towns, Connected Hubs and Broadband Connection Points.
The majority of funding under the rural development programme is administered through local authorities and other supporting structures such as Pobal. In situations where organisations require additional support in order to deliver their project within the approved allocation, I would encourage them to engage with the organisation administering the scheme on my Department's behalf as soon as possible to explore available options.
The main community development programme supports are the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme (CSP), the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF), the Community Recognition Fund (CRF), Libraries Development, and the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP)/Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). A number of other smaller measures are in place within this programme area which empower communities through supporting structures and participatory decision making, including the Scheme to Support National Organisations, Local Community Development Committee supports, and Public Participation Network supports.
With regard to cost adjustments, grant allocations made by my Department represent maximum agreed grant amounts. However, for larger capital projects where unavoidable cost increases occur for delivery of the agreed project (for example, due to inflation), some flexibility is provided. Such adjustments are closely controlled and kept to a minimum so as to ensure the greatest number of projects can be funded from the available allocations.
The table below sets out the levels of funding allocated under the Departments scheme each year since its establishment in 2017. The attached document provides a further breakdown of allocations across various schemes which support communities throughout the country.
|
Year |
Number of allocations approved |
Total value of these approved allocations |
|
2017 |
1883 |
€82,968,715 |
|
2018 |
5237 |
€190,087,517 |
|
2019 |
4382 |
€314,048,479 |
|
2020 |
9448 |
€223,937,897 |
|
2021 |
8891 |
€304,265,669 |
|
2022 |
8305 |
€445,720,031 |
|
2023 |
7397 |
€243,027,188 |
|
2024 to date |
2010 |
€404,193,055 |
|
Totals |
47,553 |
€2,208,248,551 |
