Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2025
412. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding that has been made available for rural community groups in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55460/25]
View answerBudget 2026 has seen my Department’s allocation increase from €575 million to €611 million, an increase of 6% year on year. This provides €192 million for rural development, €260 million for community development, and €159 million for the Gaeltacht, Irish language Supports and the Islands. This will support investment in the economic and social development of communities right across the country.
The €192 million funding for rural development will ensure continued strong implementation of Our Rural Future through continuing significant investment in rural development schemes such as the LEADER programme. There is also increased funding for CLÁR, Outdoor Recreation and Town and Village Renewal as well as continued support in areas such as Tidy Towns and Agricultural Shows.
The €260 million Community Development funding will allow for the provision of almost €74 million for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and other inclusion supports.
There is an increase in funding of €4 million for the Community Services Programme (CSP) in 2026, bringing it to €59 million, and €5 million in capital funding in 2026 for the development of a new RAPID programme to revitalise our most disadvantaged areas through co-ordinated planning and investment.
An additional €3 million in funding for the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) will bring the total funding available in 2026 to €20 million which will include the support of targeted measures to assist communities in becoming more storm resilient.
The overall allocation for the Gaeltacht, the Irish Language and the Islands has increase by €36 million to €159 million in 2026 – and increase of 29% for the programme area as a whole. This will allow increased investment in the linguistic, economic, cultural and social development of Irish-speaking communities both within and outside the Gaeltacht, and on our offshore Islands.
I am confident that the funding supports provided by my Department in Budget 2026 will continue to deliver tangible benefits for rural community groups.
I would encourage community groups to visit my department’s website www.gov.ie/drcd to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
