Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
447. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the grants and schemes available to pubs in rural communities, to apply for and avail of; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8924/26]
View answerMy department implements a wide range of schemes and supports under the banner of the Rural Development Investment Programme, which are available to community organisations and other groups across the country.
Under these measures communities across the country have benefited from funding in areas such as town regeneration, the development of community facilities, and the enhancement of outdoor recreation facilities.
Although there is no current scheme directly related to supporting pubs in rural communities, my Department previously funded "Pubs as Community Hubs" in three locations, under the innovation measure of the CLÁR 2021 programme. However, that pilot was to test the approach, and any subsequent delivery would be a matter for the Vintner's Federation of Ireland, who were involved in the pilot programme.
The capital grant funding that is available from my department focuses on the delivery of community infrastructure which is available for use by the entire community.
