Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 May 2026
99. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will expedite regeneration schemes in towns and villages across County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38143/26]
View answer117. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for an update on the regeneration schemes his Department is funding in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38144/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 117 together.
My Department manages a range of capital schemes which focus on the regeneration of our towns and villages and recent years have seen significant growth in the level of funding available to rural communities from my department in this regard.
For example, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (the RRDF) is a major capital investment programme, which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. The focus of the fund is on rural towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 people.
To date, the RRDF has allocated over €612 million to 272 projects across Ireland, of which over €19 million has been allocated to 15 projects in Co Kerry.
Most recently, this includes RRDF funding of €933,000 for the regeneration of the Phoenix Cinema in Dingle which I announced last year.
I also had the pleasure to recently visit a number of projects in Co. Kerry which are funded by my department including opening the new state-of-the-art g-Teic Hub in Uíbh Ráthach. I was also pleased to turn the sod on the Carnegie Community Building, part of the Cahersiveen Town Centre Regeneration Project. Both of these ambitious projects are supported by funding from the RRDF.
In February, I opened a Category 1 ‘Call for Proposals’ under the RRDF, which will close on 28 July 2026. This Call will focus on strategically important, large-scale projects that have full planning and other consents in place and are ready to commence. I look forward to receiving applications from eligible bodies in respect of potential projects in County Kerry.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme, or TVRS, is also administered by my department. This scheme supports rural revitalisation by focusing on stimulating town centre economic and social regeneration. While it primarily targets funding at areas with populations of less than 10,000 people, applications for towns with populations of up to 15,000 people are also accepted where the project is of a high quality, displays good value for money and has the potential to significantly benefit the town.
Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, €210 million has been allocated to over 1,900 projects across Ireland. This includes almost €9 million awarded to Kerry County Council for 76 projects in the county.
TVRS is administered through local authorities, who work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact on rural towns and villages. For example, this includes two projects I had the pleasure of opening on my visit to Kerry - the enhanced Riverwalk in Castleisland, and the new Moyvane village hub.
The Moyvane Hub is a particularly interesting example of how the funding made available by my department can be utilised in an integrated and strategic manner. Situated in a former Garda station, the building was originally purchased using my department's Building Acquisition Measure. The subsequent refurbishment of the building for community use was then funded under a later call for applications under the TVRS.
Similar projects are being funded in Kerry and across the country via the range of schemes in my department's Rural Development Investment Programme. Further details of projects funded in Kerry under schemes such as LEADER, the Community Centre Investment Fund, CLÁR and the Outdoor Recreation Investment Scheme are available on my department's website.
I am committed to ensuring that my department will continue to support high quality and transformational projects across rural Ireland in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy.
