Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 May 2026
129. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if consideration is being given to establishing a dedicated annual maintenance and operational support fund for volunteer-led rural community centres in recognition of the growing cost of maintaining community infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38265/26]
View answerMy Department has a range of supports in place with regard to community centres.
The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF), which was established in 2022, provides capital funding for the upgrade and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres in urban and rural communities. The 2026 CCIF will focus on the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres, and the online application portal will open on May 29th.
Community infrastructure is also supported through other schemes administered by my Department, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, CLÁR and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. In addition, the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) provides small-scale grants to community and voluntary groups to assist with facility improvements and equipment purchases, which can help groups to maintain and improve their facilities. The scheme is administered by each local authority on behalf of my Department and is an important support for many community groups. Such investment can help reduce costs, for example by improving energy efficiency of buildings or providing new more energy efficient equipment.
Ongoing operational supports are provided for some groups through the Community Services Programme, which supports community organisations and social enterprises delivering essential local services and managing community facilities. In addition, my Department provides current supports to Tidy Towns Groups and to Men’s Sheds. Finally, it should also be noted that the Community Employment Scheme, Rural Social Scheme, and Tús, which are operated by the Department of Social Protection, provide an important resource for many community centres and community facilities across the country. At present we do not have any plans to introduce additional funding supports for volunteer led rural community centres but we continue to review our schemes to ensure our available funding is put to best use.
