My Department implements a wide range of schemes that have supported thousands of capital projects nationwide in recent years, including the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), CLÁR, LEADER and the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF).
Projects funded by my Department are generally delivered through a range of lead bodies, including local authorities and local development companies, who are responsible for the prioritisation of projects for submission to my department. This is based on their assessment of local need taking account of matters such as those raised by the Deputy including demographic need and levels of existing amenities. These bodies have on-the-ground knowledge and expertise in relation to local needs and priorities, and this approach thus works to ensure effective targeting of investment.
For schemes such as CLÁR and the TVRS, project applications are subject to further assessment by my department in line with the aims of the scheme. For example, the TVRS is designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. This scheme places particular emphasis on projects which support sustainable employment creation, town centre resilience and regeneration, enhancing our streetscapes, and bringing derelict and vacant buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose community spaces.
In addition, for the CLÁR programme, the areas eligible to apply for funding are designated based on an assessment of population decline and, most recently, based on levels of deprivation and rurality.
For the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme, funding was allocated to each Local Action Group (LAG) area to provide them with greater flexibility in selecting and approving projects which will have a meaningful impact in their areas. When allocating funding to each LAG, a minimum allocation of €3 million was provided to each sub-regional area with the remaining funding distributed based on the population density of the area compared to the national average, and the deprivation index of the area.
Over the course of the programme, each LAG is responsible for selecting and approving projects for funding, based on the identified needs and priorities in their area, as set out in their Local Development Strategy.
Refurbishment projects under the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) differ from these other schemes in that applications are submitted directly by community groups to my department for assessment and approval. The assessment criteria for the scheme, which is set out in the scheme outline, includes a consideration of need, demand and impact.
Details of these programmes can be found on my department's website.
