Vol. 1083 No. 3
5. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the measures in place to ensure equitable distribution of funding across regions, including areas experiencing rapid population growth; and whether any formal methodology is used to align funding allocations with demographic need. [23002/26]
How can the Minister of State ensure that funding from his Department is shared fairly across regions, especially in areas of major population growth? Is there any clear formula for matching that funding to population growth? I ask this with particular reference to Midleton and Carrigtwohill where major population increases are projected over the next decade, but where local amenities are plainly not keeping pace. By 2034, the population of Midleton is expected to grow by 100% from where it was in 2022, while the estimate for Carrigtohill is in the region of 172% in that 12 years. That is a doubling and almost tripling of the population of those two towns.
I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. He is right that there is a complete need for clarity and certainty around the issue of funding. The community and voluntary sector is quite diverse and receives, as he said, financial support from a wide variety of Government agencies, including our Department. The Deputy has highlighted a growth population projection of Midleton and Carrigtohill, and it is important that from a whole-of-government perspective; while working with local authorities, we get it right. That is going to be the next big part of Cork that is growing.
The Government strategy to support the community and voluntary sector, Sustainable, Inclusively and Empowered communities, published in 2019, sets out a long-term vision for communities in Ireland and provides a strategic framework across government for engaging with the sector, as well as support for a range of programmes and initiatives. It included a commitment to promote multi-annual funding for community and voluntary organisations. Our Government is currently developing a successor strategy that will build upon the achievements, structures and programmes established under the previous strategy, while also responding to new challenges and contexts.
Across the community development area of our Department, funding of €260 million has been provided this year, consistent with that commitment and the strategy for the community and voluntary sector. The most significant funding programmes provide support on a multi-annual basis, including the social inclusion community activation programme and the scheme to support national organisations. Some €74 million is being allocated to the SICAP and other social inclusion supports this year, which also includes €12 million in support for community integration work, helping to support new arrivals into our country. The community service programme also supports 426 community-based organisations with a budget of €59.4 million last year to provide services through the social enterprise model. Our Department will continue to work with the Deputy and all stakeholders, including community and voluntary and representative organisations and local development companies, to provide sustained financial support to community organisations throughout the country. The Deputy’s points are well made.
What people see in towns like Midleton and Carrigtohill is residential development moving ahead much faster than amenity provision. New houses are being built at pace and more families are moving in, but the facilities which are core to community life are lagging badly behind. There is a sense that many families describe of being in a town that is thriving but impoverished in respect of the most basic communities that matter families on a daily basis, such as youth facilities, playgrounds and skate parks. Does the Minister of State accept that if funding is not systematically matched to population growth this is exactly what happens? We get housing estate after housing estate but not the facilities needed to build a connected community. We get long, frustrating drives to other towns or even villages to have basic community needs met. In Midleton, for instance, we drive to Mogeely to use the playground. Can the Minister of State say his Department has any clear way of matching funding to population growth so that we have a predictable, systematic spread of amenities or will our towns and villages still be left to fend for themselves through piecemeal schemes?
We as a Department and Government are committed to funding and working on a variety of schemes, whether through the community central investment fund which the Minister, Deputy Calleary is announcing a call later today on, or as we have done in the past, with the community recognition fund. The Deputy referenced the issue of the playground. We have the very proactive outdoor recreation investment scheme as well as the town and village renewal scheme and the rural regeneration and development fund. We work as a Department with Cork County Council but also with Avondhu Blackwater and the SICAP in developing the piece the Deputy referenced.
The key point for us is that it is about ensuring the allocation of funding delivers. Last year we provided almost €12 million in financial support for Cork and I can give the examples of MyPlace Midleton and the Cork Cloyne Diocesan youth services, and I can quote a myriad of other examples as the Deputy knows quite well.
His point is that we must ensure that at the very heart of what we do is people, place and giving people that sense of buy-in to their local community. It is about ensuring we work collaboratively to develop not just housing estates, which are very important and necessary, but a community where people can put down roots. We can have the piece the Deputy referenced coming off that as well.
Under the current disjointed system, families are having to spend years campaigning for basic amenities. They are being forced to become fundraisers, social entrepreneurs and project managers trying to patch together one disconnected grant after another while their town or village expands around them, and their children often outgrow the project before it is finally delivered, as in the case of playgrounds. That is not a serious way to provide basic amenities. Like so much about public service delivery, it is not fair, strategic or timely. These amenities need to be planned as part of the development of a town or village.
In towns like Midleton and Carrigtohill, housing and population are growing quickly but local provision is lagging far behind. Does the Minister of State accept that the stop-start piecemeal approach is not working? Will he commit to a clearer, fairer system - a more integrated way of funding in order that when population growth is projected, the amenities needed for community life are planned in line with it and not dependent on the remarkable innovation and drive of particular community groups?
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. There is no doubt that it takes local action groups to work and get things moving, but there is a county development plan as we know well that sets out the blueprint and roadmap for investment. Everything the Deputy has spoken about this morning in terms of provision of playgrounds, community centres, you name it, the Minister, Deputy Calleary and I are very committed to. We have met with a variety of organisations in terms of demographics and projecting future needs and is critically important that we as a Department and as a Government continue to invest. That is why we have programmes such as CLÁR, LEADER and the community centres investment fund, CCIF.
I make the point that it is incumbent on the local authority as the lead agency on the ground working with the development companies to deliver and put in place that blueprint and road map. As I said in reply to Deputy Rice earlier, I got involved in politics because we had no library in Bishopstown. There will always be local activism but leadership needs to be provided by the local authority and Government. In our case, we are providing the funding and working with the council. I look forward to continuing to work with the Deputy in delivering because he is right that Carrigtohill and Midleton are pivotal to the development and growth of our county.
6. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his engagement with other Departments and State agencies to support hotels in rural communities. [22908/26]
I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Carthy.
The Deputy is a super sub today.
Under my Department’s rural development investment programme, a range of schemes provide capital funding with a focus on the economic and social development of our rural areas. The schemes do not, however, include a specific focus on the provision of hotel accommodation. A limited number of projects have been supported by the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, and the town and village renewal scheme, which have seen short-stay accommodation facilities included, as part of a wider, multifunctional project. Similarly, while LEADER does not generally support hotel-based projects, it has supported projects related to tourist accommodation, for example, through support for glamping projects and other tourism-focused initiatives.
In all cases in terms of funding, many of those tend to be towards community, co-operative-based initiatives. More widely, the sustainability of rural businesses including tourism and hospitality is clearly enhanced by the provision of public and community infrastructure. The funding made available by my Department through a range of schemes such as RRDF and the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, ORIS is clearly having positive impacts in this regard.
At cross-governmental level, responsibility for business enterprise and tourism resonates with my colleague, Deputy Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. This includes responsibility for the national tourism policy statement, A New Era for Irish Tourism, which was published in December 2025 and sets out the Government's long-term approach to the development of tourism. I can confirm as part of my Department's ongoing work developing the successor policy to Our Rural Future, my officials are engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in respect of its remit.
My officials are engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in respect of its remit. The next iteration of Our Rural Future will include a focus on both rural tourism and rural enterprise generally. Work on the development of the policy is ongoing. It is drawing on a wide-ranging consultation process and I hope to be in a position to publish it before the summer.
It is very welcome that this issue is under consideration and forms part of the Minister's engagement with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. This issue is impacting rural communities in particular. The lack of tourist accommodation, be it hotel, hostel accommodation or other kinds of accommodation such as glamping pods, is hampering economic development and economic diversification in rural areas that come under the remit of the Minister. It is also adding to the rural housing crisis that is of concern for many Departments. It is of concern to all of us here in the House but it has a particular resonance with the Minister's responsibilities. The move to short-term lets because of the absence of suitable hotel accommodation in many areas is having a disproportionate impact on those rural and coastal communities that are already under huge housing pressure. I am thinking of Gaeltacht areas such as Ardmore in my constituency. The measures that were announced a number of weeks ago to address the mushrooming of short-term lettings do not cater for towns such as Dungarvan and Tramore that are under the 20,000 threshold. We need to see action on this. I welcome that there is an understanding of the seriousness of the situation but we need to see action.
We want to try to promote enterprises and improve and promote the attractiveness of rural areas so we have developed the specific outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme. This is one of the schemes for enhancing the attractiveness of trails and of visitor attractions that in turn make a rural area more attractive or more feasible for hotel investment. Since 2020, we have invested €110 million in over 1,300 outdoor recreation projects across the country. Through LEADER, we invested over €52 million across the country, and over €9 million of that was invested in tourism-related projects and rural tourism and recreation projects.
We are having discussions with the Department of tourism in the context of the preparation of the next Our Rural Future. Fáilte Ireland has a very strong capital programme to role out at major visitor attractions. For instance, in the Deputy's constituency, the Waterford greenway is seen as the standard for greenways nationally. That has probably opened up a huge number of opportunities in the more rural parts of his constituency. That is the kind of thing we want to do. The investment in infrastructure opens up the investment for enhancement and attractiveness for tourism investment.
The Minister is right that the attractions are there. The greenways are of really high standard and the greenway in Waterford is a classic example. Unfortunately, the availability of tourist accommodation has not kept pace. On top of that we also see the use of tourist accommodation, and particularly hotels, for the State's responses to the various refugee crisis over the years. The Minister for justice has signalled a move away from that approach in the coming time. There is a concern, however, that many of the hotels that have been used will not return to tourist accommodation. There are examples of that in Dungarvan and in other areas. There has also been no recognition for the economic impact of the loss of tourist accommodation. We have the community recognition fund, for example, and many great things have come from that scheme, but there is no similar scheme to address the enterprise loss or the difficulties that have been experienced because of the loss of tourist accommodation. Perhaps it could be a conversation worth having between the Minister and the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Deputy Peter Burke, to see if a similar scheme could operate on that basis that would somehow support this tourist accommodation coming back on stream when possible to do so, and that there would be some recognition for those tourism operators and people operating in that space who have lost business over the last years.
I agree with the Deputy. In our engagements with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment we are looking at how we can maximise it. Deputy McGuinness referred to making an area more attractive as tourism accommodation comes back on stream. I do not see the Department getting involved in investing in commercial hotel projects. I would not like to create an expectation that there will be that kind of investment. Many hotels have reinvested the proceeds they received under the various international protection contracts back into facilities. What we will do is invest in the community-led infrastructure that makes it attractive for an operator to invest. I am looking and I am interested. We have a number of projects that are community-led and community co-operative-led. The Deputy mentioned glamping. We are looking at that kind of process, which might work in terms of social enterprise in the more rural areas. I am certainly anxious to do more in that space around community-led tourism projects and community-led tourism conservation projects.
8. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether he will expand the town and village renewal scheme to allow for Dublin west villages to meet eligibility criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22377/26]
The Minister and the Minister of State will both be familiar with this question because I have met them previously. When it comes to funding streams and Dublin West, our Dublin 15 villages are too big for the likes of town and village renewal scheme or are too small for the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF. I would like an update on our discussions on that please.
I thank the Deputy for her question and her ongoing interest in this area. In line with commitments in Our Rural Future, my Department supports a wide range of strategic capital investment schemes, ringfenced under the rural development investment programme, to transform rural towns and villages, making them thriving places to live, work, raise families and build enterprises. These schemes include the rural regeneration and development fund, LEADER, and the town and village renewal scheme. The scheme was introduced in 2016. It is designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme, more than €210 million has been allocated to over 1,900 projects. While applications for towns with populations of up to 15,000 people are accepted in certain circumstances, the scheme specifically targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. I am anxious to ensure that the design of schemes such as the town and village renewal scheme ensures that we are using available funding in the most efficient and effective manner. With this in mind, the terms and conditions of each scheme are reviewed each year. In advance of the launch of the next iteration of the town and village renewal scheme, I will examine the approach to eligible towns, including smaller villages in the Dublin West region as referenced by the Deputy.
I also of note that, under the umbrella of the town centre first policy, funding is also available to local authorities to support larger and more urban settlements. This includes the Thrive scheme and the towns and cities regeneration investment fund, which was recently announced by my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This fund, which is currently open for applications from those towns with populations of over 9,000, builds on the success of the previous URDF.
We have also been in a position to fund some of the rural parts of Dublin, in Fingal in particular, through the town and village scheme and through the outdoor recreation investment scheme, ORIS. I would be happy to engage with the Deputy, with South Dublin County Council and with our colleagues in Fingal County Council around how we are able to do that and the kinds of projects that we fund, which goes back to our previous discussion on enhancing town centres.
I thank the Minister and the Minister of State genuinely for engaging with me on this because I feel they understand the challenge we have. Our Dublin 15 villages are falling between two stools. I am talking about villages like Castleknock, where the Minister was yesterday for which I thank him, along with Clonsilla, Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Corduff. These are distinct communities. They are not just traffic through ways and they are not just part of urban sprawl. They want to support their businesses, they want to protect their heritage and they want to promote their village centres. What we are really lacking is that place-making ability for these villages that do have their individual sense of identity. When we support businesses and bring footfall into villages it contributes to that sense of community.
I agree with the Deputy. While the primary focus of the rural development scheme is going to remain on rural areas we have funded projects in Fingal and in south Dublin under the outdoor recreation scheme. Under the town and village scheme in Fingal, we were able to fund the development of new walking and cycling facilities and associated streetscape enhancement measures.
In Balrothery, Donabate, Rush and Ballyboughal we approved over €218,000 for village centre seating enhanced public lighting and the creation of a wayfinding strategy to include a new Fingal camino route. Where local authorities in Dublin engage with us and with the ethos of the schemes we are more than happy to engage with them. Given that Castleknock is in the Fingal area, there is huge potential particularly in the more rural parts of Dublin West, of which there are some.
Those villages are entitled to apply under the town and village renewal scheme but our villages in Dublin 15 currently are not. I will touch on what our communities are doing. The Castleknock business forum was set up at the beginning of last year. The members have done a survey that points to traffic issues. They are diagnosing the problems but do not have the funding to come up with the solutions and to activate those. In Corduff, we have just launched a standard 2 report about place-making, and 146 residents and organisations took part. Again, the problems are being identified but we need the funding stream to activate the solutions. Fingal County Council is totally on board with what I am bringing to the Minister's attention. It realises there is a problem. It will facilitate our villages in Dublin 15 like Blanchardstown and Castleknock with a town centre first health check, but it brings us back to the same issue. If we do not have the specific funding streams like the town and village renewal scheme, then we are not being given the same opportunities to activate those solutions to bring people into the village, promote village life and give them that identity and the place-making they truly deserve.
The more the Deputy can engage under town centre first principles, the stronger the case, and we will work with her. The Minister of State, as a Deputy in a city constituency with similar villages, is strong on this. Working collectively, we will work with the Deputy, Fingal County Council and our colleagues. If it can be done under the town centre first principles, something we align funding to in a lot of rural areas, the more it can be done with community ownership. I welcome the initiatives undertaken in Castleknock and the other areas. If there is community ownership rather than it coming top down from the local authority or from this House, then all the better. We will engage with the Deputy. We are currently reviewing the town and village renewal scheme for 2026. It will more likely be a 2027 initiative, but we will engage with the Deputy on it. I point her and the groups she is working with to some of the good work being done in rural parts of Fingal to get examples of protecting traditional villages amidst the growth of the city.
9. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for an update on current rural regeneration and development fund projects in Cork county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22797/26]
The rural regeneration and development fund is the major capital investment programme to support large-scale ambitious projects to achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, the fund has allocated over €614 million to 273 projects across the country, which includes over €43 million since 2018 allocated to 27 projects located throughout County Cork. These projects are being delivered by the local authority and other publicly funded bodies including our local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Ten of the 27 projects have been completed in County Cork to date. Examples include the first phase of the Kanturk regeneration plan and the Ballydesmond village public realm and place-making enhancement project. There are 17 active RRDF projects, which includes four projects in Castletownroche, Crosshaven, Skibbereen and Fermoy, which were successful in the latest category 2 call for proposals announced in October 2025. Last month, we were delighted to announce a call for proposals for category 1 applications. This call will focus on strategic, large-scale build projects that are ready to commence. These projects must have a lasting impact on the towns and villages and deliver on the objectives of Our Rural Future, which is our rural policy. We are inviting applications for well-developed proposals from our local authorities and other State-funded lead bodies that work in partnership with local communities and stakeholders. Full details of the call are available on my Department's website.
I thank the Minister. It is great to see that more than €43 million has been invested in 27 projects across County Cork to date since 2018 when the RRDF came into existence. There have been many in my area, as the Minister of State outlined. The first one was the Kanturk relief road, which was funded many years ago in 2018 and 2019 and has provided a great opportunity for the town to enhance. It has allowed the new national school to open up and has allowed the lands across the relief road to open up to development. It has made a huge difference to the mart, which is located on that road. Likewise, in Ballydesmond in north Cork there is a fantastic public realm project and a pocket park being opened for the community. It was great to see former Deputy, Heather Humphreys there when she was Minister to officially open it. We look forward to the Minister, with the Minister of State, visiting many projects across Cork North West and the Cork county in the coming years. It is also important to outline that category 1 proposals are also coming up and there is no doubt projects will emerge from north Cork and Cork North West during that time.
I thank the Deputy for that overview. I acknowledge that Cork County Council and the team that deals with our Department's delivery of projects, is one of the stronger performing local authorities. The delivery by our partners on the ground can be a frustration generally in relation to RRDF. It is not in Cork. To that effect, we are engaging with local authorities and delivery bodies around the country on delivery of RRDF projects. As we have an open call, the advice needs to go out. It is all very well preparing an application. We have been having the discussion this morning about the pressures of preparing an application. We also have to be able to deliver the application if it is successful. We are engaging with local authorities on that. We may have to make some tough calls on projects that have been on the books a long time. I have funding for counties such as Cork, which are hungry and anxious to succeed. I encourage every Deputy, particularly those in rural areas, to engage with the current call and with information programmes on that. There may be communities that want to engage in a major programme and the facilities are there to do that. I also thank the Deputy for his support and for the committee's support for these projects. It is important that we have cross-party support. We get that from the committee.
It is great to see collaboration between the Minister's Department and Cork County Council and an acknowledgement that we are hungry for more. We will always accept more money when it is available. I am sure there will be applications for the category 1 call. I am sure the 17 active projects under way in Cork county will be completed as quickly as possible. I will mention one, which is the Charleville RRDF project. Over €6 million was allocated for that project and it is finally coming to the stage where we are starting the first phase of that shortly. I look forward to the Minister's continued engagement with his Department, Cork County Council and me as a public representative from that area to push that project forward. It is in a number of phases. There is a town centre refurbishment. There is public realm. There is allocation of public toilets and there is also a redevelopment of the courthouse in Charleville. It is a wonderful project for the town and the highest ever allocation for a town like Charleville to get €6 million from Government for community investment. We appreciate it and look forward to welcoming the Minister and the Minister of State when that project is in train.
That is exactly the kind of project we want to do under the RRDF. It is a project that would not have been done previously and for larger towns of 9,000 plus, there is the URDF and its successor scheme. It is important that project is done in conjunction with the community and that there is community engagement in it. One of our challenges with projects such as this is that sometimes the communities may not have been involved at the outset and as the project rolls out, there can be challenges with parking spaces and other issues people need to be informed about. We have a significant investment in what we call our capital delivery team that works with local authorities to deliver on this projects. We also have our own quantity surveyor in the Department. That examines all of the applications to ensure the costings are adequate and relevant to the current market. We also have systematic engagement to ensure delivery. There is no point in the Minister of State and I announcing projects such as that in Charleville unless they happen. We will be with the Deputy in Baile Bhuirne in April for the opening of the Coláiste Íosagáin campus, which is a significant investment. It also shows what can be done in rural Ireland with support from the RRDF and other bodies coming together.
10. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the total investment in Offaly projects since the introduction of the LEADER programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22906/26]
I thank the Minister for taking this question. I ask him to provide an update on Offaly projects since the introduction of the LEADER programme.
I thank the Deputy for his question. LEADER, as he knows, is a community-led approach to local development that has been operating for just over 35 years. We marked the 35th anniversary of LEADER just last weekend. It was introduced by the EU under the then Commissioner Ray MacSharry. The programme has evolved through successive programming periods and in 2007 it was mainstreamed into the Common Agricultural Policy and became a key intervention within Ireland’s rural development programme.
Since 2007 the total amount of EU and Exchequer funding allocated to LEADER on a national level has been over €876 million. Of this, the local action group in Offaly has received a total allocation of approximately €27.5 million. This total allocation is broken down over a number of programming periods with the most recent allocation in Offaly totalling €6.2 million in respect of the current 2023-27 LEADER programme. In keeping with the multi-annual nature of LEADER, all allocations are made at the start of each programming period and funds are drawn down from my Department as projects are completed. This approach ensures local action groups have the flexibility to manage LEADER support flexibly and in line with specific local needs. To date, 49 projects have been approved in Offaly under the current programme and I expect further projects to come on line as we progress through the programming period.
LEADER has a commendable track record in delivering locally driven projects that have delivered real benefits in Offaly and all across the country. I continue to advocate for a strong and well-funded LEADER programme. l am working closely with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, on the future of LEADER in the context of the CAP talks at the moment. I am confident the bottom-up approach of LEADER can continue to support valuable projects in Offaly for years to come.
I have seen at first hand, through applicants and through involvement in the LCDC how this initiative is so important to developing a county. I acknowledge Offaly Local Development Company for the work it has done to ensure the effectiveness of the programme. Offaly is one of the most counties in relation to LEADER. I also acknowledge both the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for their visits this year to Moneygall Development Association and the Offaly Volunteer Centre where they saw the progress that has been made under the likes of LEADER. Offaly Search and Recovery has got a new boat and St. Brigid's Boxing Club in Edenderry has got new solar panels. This is a critical funding model for rural areas. It provides an opportunity to advance and I emphasise that this should remain front and centre through the CAP negotiations as we take up the Presidency of the EU. It is something that needs to be protected and maintained for rural development. The important part it plays cannot be underestimated.
I agree with the Deputy. When the Minister of State and I visited Moneygall, the local development company put on a fantastic display. During the ploughing championships last year, it really showcased what LEADER can do across a county and the interventions it can make. On the future of LEADER, we are working, as I said, with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and his Department. The CAP consultative committee includes my Department and other rural stakeholders. I am also engaging with Irish MEPs to discuss a range of issues. I encourage Deputy Clendennen and every other Deputy to engage with MEPs in their respective groups to ensure LEADER is properly funded within the next multi-annual financial framework. We are under no illusions. The CAP budget is under particular pressure given the competing demands. We must ensure, within those competing demands, that LEADER is progressed. It has a really strong basis. As I said, we marked 35 years of LEADER the weekend before last. The impact it has had has been transformative and we need to make sure we continue with it and it continues to grow.
I thank the Minister. Previous speakers have mentioned the likes of town and village renewal and rural recreation development funds. In many cases it requires an input from the local authority and the community. The likes of the local development company also need to get involved to fund the initial feasibility plans or design plans to ensure the projects are ready to progress to the next stage. We need to ensure we try to protect LEADER as much as possible. We probably need to look at exploring how we can identify the likes of EU funding officers in each local authority. If there is going to be a potential void on the basis of LEADER being impacted - I do not want to look at this in a pessimistic way whatsoever - there is an opportunity from an EU perspective to resource funding officers through local authorities or local development companies to ensure we are maximising our benefit. A study probably needs to be done to make sure we are maximising what is available from Europe and see if there is more potential to be gained from it.
I do not disagree with the Deputy's analysis. That would be a good investment of EU funds. LEADER is not the only show in town. Since 2020 my Department has allocated in the region of €65 million in funding to Offaly. In 2025 alone we invested €1 million under the LIS, €1.2 million under the town and village renewal scheme, €1.4 million under the community service programme, €420,000 under CLÁR and €440,000 under ORIS. We are investing €12 million under the RRDF to redevelop a site in Edenderry as an art space, community library and youth space. We were with the Deputy in Moneygall for the community centre investment fund investment of €1.8 million. It shows the impact of LEADER, which was the forerunner of many of these funding programmes. The important thing is it has community involvement. It is a bottom-up approach and it is important we protect that ethos. I reiterate the necessity of every Deputy being involved with their MEP colleagues in ensuring LEADER is prioritised in the MFF discussions.
With the indulgence of the House, we will go back to Question No. 7.
7. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Mairéad Farrell den Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht an mbeidh ardú ar an bhfóirdheontas do theaghlaigh agus do choláistí cónaithe Gaeltachta faoi Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge i mbliana; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [23101/26]
Is í an cheist atá agam ar an Aire ná an mbeidh ardú ar an bhfóirdheontas do theaghlaigh agus coláistí cónaithe Gaeltachta faoi scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge i mbliana. An mbeadh sé in ann ráiteas a dhéanamh ina thaobh?
Tá scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge á riar ag mo Roinn ar mhaithe le tacú le deiseanna sealbhaithe agus saibhrithe teanga sna réigiúin Ghaeltachta do fhoghlaimeoirí, idir scoláirí dara leibhéal, mic léinn tríú leibhéal agus daoine fásta ó áiteanna ar fud na tíre. Tagann an scéim le cuspóirí an Rialtais i leith na Gaeilge, mar atá leagtha amach sa Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030, agus is í an scéim an príomhbhealach ina dtacaíonn mo Roinn le hearnáil na gcoláistí Gaeilge.
Is ar na teaghlaigh Ghaeltachta a chuireann lóistín ar fail don chóras a bhíonn cúnamh na Roinne dírithe, mar is iad na teaghlaigh sin cnámh droma an chórais. Cuireann mo Roinn cúnamh suntasach ar fáil ar bhonn leanúnach faoi scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge agus tá an tacaíocht seo á cur ar fáil le tamall de bhlianta anuas chun tacú tuilleadh le hearnáil na gcoláistí Gaeilge. Tá ardú ceadaithe ar an bhfóirdheontas a íoctar le teaghlaigh Ghaeltachta agus coláistí cónaithe a chuireann lóistín ar fáil le roinnt blianta anuas. Go deimhin, anuraidh cheadaigh mé an cheathrú ardú ó 2022 ar an bhfóirdheontas nuair a d'ardaigh mé an deontas aon-oíche do theaghlaigh ó €13 go €14.50, agus an deontas aon-oíche do bhrúnna agus coláistí cónaithe ó €9.50 go €10.50. Is ionann é seo ar fad agus ardú 45% ar an ráta fóirdheontais a íoctar le teaghlaigh agus méadú i gcomhthéacs na mbrúnna agus coláistí cónaithe ó 2022 i leith.
Anuas air sin ar fad, tá ardú tagtha ar na tionscnaimh eile a cheadaítear faoi scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge, lena n-áirítear an scéim DEIS Gaeltachta. Cuireadh maoiniú €900,000 ar fáil don scéim DEIS Gaeltachta in 2025. Is ardú suntasach é seo ar an gciste DEIS Gaeltachta ó 2024, le leithdháileadh de €400,000. Tá ardú tagtha chomh maith ar an bhfóirdheontas a íoctar faoi na beartais scéim Erasmus Gaeltachta. Leis na beartais seo, tá muid súil le gach cineál cabhrach a chur ar fáil do theaghlaigh sa Gaeltacht. Mar atá leagtha amach sa chlár Rialtais, leanfaidh mé ag tacú leis an earnáil seo le linn théarma an Rialtais. Mar is eol don Teachta, fuair mé an t-ardú is mó i mbuiséad Roinn na Gaeltachta sa bhuiséad is déanaí. Rachaidh an t-ardú sin i dtreo infheistíocht i scéimeanna cosúil leis an gceann seo.
Níl a fhios agam an féidir i ndáiríre labhairt faoi ardú de 45% ó 2022 i leith nuair atá ardú de €1.50 i gceist ón mbliain seo caite go dtí an bhliain seo. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil mná tí ag streachailt cheana féin agus go bhfuil éileamh ollmhór ar na coláistí samhraidh seo. Díoladh na spásanna sna coláistí samhraidh i dtréimhse de dhá nóiméad mar gheall go raibh an t-éileamh chomh mór sin. Muna bhfuil maoiniú ceart ann do mhná tí, ní bheimid in ann daoine a mhealladh chun é sin a dhéanamh. Mar gheall air sin, ní bheimid in ann an t-éileamh sin a shásamh. Is é sin an rud atá i gceist leis seo. Ba chóir dúinn an maoiniú atá ag teastáil ó mhná tí a chur ar fáil. Tuigim nach bhfuil an tAire in ann na cinntí seo a dhéanamh go díreach agus go gcaithfidh sé an maoiniú sin a fháil ach, má táimid dáiríre faoin sprioc 20%, beidh ar na daoine sin dul chuig coláistí samhraidh. Beidh an t-éileamh ag éirí. Teastaíonn níos mó maoinithe anseo.
Tá sé soiléir ón ardú a bhí ann anuraidh go bhfuilimid dáiríre faoi seo. Táimid dáiríre faoin 29,000 scoláire agus beagnach 530 teaghlach Gaeilge a aithint. Táimid ag obair leis na mná tí agus leis na coláistí. Anuraidh, d'fhógair mé scéim aonuaire do theaghlaigh sheanbhunaithe chun tacú tuilleadh leis an gcostas chun troscán nua a cheannach. Is deontas suas le €2,000, nó 80% den chostas, a bhí i gceist leis sin. Fuair níos mó ná 200 teaghlach an tacaíocht seo. Is slí eile é sin ina bhfuilimid ag cuidiú. Táimid ag staidéar le haghaidh na bliana seo. Mar a dúirt an Teachta, tá suim mhór sna coláistí samhraidh. Táimid ag ceapadh go mbeidh 29,000 scoláire ag dul chucu i mbliana. Táimid ag staidéar é sin. Táimid ag obair le CONCOS. Tuigim go mór an brú costais atá orainn. Táim an-dírithe ar an taithí sin a chosaint. Is taithí an-tábhachtach é do scoláirí dul go dtí an Ghaeltacht agus a bheith ina gcónaí inti. Táim ag obair chun an taithí sin a chosaint agus a fhorbairt.
Impím ar an Aire staidéar géar a dhéanamh ar an gceist seo. In iarthar na hÉireann, tá formhór na ndaoine ag brath ar ola. Tá a fhios againn cé chomh daor is atá ola anois mar gheall ar an gcogadh san Iaráin. Tá na praghsanna sin ag ardú agus tá sé sin ag cur tuilleadh brú ar mhná tí, a bhí ag rá cheana féin go raibh níos mó airgid ag teastáil. Chomh maith leis sin, tá orthu brath ar pheitreal agus ar dhíosal chun taisteal ó áit go háit, rud eile a chuireann brú ar mhná tí. Impím ar an Aire breathnú air seo go géar. Impím ar an Rialtas ar fad breathnú air seo. Tá a fhios agam go dtuigeann an tAire cé chomh tábhachtach is atá mná tí ach táim buartha nach bhfuil an tuiscint chéanna ag daoine eile ar bhord an Rialtais faoi cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé na daoine seo agus an tslí bheatha seo a chosaint má táimid dáiríre faoin nGaeilge agus faoin nGaeltacht. Impím ar an Aire labhairt leis na daoine eile ar bhord an Rialtais ionas go dtuigfidh siad cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé seo.
Tá tuiscint ag gach cuid den Rialtas ar cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an taithí seo agus cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an Ghaeltacht. Tá an t-ádh linn go bhfuil an tAire caiteachais phoiblí ina iarAire Stáit sa Roinn seo. Tuigeann sé cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé. Bhí sé sin an-tábhachtach agus muid ag iarraidh buiséad na Roinne a ardú. Ní fiú ardú mór sa bhuiséad muna bhfuil sé á chaitheamh ar an nGaeltacht. Tá sé ar intinn agam é a úsáid chun infheistíocht a dhéanamh, go háirithe sa saghas taithí is fearr, is é sin taithí shaoil sa Ghaeltacht le teaghlach Gaeltachta le haghaidh dhá nó trí seachtaine. Beidh mé ag obair le CONCOS ar an infheistíocht sin agus ar an scéim sin a chosaint.
11. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht when applications for the next round of the community centre investment fund will open; whether it will be for new builds or refurbishments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21756/26]
I know an announcement was made on this matter this morning. When will applications for the next round of the community centre investment fund open? Will it be for new builds or refurbishments? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter? I know he made an announcement on the matter this morning, but the issue is about new builds. Will the Minister give some clarification on that particular issue?
I thank Deputy Burke for his question. The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced by the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, to provide high-quality community facilities that are available to all groups in both urban and rural communities. Through the CCIF, to date some €111 million has been allocated for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres where such a need has been identified. This is an unprecedented level of investment but there continues to be a need for further investment. The programme for Government makes a commitment to do this. I am delighted to say that this morning, my Department launched the 2026 CCIF, which will support the refurbishment of existing community centres.
There are two categories of funding under the 2026 scheme. Category 1 will provide funding up to €25,000 and category 2 will provide funding of up to €100,000. The scheme will open for online applications at the end of May and all successful projects will be announced before the end of the year. I encourage any community group interested in enhancing its community centre to use the coming weeks to decide on its funding priorities and begin preparing its applications. To that effect, there are a range of resources available to assist potential applicants. There will also be a number of information sessions provided, the first of which will be held on 8 April. Full details of these resources, information sessions and the fund are now available on the Department's website.
In regard to new builds, we are currently trying to complete the programme of new builds that was announced in 2024. I hope, subject to budget allocations, to have a new-build allocation in 2027. Our priority at the moment is to complete the 12 projects that were announced in 2024 and we are working through that as we speak. There is such a demand for refurbishment. The indications we have to date are that some of the community centres that have had investment in refurbishment have seen activity levels increase by up to 90% and we want to continue to do this.
I thank the Minister and accept that the announcement this morning was very welcome. I come from a parish where 11 acres were purchased 50 years ago, and we now have 45 acres of sports and community facilities involving the GAA, the rugby club, soccer facilities, a playground and a walkway. That has been developed over the past 50 years as a result of community efforts and with the help of sports capital grants. Likewise, in the area where I served as chair of a community centre in Blackpool, more than 40 organisations use the facility there, which is extremely important for the local community. Therefore, it is important to make decisions about providing refurbishment. The issue I have in regard to new builds is that there are challenges in Glanmire, which is a new town in real terms, with over 25,000 people. Likewise, there will be huge development in Blarney. The need for planning for proper community facilities is so important for those areas and that will involve new builds.
I know from speaking to those involved that one of the motivations behind the approach taken during Heather Humphreys' time in office was the need to help the exact kind of community that Deputy Burke has spoken about. There was massive development back in the seventies and eighties. Perhaps there are three of us in the Chamber who are old enough to remember AnCO. I will not say which three people I am thinking of. Through AnCO and through the skills of the people involved at the time, many community centres were built across the country in the seventies and eighties. When it became very apparent that they needed substantial investment in terms of energy and facilities, that was the initial intention of the CCIF. Some €30 million was then approved for 12 new community centres in nine counties. Eight of those projects have construction workers on site and the remaining projects are going through tender and design. I hope that, subject to budget, we will be in a position in 2027 - the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer shares this priority - to focus again on new builds and on new communities such as those referred to by Deputy Burke. It will be competitive. One of the biggest topics we hear about in terms of community centre investment is the need for new builds. We will have a very competitive process. New communities that do not have facilities and need the kinds of facilities that a community centre can give and the kind of hub that a community centre can give will be the focus. Subject to budget, I can assure the Deputy that will be the focus for the 2027 scheme.
In relation to new builds, a big challenge is sufficient land being set aside where a large amount of housing is being built. The planning authorities are falling down on this. I have seen this in the Glanmire area, for instance, where over 25,000 people live and a proper community centre has not been developed. Sarsfields GAA club has provided really good community support. Without it, there would not be a community facility in real terms. We need to do more forward planning on this issue. Likewise with Blarney, there are over 3,000 houses to go in there over the next few years. Land needs to be set aside now. There should be communication with local authorities to make sure that is part of the planning process. The Department cannot give the money if the land is not there to build the facilities on. Without those facilities, there is a huge gap in the community. When I was in Blackpool as chair in 1994 and 1995, I had 30 people employed under a community employment scheme in the community centre. There were huge challenges in employment there at the time. It made a huge contribution to the area.
I was out yesterday with Deputy Currie and the Minister, Deputy Chambers, in Castleknock at the community centre to see the work it is doing with community employment and Tús. A community centre is not just a building; it is a hub and a magnet for activity. It is really the heart of activities. That is why we want to support the programme to ensure facilities are improved in existing centres as well as new ones. Some 190 CCIF projects have been approved in Cork since 2022. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I were in Rylane in December to see the sod-turning of a new build. I endorse what Deputy Burke said in relation to local authorities and their responsibilities particularly in areas that are growing. We had this discussion earlier, which the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, led. They should be identifying in their development plans space for recreation and community centre activities. We have the funding streams in place. They should work with us to do that. We will be happy to engage - we are engaging with local authorities. I praise what is happening in Cork with the proactive local authority working with us. We work with them to provide the funding. If they provide the sites, we work with them in relation to the funding.
12. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding supports provided at a local level in community centres targeted at addressing social exclusion; if he will consider increasing funding in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22369/26]
The Minister will be aware of many community organisations around the country which focus on social exclusion. Are better supports available for them, conscious of the supports already available? Social exclusion is an issue that permeates society and has a massive effect. It is incumbent on us to deal with it. If we do not, it creates all kinds of other problems. Can we create greater supports and funding for those organisations?
I thank Deputy Ward for his ongoing advocacy, targeting, commentary and genuine commitment to the delivery of community-led supports. He has raised this matter on numerous occasions privately and in the Dáil. The Minister and I share the Deputy's view on tackling social disadvantage. The social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, is our country's primary social inclusion intervention programme, overseen by our Department. It is a national programme delivered in rural and urban areas by local development companies, LDCs, to help those in greatest need. SICAP supports people and community groups that face disadvantage providing targeted supports in areas such as employment, mental health, education and community engagement, improving quality of life for those facing social exclusion and inequality. The Minister and I are very much aware of the ongoing need. We are committed to the provision of supports and structures. That is why as a Government and we as Ministers in the Department were delighted to have secured an additional €1.5 billion in the budget this year, bringing annual funding for SICAP to over €50 million. We are also of the view that supports should be provided to staff of local development companies in local communities which use community centres as a hub. Our Department's CSP currently supports 426 community-based organisations with a budget of €59.4 million, an increase of €4 million from last year to provide 445 local, social economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model. We will have further news on the CSP in light of the programme for Government commitments later in the month.
I thank the Minister of State. We in Ireland consider ourselves to be a fairly happy nation. Even the happiness index published recently shows that we are up there. Yet, report after report shows that loneliness in Ireland and other countries in the western world is growing all the time. Organisations such as men's sheds, community groups and church groups do amazing work bringing people together, avoiding social exclusion, providing a vehicle for people to communicate with each other and build networks and friendships which is important. Are they predominantly focused, as we live longer and better lives, on people in the older cohort? Is there more we can do for people in the younger cohort? We have pubs and cafes, of course, but they are not always the best place for people to come together. Will the Minister of State consider enhanced supports particularly for groups that deal with social exclusion, loneliness and isolation for younger ages groups? Is there something to be said for increasing supports in that regard?
Deputy Ward raises an interesting point. Sometimes we miss that cohort of young people. Rightly, we focus on men's sheds, women's sheds, older people's social services and that integration piece. As we saw today in the announcement by the Minister, Deputy Calleary, of the CCIF, the community centre is the hub and the visible piece that leads to the ongoing delivery of integrated supports, which directly reduces social exclusion for older people, in particular. The Deputy made a good point. Perhaps working with the Ministers, Deputies Foley, Calleary and Naughton, we can look at a further model in terms of what we are already doing. Let us be honest - we need to listen and engage all the time. We have an ongoing conversation around online safety for young people but there is a piece in particular post-Covid where demand continues to grow in our Department, reflecting the complexity of life today in communities. I am open to the conversation around what structures and supports we can put in place for that younger age group, perhaps working at a cross-department level. The Deputy's points are very well made.
I acknowledge all of the supports available already. The bodies that tend to be supported by SICAP funding and some of the other funding streams the Minister of State mentioned tend to be community organisations, which is welcome. In the context of what I was saying about the younger age groups, sports clubs also have a role, and they are successful, but they are not really in the remit of what the Minister of State has been talking about. I mention places where people can gather socially. For example, we know we have a problem with the nighttime economy and the availability of spaces for people to mix outside the pub culture. Is there any role for this kind of funding not so much for commercial supports but to facilitate the existence of cafés particularly after 9 p.m., places where people can gather? I mention supports for them perhaps in the context of a sports club or another community group or organisation. Is that outside the remit of the Department or can it be considered?
What Cork City Council has done on the nighttime economy with no-alcohol cafés for young people is an example the Government as a whole must look at. Our Department has a variety of schemes and programmes that reflect the whole ethos of what the Deputy is trying to achieve. I am open in terms of eligibility criteria in the new call for applications under a variety of schemes, such as the CSP or SICAP, to looking at how we can broaden the remit while mindful that we do not have an infinite budget and will have loads of applications. We need to have a conversation as we emerge from Covid and in a new world around our attitudes to alcohol and online. What the Deputy is saying reflects a new Ireland. We must open to engaging and putting a new structure in place. I would be happy to sit down with the Deputy further and engage on that. I do not want to speak for the Minister but I am sure he would also be open to having that conversation.
We must look at how we can allow these young people to make a contribution and have them involved and engaged in our community networks and, as Deputy Ward said, not just forget them, think they are all being looked after and that they have migrated to an online space that is very difficult, truculent and complex. The points Deputy Ward has made are worth considering and I certainly look forward to further engagement with him on it.
21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the reason that almost two years into the implementation of the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024–2027 a number of key milestones have been missed; the actions he is taking to ensure that no further targets are missed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22993/26]
We are almost two years into the implementation of the national social enterprise policy for 2024 to 2027 and a number of key milestones have been missed. What actions are being taken to ensure no further targets are missed? We have had engagement on this before and I have met SERI, a group representing a number of social enterprises in the State. It is about ensuring we have a framework that works.
I thank Deputy Ó Murchú for the question. In July 2024, prior to my appointment, the Department launched Trading for Impact, the national social enterprise policy, which was developed in partnership with the social enterprise sector. It has five key objectives, which are to build awareness of social enterprises, help them grow their financial sustainability, contribute to the green transition, deepen alignment from local to international level, and improve our understanding of social enterprises and their impact.
A stakeholder engagement group was established in June 2025, including public and private stakeholders, to co-ordinate delivery of the policy. Three working groups have now been established to address social financing issues and gaps, increase participation in public and private procurement, and raise awareness and make their impact more visible. Through these structures, work is continuing to support and grow the sector. The Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I were pleased to secure €400,000 of additional funding through the Estimates process to support this work.
Areas of focus include a new Dormant Accounts Fund scheme to grow financial sustainability, which I expect to launch very shortly, and engagement with stakeholders, including the Office of Government Procurement, to increase procurement and sustainability for social enterprises through traded income. They also include phase 2 of a pilot voluntary quality mark for social enterprises to help build their visibility, and the census of social enterprises, which will be launched in the coming weeks, to better understand and support the sector and help to set the direction of future policy.
While there was some delay in commencing implementation of the policy in late 2024, and I remind Deputy Ó Murchú that there was an election and a Government needed to be formed, significant work has been undertaken since my appointment and that of the Minister. We are committed to seeing this policy delivered. I assure Deputy Ó Murchú that the officials in our Department and other Departments, in partnership with the stakeholders, are working to ensure that all of the actions will be implemented over the lifetime of the policy. Deputy Ó Murchú mentioned SERI and I congratulate the former Minister, Richard Bruton, on his appointment as chair of SERI. We look forward to working with him to further develop the issue Deputy Ó Murchú has outlined. I have met many social enterprise groups since I became a Minister of State and I can tell Deputy Ó Murchú that I am very excited about this sector. I look forward to working with him to see it succeed further.
I accept there was a busy period in 2024 but work has to continue through the public service, the Civil Service and the Department. I will take on board the Minister of State's commitment to delivering on these targets because it is absolutely necessary. I assume from what he has said that he will have, and I hope there will be, engagement with SERI. I was approached on the fact that it had a number of questions. It is looking for an ecosystem where social enterprise can flourish, from local start-ups to those that have a capacity for international expansion. At the minute, they cannot access enterprise supports through LEOs, Enterprise Ireland or Skillnet. An amount of €340,000 per year is allocated to deliver 57 actions, which were set previously under the national social enterprise policy. Will funding be committed to the programme for Government seed fund?
I look forward to working with Deputy Ó Murchú in this particular area. Since my appointment, when I assumed responsibility in this area, we have engaged extensively. I have visited and met many stakeholders and social enterprises. To say the least, I am absolutely excited by the work being done. The objectives will be met. The stakeholder engagement group has met and it has a programme of work. It is committed to engaging on this and engaging with us further. I assure Deputy Ó Murchú the officials in the Department are engaging with colleagues on this matter on an ongoing basis. Deputy Ó Murchú should feel free to raise any issues with me. It is important to recognise that the Trading for Impact policy was developed in partnership with the sector. It is about partnership, le chéile and working together. Implementation of this policy must be done in partnership for it to succeed. I look forward to the stakeholder engagement group continuing its work. It has met four times since it was appointed and it has established three expert working groups to provide recommendations and advice and to help it implement the individual actions under its remit. I look forward to working with Deputy Ó Murchú because this is a brilliant, breathtaking and refreshing area to be in.
