Tuesday, 24 Sep 2024

Written Answers Nos. 565-583

• Díospóireachtaí
• Aimsigh díospóireacht
  • Díospóireachtaí na Dála
  • Díospóireachtaí an tSeanaid
  • Díospóireachtaí Coiste
• Aimsigh vótáil
  • Vótálacha na Dála
  • Vótálacha an tSeanaid
  • Vótálacha Coiste
• Ceisteanna Parlaiminte
  • Ceisteanna scríofa
  • Ceisteanna ó bhéal
• Leideanna cuardaigh
• Nuair a bhíonn tionchar tromchúiseach ag aithrisí

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (565)

Michael Lowry

Ceist:

565. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will allocate additional funding for period products and the fund for students with disabilities; if he will establish a Government-funded T-fund for trans and non-binary students to address social inequalities and support disadvantaged students which is a key ask of an organisation (details supplied) in it's pre-Budget 2025 submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37930/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

As a part of Budget 2025, I intend to continue removing barriers to education to assist students in reaching their full potential or pursuing their goals and getting to where they want to in life.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Estimates process in ongoing. While I cannot pre-empt the budgetary process addressing costs for families and learners and supporting disadvantaged students will be a priority for me in the Budget 2025 discussions.

Community Welfare Services

Ceisteanna (566)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

566. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will meet with management of an organisation (details supplied); and if she will provide this much needed resource. [37803/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

My Department's Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with funding of circa €50 million allocated every year.

The aim of the CSP is to create sustainable jobs for those most distant from the labour market, in particular for those who are long term unemployed and from specific target groups.

In relation to the specific organisation referred to by the Deputy, my Department recognises the invaluable services provided and has allocated funding under the CSP, in 2024, to support one manager and six Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions.

An application window for funding for additional staff posts to existing CSP funded organisations was opened on 1st of September, 2023, with a closing date on 29th of September, 2023. This organisation was one of 137 organisations that applied for additional FTE positions. The successful applications were announced on 18th of June, 2024, with approvals amounting to an additional €1 million in annual funding to support a further seven manager positions and 35 FTE positions in 32 CSP supported organisations. Unfortunately, the organisation's application was unsuccessful on that occasion.

As is standard practice, the organisation's application remains on file and will be considered again, subject to available budgets. I would encourage the organisation in question to consider contacting their Local Development Company or Local Authority Local Community Development Committee, who may be able to provide some guidance on other supports available at this time. They may also be able to provide information on the Department of Social Protection's TUS and Community Employment (CE) schemes.

Air Services

Ceisteanna (567)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

567. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the estimated costs of starting an air service to Inishbofin; and the estimated full-year costs associated with running such a service. [37375/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

As the Deputy is aware, the airstrips on Inishbofin and at Cleggan on the mainland are currently unlicensed, and bringing them into compliance with the requirements of the Irish Aviation Authority would require significant investment to make them operational. This would include the provision of fire fighting vehicles, equipment and training, and could also require the construction of terminal buildings. Accordingly, it is not possible to provide the Deputy with estimated costs of setting up an air service to Inishbofin as there are too many unknown factors to be considered.

Similarly, it is not possible to provide the Deputy with the estimated full-year running costs of such an air service, as it would depend on a number of factors, such as the frequency of the flights, the number of seats offered, as well as the availability of suitable operators to provide the service. Ultimately, the open market would decide the cost of any service through a competitive procurement process.

My Department has no immediate plans to develop a new air service for Inishbofin. In the meantime, permanent helipad lighting is being installed at the airstrip on Inishbofin to ensure that the Irish Coast Guard can continue to provide emergency medical evacuations from the island all year round.

Separately, my Department is engaging with Galway County Council and the HSE to facilitate the transfer of a portion of land adjoining the airstrip on Inishbofin to the HSE for the construction of a new health centre on the island. My Department is also engaged with the OPW regarding the construction of a new coast guard station on a portion of land adjoining the airstrip at Cleggan. I can assure the Deputy that any developments being considered on lands adjoining the airstrips will not hinder the potential for air services to operate from the airstrips in the future.

Defective Building Materials

Ceisteanna (568)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

568. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will meet with a group from Donegal (details supplied) that requested a meeting in Q4 of 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37540/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

The group in question made contact with me and my office has been in contact with them on a number of occasions. The group have been advised to make contact with their local development company in Donegal who receive funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage via Donegal County Council to employ redress support workers across the County.

Freedom of Information

Ceisteanna (569)

Carol Nolan

Ceist:

569. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total number of freedom of information requests submitted to her Department in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; the total number of such requests that were rejected in their entirety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37602/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department received a total of 46 Freedom of Information requests in 2022, of which 7 were refused. In 2023 my Department has received a total of 55 Freedom of Information requests, of which 13 were refused. For 2024 to date, my Department has received 70 Freedom of Information requests, of which 17 have been refused.

The refusal of requests occurs for a number reasons. The most common reason is that the requested records do not exist, and such requests are refused under Section 15(1)(a) of the relevant Act. The basis for other refusals are varied, and include, Section 29 (Deliberations of FOI Bodies), Section 30 (Functions and Negotiations of FOI Bodies), Section 35 (Information obtained in confidence) and Section 36 (Commercially Sensitive Information).

For 2022, of the 7 requests refused, 4 were due to no relevant records being held by the Department. For 2023, of the 13 requests refused, 8 were due to no relevant records being held by the Department. For 2024 to date, of the 17 requests refused, 10 were due to no relevant records being held by the Department.In compliance with the Freedom of Information Publication Scheme my Department publishes, on a quarterly basis, a log of all non-personal Freedom of Information requests received. These logs are available on our website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/f68256-disclosure-logs/ . My Department endeavours to deal with all Freedom of Information requests in an open and accessible manner, and is active in assisting requesters to refine their requests where possible to ensure that relevant information can be provided.

Community Development Projects

Ceisteanna (570)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the application for a community centre investment grant by a facility (details supplied). [37779/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on 861 existing community centres across Ireland. In April, I approved funding of €30 million for the construction of 12 new community centres across nine counties.

In June this year, I was delighted to announce a further round of funding to support community groups to upgrade and refurbish the community facilities in their areas. The Community Centre Investment Fund 2024 will provide funding of between €10,000 and €100,000 towards capital costs for the refurbishment of existing community centres.

The 2024 scheme closed for applications on Thursday 5th September. I understand that the application referred to by the Deputy has been received and will now be appraised alongside all of the other applications. I expect to begin announcing the successful applicants in the coming months.

EU Funding

Ceisteanna (571)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

571. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the projects and programmes with her Department which have been allocated funding under the EU's Recovery and Resilience Programme; the funds drawn down to date in each instance; the profiled drawdown in each of the forthcoming years of the programme; the steps she is taking to ensure that projects and programmes are completed within the specified timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37793/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI) is a fund established by the European Union as part of the European Recovery and Resilience Facility to support recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of €20 million was provided for the years 2021 and 2022 to the LEADER Local Action Groups for allocation in line with the EURI objectives of addressing the impact of COVID-19 and economic recovery.

The purpose of EURI funding was to provide local communities and enterprises with an opportunity to respond to the challenges of the pandemic and support measures that encouraged employment and job creation, provide support for new and innovative projects in the green economy, and to maximise the potential of broadband and the digital economy in communities.

To date, €19.4 million in EURI funding has been drawn down through the 2014-2022 LEADER Programme and it is anticipated that remaining EURI funding will be drawn down by the end of 2024.

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (572)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

572. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the town and village renewal scheme, including streetscape enhancement measures, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37905/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects. The Scheme is primarily targeted at towns and villages with a population of 10,000 or less.

TVRS is administered through local authorities, who work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that will bring long-lasting, positive impacts to rural towns and villages.

Earlier this year, in recognition of the need for additional supports required to achieve the goals set out in the Town Centre First Policy (TCF), I launched a new TCF Suite of Supports which is providing an additional €4 million across 3 measures to support broader efforts to regenerate town centres through a bottom-up approach. One such measure supports the completion of Project Development Measure (PDM) projects and on the 23 August 2024, I announced €2.6 million in funding to support 53 successful projects.

The allocations in the table below include the amounts awarded under TVRS and the TCF Suite of Supports PDM; successful projects under the 2024 PDM are available on my Departments website.

Local Authority/County	Total Funding Allocated in 2020	Total Funding Allocated in 2021	Total Funding Allocated in 2022	Total Funding Allocated in 2023	Total Funding Allocated to date in 2024
Carlow	€291,742	€786,057	€2,479,369	€275,000	€873,301
Cavan	€462,193	€989,873	€2,663,627	€485,000	€893,087
Clare	€435,868	€1,114,192	€1,794,983	€350,000	€1,235,281
Cork City	€40,000	€200,000	€454,120	€0	€566,680
Cork Co	€486,850	€1,136,647	€1,864,853	€445,000	€689,116
Donegal	€410,318	€708,664	€1,723,234	€265,000	€897,450
Dunlaoghaire/ Rathdown	€0	€0	€225,000	€0	€0
Fingal	€232,304	€236,763	€280,536	€500,000	€197,150
South Dublin	€9,450	€0	€0	€0	€0
Galway	€415,323	€1,082,272	€1,470,575	€0	€898,925
Kerry	€424,040	€907,666	€1,687,138	€500,000	€1,041,200
Kildare	€414,700	€482,896	€1,304,880	€0	€427,335
Kilkenny	€461,200	€732,306	€1,628,090	€450,000	€1,094,900
Laois	€391,900	€643,375	€2,163,852	€175,000	€1,068,119
Leitrim	€276,953	€930,970	€2,493,067	€485,000	€893,767
Limerick	€350,960	€971,685	€2,686,229	€160,000	€780,805
Longford	€307,673	€640,188	€1,397,043	€165,000	€867,885
Louth	€369,440	€608,089	€1,280,197	€0	€407,163
Mayo	€461,821	€898,946	€1,196,843	€225,000	€982,807
Meath	€405,563	€686,997	€1,763,206	€410,000	€1,284,017
Monaghan	€422,320	€1,136,607	€2,129,789	€500,000	€850,000
Offaly	€450,000	€904,500	€1,961,000	€300,000	€550,000
Roscommon	€428,885	€1,020,000	€2,462,435	€0	€1,149,999
Sligo	€425,000	€890,000	€2,670,101	€125,000	€1,150,000
Tipperary	€392,634	€1,475,612	€2,171,571	€500,000	€1,016,099
Waterford	€451,917	€453,210	€1,850,601	€500,000	€807,171
Westmeath	€394,600	€272,300	€1,295,239	€300,000	€506,556
Wexford	€382,500	€1,078,925	€2,519,415	€500,000	€1,096,590
Wicklow	€394,455	€949,569	€1,360,738	€0	€825,000
Total Funding Approved	€10,390,609	€21,938,308	€48,977,728	€7,615,000	€23,050,403

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (573)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

573. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37906/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, water-based recreation sites and mountain trails.

Since 2020, funding of over €85.5 million has been allocated to 1,073 outdoor recreation projects nationwide.

A table detailing funding approved for each county under ORIS since 2020 is set out below. This information relates to the funding approvals per calendar year rather than each annual iteration of the scheme. For example, projects under measures 1, 2 and 3 of the ORIS 2023 scheme were formally announced at the start of 2024 and are included under the 2024 column below.

Details of all approved projects can be found on my Department's website.

County	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	Total
Carlow	€44,826	€1,117,763	€740,800	€0	€175,500	€2,078,889
Cavan	€112,565	€1,623,320	€307,012	€72,194	€745,915	€2,861,006
Clare	€52,800	€930,929	€939,336	€100,000	€984,554	€3,007,619
Cork	€150,216	€1,984,466	€1,033,140	€125,650	€1,010,584	€4,304,056
Donegal	€500,000	€1,358,595	€1,099,150	€129,700	€1,267,791	€4,355,236
Dublin	€0	€550,500	€467,200	€40,500	€0	€1,058,200
Galway	€381,419	€2,431,237	€1,322,240	€204,327	€605,002	€4,944,226
Kerry	€472,429	€1,751,811	€1,254,405	€100,000	€1,317,616	€4,896,261
Kildare	€0	€206,419	€242,184	€90,000	€155,700	€694,303
Kilkenny	€340,000	€1,648,906	€1,202,072	€99,000	€1,090,630	€4,380,608
Laois	€0	€703,092	€473,884	€44,280	€872,750	€2,094,006
Leitrim	€136,000	€1,559,344	€703,679	€56,894	€874,087	€3,330,004
Limerick	€30,000	€1,375,167	€415,411	€84,200	€799,062	€2,703,839
Longford	€650,845	€1,176,801	€629,715	€99,000	€580,000	€3,136,361
Louth	€200,000	€365,533	€30,000	€0	€194,119	€789,651
Mayo	€900,000	€1,085,779	€776,876	€100,000	€1,158,474	€4,021,129
Meath	€500,000	€1,670,500	€461,613	€50,000	€1,103,907	€3,786,020
Monaghan	€380,155	€1,336,979	€1,071,292	€100,000	€1,179,296	€4,067,721
Nationwide	€478,747	€991,317	€0	€0	€416,450	€1,886,514
Offaly	€537,640	€958,714	€194,577	€49,500	€591,954	€2,332,384
Roscommon	€400,000	€1,972,394	€1,220,140	€100,000	€825,407	€4,517,942
Sligo	€235,600	€1,386,750	€542,796	€150,000	€736,000	€3,051,146
Tipperary	€545,540	€1,245,901	€1,169,875	€99,500	€816,680	€3,877,495
Waterford	€273,134	€1,345,844	€788,211	€100,000	€1,078,240	€3,585,429
Westmeath	€868,000	€920,551	€562,314	€100,000	€395,935	€2,846,800
Wexford	€62,328	€1,379,371	€886,250	€83,374	€530,458	€2,941,781
Wicklow	€152,560	€1,652,285	€1,272,870	€90,000	€821,505	€3,989,220
Total	€8,404,804	€34,730,269	€19,807,039	€2,268,117	€20,327,615	€85,537,845

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (574)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

574. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under Leader, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37907/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas and is delivered at local level by Local Action Groups (LAGs).

From 2020 to date, projects to the value of over €145 million were approved for funding through the LEADER Programme. The table below gives a breakdown of the cumulative amount of funding approved under the 2014-2022 and 2023-2027 LEADER programmes by county during the referenced timeframe.

The LAGs are in the early stages of implementation of the 2023-2027 LEADER programme which involves engaging with their respective communities and working with them to develop their project proposals. Over the coming years I look forward to seeing the continued delivery of LEADER projects that support the development of our rural areas and communities.

Table 1: Funding Approved per county from 2020 to 23/09/2024

County	Funding Approved
Carlow	€3,747,761
Cavan	€5,637,339
Clare	€5,504,512
Cork	€11,255,839
Donegal	€7,838,955
Dublin	€4,758,822
Galway	€8,811,456
Kerry	€5,922,702
Kildare	€3,064,567
Kilkenny	€6,919,591
Laois	€5,786,303
Leitrim	€3,794,683
Limerick	€6,087,175
Longford	€5,149,718
Louth	€4,347,016
Mayo	€7,026,651
Meath	€3,707,384
Monaghan	€5,022,287
Offaly	€5,169,545
Roscommon	€4,673,267
Sligo	€4,365,543
Tipperary	€6,953,025
Waterford	€4,517,228
Westmeath	€4,471,703
Wexford	€6,027,298
Wicklow	€5,180,827
Total	€145,741,198

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (575)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

575. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the CLÁR, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37908/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

My Department's CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. Since 2020, over €39 million has been allocated under the CLÁR programme to almost 1000 projects

A table detailing funding approved for each county under CLÁR since 2020 is set out below. This information relates to the amount approved under each annual iteration of the scheme. There are no CLÁR areas in Dublin, Kildare or Wexford. Further announcements under CLÁR 2024 are expected in the coming weeks.

Details of all approved projects can be found on my Department's website.

County	CLÁR 2020 Approvals	CLÁR 2021 Approvals	CLÁR 2022 Approvals	CLÁR 2023 Approvals	CLÁR 2024 Approvals
Carlow	€143,418	€89,963	€86,983	€267,099	€0
Cavan	€374,318	€391,241	€616,058	€586,823	€41,141
Clare	€332,580	€358,313	€679,222	€722,643	€69,649
Cork	€273,402	€401,226	€895,982	€715,359	€206,218
Donegal	€339,680	€383,470	€943,046	€882,534	€101,387
Dublin	€0	€0	€0	€0	€0
Galway	€438,878	€462,368	€1,063,583	€973,124	€58,864
Kerry	€576,715	€657,473	€812,864	€886,621	€364,380
Kildare	€0	€0	€0	€0	€0
Kilkenny	€77,000	€57,300	€420,207	€295,469	€72,000
Laois	€166,440	€179,517	€444,105	€271,058	€0
Leitrim	€347,597	€386,329	€524,106	€518,892	€0
Limerick	€145,382	€183,742	€408,289	€722,273	€24,000
Longford	€362,008	€399,882	€580,140	€498,190	€25,560
Louth	€63,500	€80,000	€109,427	€414,948	€0
Mayo	€458,421	€483,295	€822,631	€1,125,608	€577,464
Meath	€80,600	€202,454	€378,088	€239,774	€0
Monaghan	€256,614	€341,184	€784,362	€675,071	€24,156
Offaly	€164,144	€127,879	€188,693	€205,617	€102,275
Roscommon	€499,231	€333,307	€542,554	€815,413	€106,562
Sligo	€220,621	€350,782	€457,849	€547,832	€46,716
Tipperary	€84,226	€140,108	€635,276	€556,899	€184,809
Waterford	€148,500	€216,182	€279,500	€232,239	€0
Westmeath	€150,000	€163,670	€336,200	€641,912	€39,586
Wexford	€0	€0	€0	€0	€0
Wicklow	€60,000	€82,257	€169,200	€220,899	€56,000
Total	€5,763,275	€6,471,942	€12,178,366	€13,016,296	€2,100,768

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (576)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

576. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the rural regeneration fund, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37909/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund is a strategic capital investment fund that is key to the delivery of Ireland's rural development policy, Our Rural Future 2021-2025.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland.

Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place and ready to proceed. Category 2 provides grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications.

Since 2020, RRDF funding of €422.8 million has been approved for 135 projects countrywide.

The table below sets out the funding allocated to each county from 2020 to date in 2024. No RRDF funding was allocated in the 2023 calendar year.

County	2020	2021	2022	2024	Total Funding
Carlow			€222,394	€2,189,908	€2,412,302
Cavan	€787,500	€3,032,532	€7,862,155	€17,146,142	€28,828,329
Clare			€8,351,684	€8,765,000	€17,116,684
Cork	€551,250	€4,861,211	€24,002,644	€5,131,963	€34,547,068
Donegal	€372,494	€20,427,191	€8,229,056	€12,168,842	€41,197,583
Galway	€1,984,885	€2,950,749	€956,084	€13,757,843	€19,649,561
Kerry	€2,056,380	€2,467,152	€1,691,104	€7,132,781	€13,347,416
Kildare	€2,063,865		€5,107,442		€7,171,307
Kilkenny		€4,013,115	€2,606,613	€1,885,138	€8,504,866
Laois		€1,385,999	€1,999,442	€3,337,714	€6,723,156
Leitrim	€476,033	€5,635,873	€10,845,324	€8,154,834	€25,112,064
Limerick	€2,500,000	€1,750,000	€600,000	€13,585,722	€18,435,722
Longford	€468,750	€6,664,799	€1,115,400		€8,248,949
Louth	€710,980	€2,864,642			€3,575,622
Mayo	€461,615	€8,278,682	€11,411,364	€11,127,748	€31,279,409
Meath	€608,250	€727,215	€1,807,102		€3,142,567
Multi County	€300,000			€4,028,356	€4,328,356
Monaghan	€295,000	€11,490,272	€3,743,428	€15,915,482	€31,444,182
Offaly	€454,535		€2,739,553	€12,256,727	€15,450,815
Roscommon	€434,010	€2,174,400	€7,348,697	€6,057,795	€16,014,902
Sligo	€424,500		€580,000	€8,474,869	€9,479,369
Tipperary	€1,701,521	€3,495,793	€34,104,675	€7,979,362	€47,281,351
Waterford	€1,207,500		€7,406,160	€3,273,638	€11,887,298
Westmeath	€311,250	€8,174,780	€4,646,566		€13,132,596
Wexford			€814,393	€2,331,826	€3,146,219
Wicklow	€357,750		€1,034,704		€1,392,454
Total	€18,528,068	€90,394,404	€149,225,985	€164,701,690	€422,850,147

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (577)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

577. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the local improvement scheme, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37910/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports improving rural roads and laneways that are not usually maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the government is committed to ensuring that LIS is funded in the future.

My Department reintroduced the scheme in 2017 after several years without dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2024, almost €170 million has been allocated to local authorities under the scheme. Up to the end of 2023, this has upgraded over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes, benefitting nearly 20,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas.

Attached is a breakdown of the cumulative funding provided under the Local Improvement Scheme in each county from 2020 to date in 2024. To help local authorities better plan their work programmes, this year, I have directed additional funding to LIS and have allocated funding to local authorities for both 2024 and 2025.

The table below sets out the overall funding allocated on a county basis from 2020 - 2025.

LIS Allocations

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (578)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

578. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the connected hubs scheme, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37911/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

Our Rural Future recognises the opportunity that remote working presents for rural rejuvenation and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. It provides an opportunity for people to continue to live in rural communities while following their career ambitions, supporting the retention of skilled people in rural communities and attracting mobile talent to rural areas. It can reduce commuting time, lowering transport emissions, provide a better work-life balance and an improved quality of life.

Substantial funding has been invested by my Department in the development of remote working facilities through a variety of programmes including funding for the conversion of many vacant and derelict buildings into remote working hubs.

In 2021, I launched connectedhubs.ie, a shared online booking and payments platform for remote working hubs and their users. There are currently 366 facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform. An interactive map that shows the location and details of each remote working hub in Ireland is available on connectedhubs.ie.

The Connected Hubs call in 2021 and 2022, awarded approximately €14 million to almost 200 projects enabling successful applicants to add additional capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and Broadband Connection Points (BCP) throughout the country (Table 1 attached).

I am committed to ensuring that the Connected Hubs Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.

Hubs Funding

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (579)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

579. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the social inclusion and community activation programme, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37912/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is Ireland’s primary social inclusion intervention with an allocation of €47.4 million in 2024. SICAP funding allocations are made based on levels of relative affluence and deprivation in communities, ensuring the programme is targeting disadvantage fairly, to help those individuals in greatest need of the support.

The programme is managed at a local level by 33 Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), with support from local authorities, and actions are delivered by 47 Local Development Companies across 53 Lot areas.

In 2022, an additional €5 million funding was allocated through SICAP, to support the Local Development Companies in the community response to support people arriving from Ukraine. An additional €10 million was also provided under SICAP in 2023 and in excess of €11m has been allocated in 2024 to allow Local Development Companies to continue their work to support New Arrivals and International Protection Applicants.

As requested, please see attached a breakdown of county by county allocations for SICAP for 2020 to 2024 including New Arrivals funding from 2022.

SICAP County by County 2020 -2024

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (580)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

580. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the Community Services Programme, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37913/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

My Departments Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.

Following an independent review of the programme, the CSP was restructured with a needs-based, differentiated funding allocation model introduced for the CSP from January 2023, as an alternative to the previous flat rate payment model. This new model was designed to support those organisations most in need, providing a higher rate of funding to supported organisations that are identified as operating in areas of high disadvantage, employing individuals from the prescribed programme target groups and with evidence of limited earning potential.

In March 2023, funding of €1m was made available for a Call for Proposals in respect of specific CSP services which resulted in 14 new applicants being approved entry to the CSP on 13th December last, supporting thirteen manager positions and twenty three full time equivalent positions, valued at circa €1m.

An application window for funding for additional staff posts to existing CSP funded organisations was opened on September 1st 2023 with a closing date of 29th September 2023. The successful applications were announced on 18th June, approving €1 million in funding to support a further seven manager positions and thirty five FTE positions in thirty two CSP supported organisations.

Following the announcement of an increase of €1.40 to the minimum wage as part of Budget 2024, on 13th December last, I announced that the CSP contributions would increase for organisations at the higher level and at the medium level for both FTEs and for managers.

The County by County allocations below are reflective of funding provided including these measures.

County by County Allocations for Community Services Programme 2020 to date 2024.

County	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024(Allocation Forecast from 1st January to 31st December)
Carlow	€331,163.42	€325,869.16	€262,761.41	€303,363.00	€330,075.00
Cavan	€236,661.52	€245,044.92	€273,363.00	€312,330.00	€348,337.50
Clare	€1,230,840.04	€1,299,446.82	€1,243,394.00	€1,372,650.00	€1,491,710.50
Cork	€2,677,628.06	€2,707,956.13	€2,443,736.00	€2,718,750.50	€2,985,716.00
Donegal	€3,530,890.62	€3,936,110.58	€3,679,891.00	€4,083,707.50	€4,626,362.50
Dublin	€10,286,399.59	€10,785,817.49	€10,088,148.00	€10,634,023.80	€11,403,811.20
Galway	€2,330,417.37	€2,525,868.44	€2,421,629.00	€2,668,321.50	€3,215,012.50
Kerry	€1,719,263.53	€1,869,354.82	€1,684,911.00	€1,835,967.10	€1,964,035.06
Kildare	€453,452.85	€513,271.40	€443,545.00	€495,044.50	€549,350.00
Kilkenny	€567,465.51	€633,210.46	€556,091.00	€615,693.00	€638,449.00
Laois	€404,100.34	€428,324.46	€378,429.00	€417,020.00	€434,916.00
Leitrim	€1,406,653.71	€1,473,129.61	€1,362,351.00	€1,485,100.50	€1,619,107.00
Limerick	€1,728,423.85	€1,880,925.56	€1,677,509.00	€1,709,065.43	€1,795,066.00
Longford	€543,313.37	€454,739.68	€415,528.00	€470,528.00	€574,225.00
Louth	€1,656,257.25	€1,681,258.48	€1,651,462.00	€1,788,178.00	€1,965,275.00
Mayo	€3,599,361.85	€3,876,530.31	€3,667,335.64	€4,020,554.00	€4,498,006.00
Meath	€1,041,409.39	€1,102,582.92	€991,787.00	€1,052,770.50	€1,147,162.00
Monaghan	€1,228,795.88	€1,327,903.34	€1,186,319.00	€1,383,133.50	€1,558,662.50
Offaly	€1,272,147.21	€1,405,971.52	€1,175,904.00	€1,306,869.50	€1,486,785.50
Roscommon	€2,153,742.78	€2,435,266.35	€2,302,656.00	€2,522,904.00	€2,837,529.75
Sligo	€807,959.06	€860,338.58	€769,974.00	€750,841.50	€866,400.00
Tipperary	€731,817.24	€833,406.08	€713,920.00	€806,308.50	€927,424.50
Waterford	€1,096,253.02	€1,145,894.86	€1,004,221.00	€1,171,737.50	€1,347,600.00
Westmeath	€1,093,676.71	€1,095,236.82	€1,039,738.00	€1,077,638.50	€1,180,815.50
Wexford	€2,392,695.94	€2,454,663.78	€2,137,585.11	€2,339,838.00	€2,599,612.50
Wicklow	€1,612,760.12	€1,636,797.88	€1,482,514.00	€1,674,013.00	€1,829,037.50
Annual Total	€46,133,550.22	€48,934,920.45	€45,054,702.16	€49,016,351.38	€54,220,484.00

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (581)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

581. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the community centres investment fund; and the total number of community centres funded, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37914/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on 861 existing community centres across Ireland. In April, I approved funding of €30 million for the construction of 12 new community centres across nine counties.

In June this year, I was delighted to announce a new round of the Community Centre Investment Fund which will provide funding of between €10,000 and €100,000 towards capital costs for the refurbishment of existing community centres. The 2024 scheme closed for applications on Thursday 5th September.

Please find a table attached which lists the cumulative funding provided under the Community Centres Investment Fund and the total number of community centres funded in each county in 2022 and 2023. I expect to begin announcing the successful applicants under the 2024 scheme in the coming months.

Details of all approved projects can be found on my Department's website.

Community Centre Investment Fund 2020 to 2024

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (582)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

582. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the community enhancement programme, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37915/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development

The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) was established in 2018 with the aim of providing funding for community groups in disadvantaged areas across Ireland. There have been a number of iterations of the CEP since then. In 2023, the CEP was replaced by the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) which has a particular focus on small capital works/improvements, and the purchase of equipment for community use. Various community groups have benefited from the CEP and LEP with almost €59m in funding being approved for almost 27,000 projects countrywide.

The LEP is administered locally on behalf of my Department by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. The relevant LCDC receive and appraise applications for funding under the LEP and make determinations on how the funding can best support their communities.

The LEP is now closed to applicants.

Please find attached table 1 below which provides a breakdown of the funding allocated to each County from 2020 - 2023. To date in 2024, no funding announcement has been made with regard to the LEP, and any announcement relating to the next iteration of the LEP will be considered within the context of available resources.

Table 1 PQ 37915 24

Departmental Funding

Ceisteanna (583)

Jackie Cahill

Ceist:

583. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the cumulative funding provided under the community recognition fund, in each county from 2020 to date in 2024, in tabular form. [37916/24]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects. I was delighted to announce a further €50 million in funding under the Community Recognition Fund on March 15th last. The attached table lists the funding allocated to each county under the Community Recognition Fund in 2023 and 2024.

Applications under the current round of funding can be submitted by local authorities across three phases, so as to allow flexibility and adequate engagement and collaboration at a local level. The closing date for receipt of applications under phase 1 was May 31st last, with the subsequent phases closing on September 30th, 2024 and January 31st, 2025.

Successful projects under phase 1 of the 2024 scheme were announced on 2nd August. I expect that the successful projects under phase 2 will be announced before the end of the year. Details of all approved projects can be found on my Department's website.

Community Recognition Fund 2020 to 2024

• Written Answers Nos. 547-564