Written Answers Nos. 321-342
321. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce successful projects under the community centres investment fund in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40678/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra322. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce successful projects under the community centres investment fund in County Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40679/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra323. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce successful projects under the community centres investment fund in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40680/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 321, 322 and 323 together.
Under the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 existing community centres across Ireland. In April, funding of €30 million was approved for the construction of 12 new community centres across nine counties.
In June this year, Minister Humphreys 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 scheme closed for applications on Thursday 5th September. I understand that over 20 applications were received for Co. Leitrim, over 51 for Co. Donegal and over 30 for Co. Sligo. All applications are now currently under assessment with a view to announcing the successful applicants in the coming months.
324. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce funding for men’s sheds in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40681/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra325. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce funding for men’s sheds in County Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40682/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra326. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce funding for men’s sheds in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40683/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will approve funding for men’s sheds in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40730/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 324, 325, 326 and 331 together.
My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds.
Last November, I announced current funding of €1 million to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country. The initiative saw grants of up to €3,000 provided to 378 Men’s Sheds nationwide to assist them with running costs such as electricity or insurance bills. This funding builds on the €800,000 I announced in November 2022, to support Men’s Sheds. The individual grants were distributed to the Men’s Sheds via its representative body, the Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA).
My officials are currently awaiting a funding proposal from the IMSA for 2025, and I can assure the Deputy that the funding proposal will be reviewed once received.
Separately, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) also provides supports to Men's Sheds, for example in facilitating training courses and holding focus groups. SICAP provided supports to 283 Men’s Sheds under SICAP 2018-2023, with small grants totalling over €223,000 awarded to 125 Men’s Sheds. To date in 2024, SICAP provided supports to 126 Men’s Sheds under SICAP 2024-2028. 20 Men’s Sheds have received grants totalling over €16,000. This support is still available through SICAP.
The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary organisations. The current iteration commenced on 1 July 2022 and will cease on 30 June 2025. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) has been allocated total funding of €243,158 over the three-year period of the scheme.
I was delighted to launch the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) in December 2023. This replaced my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme, with capital funding of €6 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Men's Sheds were eligible to apply for funding under the LEP which is now closed to applicants, and details of successful projects, including Men’s Sheds are available on my Department’s website: www.gov.ie/drcd .
Since 2018, under the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP), over 1,300 Men’s Shed projects have been allocated funding of over €2.3 million.
Details of any future iterations of the Local Enhancement Programme, including the allocations available have not yet been confirmed. I would encourage all Men’s Sheds to check my department’s website www.gov.ie/drcd, and to engage with their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Local Development Companies and Public Participation Networks (PPN) to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
327. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce tidy towns grants for County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40684/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra328. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce tidy towns grants for County Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40685/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra329. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce tidy towns grants for County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40686/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 327 to 329, inclusive, together.
The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country.
I am very conscious of the work undertaken by our Tidy Towns Groups and of the costs which can arise in the course of this work. With this in mind, in recent years I have put in place direct financial supports to groups to support the huge efforts that they make.
At the 2023 national awards ceremony I announced a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in their initiatives for the 2024 competition. This funding brings the total allocation by my Department since 2017 to €9.6 million in direct funding to over 1,000 TidyTowns groups, €748,000 of which was allocated to eligible tidy town groups in Counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo.
The grant funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 was provided to groups to assist them in preparing for the 2024 Competition, with the added benefits of helping to make our towns and villages better places to live, work and visit.
My officials are currently in the process of designing the next iteration of a Tidy Town grant scheme to enable groups prepare for next year’s competition. I would also encourage TidyTowns groups to engage closely with their local authority or local development company to explore what other funding sources may be available to support the valuable voluntary work they are providing for their local communities.
The 2024 National Awards ceremony will take place in Croke Park on 1st November 2024 andI look forward to announcing the various winners together with any plans for 2025 Tidy Towns at that event.
330. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce successful projects under the community centres investment fund in Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40729/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million was committed for improvement and refurbishment works on over 860 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 scheme closed for applications on Thursday 5th September. I understand that over 35 applications were received for Co. Wexford. All applications are now currently under assessment. I hope to begin announcing the successful applicants in the coming months.
332. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce tidy towns grants for 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40731/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique volunteer-led programme that makes a hugely positive contribution in communities across Ireland. It is abundantly clear that our support for the Tidy Towns competition has delivered very tangible and visible benefits in towns and villages all over the country.
I am very conscious of the work undertaken by our Tidy Towns Groups and of the costs which can arise in the course of this work. With this in mind, in recent years I have put in place direct financial supports to groups to support the huge efforts that they make.
At the 2023 national awards ceremony I announced a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in their initiatives for the 2024 competition. This funding brings the total allocation by my Department since 2017 to €9.6 million in direct funding to over 1,000 TidyTowns groups.
The funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 was provided to groups to assist them in preparing for the 2024 Competition, with the added benefits of helping to make our towns and villages better places to live, work and visit.
My officials are currently in the process of designing the next iteration of the Tidy Town grant scheme to enable groups prepare for next year’s competition. I would also encourage TidyTowns groups to engage closely with their local authority or local development company to explore what other funding sources may be available to support the valuable voluntary work they are providing for their local communities.
The 2024 National Awards ceremony will take place in Croke Park on 1st November 2024 and I look forward to announcing the various winners together with any plans for 2025 Tidy Towns at that event.
333. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has conducted a capacity review of her Department’s ability to deliver services that they are responsible for in the past ten years to date; the same of State bodies and agencies under her Department’s aegis; if she published those reviews; the number of recommendations implemented arising from the reviews and same for State bodies and agencies under her aegis; if the capacity review was outsourced; and if so, to whom and at what cost. [40844/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department's most recent Organisational Capability Review (OCR) commenced in December 2019 under Action 20 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan.
This review was carried out by a team from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, supported and assisted by a liaison officer from the Department of Rural and Community Development. It followed a set format to examine the Department’s capability under four over-arching filters – Leadership; Policy and Strategy; Delivery; and Organisational Capacity. The final report was received in June 2020.
Following receipt of the report my Department developed an OCR Implementation Plan, which contained 86 actions responding to the recommendations in the OCR. The implementation plan comprises a broad mix of small and larger actions that facilitate delivery of the Department’s ambitious policy agenda and support it as a champion for rural and community development.
Implementation of the plan continues to be led out by my Department’s senior management team . This includes for example, our people strategy, leadership development, our communications strategy, and how we can use ICT to support more efficient and effective delivery. Of the 86 actions in the implementation plan, 74 are either complete, or are implemented and embedded within the processes of the organisation.
Both the OCR and the OCR implementation plan are available here - gov.ie - Organisational Capability Review Implementation Plan 2021-2023 (www.gov.ie)
The agencies under the aegis of my Department are independent legal entities responsible for managing their own corporate affairs and related matters in compliance with statutory obligations and the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies.
Question No. 334 answered with Question No. 88.
Question No. 335 answered with Question No. 88.
336. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she and her Department continue to assist in the creation of digital hubs in order to recreate work place activity in a meaningful way throughout both urban and rural settings ensuring that activity in the workplace does not suffer and that a high level of social activity and interaction associated with the workplace can continue even relatively isolated areas in towns throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40894/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra337. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she and her Department can hope to replicate a workplace environment in all areas throughout the country subject to availability of modern technology such as broadband; her future plans for development in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40895/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 337 together.
A key focus of Our Rural Future (2021-2025) is to promote remote working for public and private sector workers and improve digital skills so that all people can avail of the social and economic benefits made possible by digital technologies and to optimise digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities.
In 2021, I launched connectedhubs.ie, a shared online booking and payments platform for remote working hubs, both urban and rural to offer a suite of booking and hub management applications to members of the network and their customers. There are currently 367 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform.
Substantial funding has been provided by my Department towards the development of remote working facilities. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities with many vacant and derelict buildings converted into remote working hubs through programmes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. In addition, the Connected Hubs Call provided funding of €14 million to almost 200 projects between 2021 and 2022, enabling successful applicants to add additional capacity to existing infrastructure in remote working hubs throughout the country.
My Department, together with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, is leading on the formulation of a first National Hub Network Strategy, in consultation with hub managers, local authorities, communities and other hub sector stakeholders. The strategy will inform the future strategic direction of the national hub network and ensure the sustainability of Ireland’s hub infrastructure.
I am committed to closing the digital divide between rural and urban communities, and believe that a structured approach to the provision of remote working facilities can be transformational for Ireland.
338. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she has allocated funding over the past three years under the various headings available to her Department to assist rural communities or town centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40896/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra339. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total monies awarded by her Department to various community-based initiatives throughout the regions since she took up Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40897/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra340. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether consideration will be given by her Department to various groups who have currently applied for further funding from her Department under the various schemes operated by her Office where a top up may be needed to complete specific works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40898/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 338 to 340, inclusive, together.
My Department was established in 2017, and operates a large number of schemes aimed at supporting both rural development and community development. These interventions are improving not just rural areas, town centres and urban areas, but also strengthening the communities that live there.
The main rural development programmes, which underpin Our Rural Future 2021-2025 and other policy documents such as the Town Centre First policy, are the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), LEADER, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS), the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS), the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the CLÁR programme, and support for Islands transport services and capital works. There are also a range of other smaller supports including the Walks Scheme, Tidy Towns, Connected Hubs and Broadband Connection Points.
The majority of funding under the rural development programme is administered through local authorities and other supporting structures such as Pobal. In situations where organisations require additional support in order to deliver their project within the approved allocation, I would encourage them to engage with the organisation administering the scheme on my Department's behalf as soon as possible to explore available options.
The main community development programme supports are the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme (CSP), the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF), the Community Recognition Fund (CRF), Libraries Development, and the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP)/Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). A number of other smaller measures are in place within this programme area which empower communities through supporting structures and participatory decision making, including the Scheme to Support National Organisations, Local Community Development Committee supports, and Public Participation Network supports.
With regard to cost adjustments, grant allocations made by my Department represent maximum agreed grant amounts. However, for larger capital projects where unavoidable cost increases occur for delivery of the agreed project (for example, due to inflation), some flexibility is provided. Such adjustments are closely controlled and kept to a minimum so as to ensure the greatest number of projects can be funded from the available allocations.
The table below sets out the levels of funding allocated under the Departments scheme each year since its establishment in 2017. The attached document provides a further breakdown of allocations across various schemes which support communities throughout the country.
|
Year |
Number of allocations approved |
Total value of these approved allocations |
|
2017 |
1883 |
€82,968,715 |
|
2018 |
5237 |
€190,087,517 |
|
2019 |
4382 |
€314,048,479 |
|
2020 |
9448 |
€223,937,897 |
|
2021 |
8891 |
€304,265,669 |
|
2022 |
8305 |
€445,720,031 |
|
2023 |
7397 |
€243,027,188 |
|
2024 to date |
2010 |
€404,193,055 |
|
Totals |
47,553 |
€2,208,248,551 |
341. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she proposes to extend support for various communities under the Leader Programme in the current year, directly or through other agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40899/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
The programme includes specific funding themes to support Economic Development and Job Creation, Rural Infrastructure and Social Inclusion, and Sustainable Development of Rural Environment, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Community groups and rural-based businesses can apply for funding under these themes.
Nationally, over 5,800 projects have been approved for funding in excess of €240 million since 2016 when the 2014-2020 LEADER programme became operational. To date, payments of approximately €220 million have been made in respect of these projects. My Department is currently working to conclude this programme.
The 2023-2027 LEADER Programme, which has a budget of €180 million, has commenced and LAGs are in the early stages of implementation of the 2023-2027 LEADER programme which involves engaging with their respective communities and developing project applications.
I look forward to the programme gathering pace and I am confident that LEADER will continue to play an important role in the future development of our rural areas.
342. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline her proposals for further enhancement or expenditure under the town and village centre renewal scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40900/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, represents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the sustainable development of rural Ireland. It sets out a vision for a thriving rural Ireland, and to that end establishes a strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. The delivery of these actions will enhance the wellbeing and quality of life for people living in our rural towns and villages.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) 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.
In line with the policy commitments within the Our Rural Future and Town Centre First policy (TCF), priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure that funding schemes are structured in a way that delivers on key government commitments and provide impactful projects in communities.
For example, in 2021 I introduced a new ‘Project Development Measure’ to assist local authorities to establish to a pipeline of significant, well-developed projects which might be subsequently progressed to construction stage, subject to the availability of further funding. In 2022, in recognition of the urgent need to transform and regenerate town centres I introduced a new ‘Building Acquisition Measure’ which enabled local authorities to immediately acquire derelict or vacant buildings, with the intention of using these projects for town regeneration purposes and this was continued again in 2023.
The 2023 TVRS Scheme placed particular emphasis on projects that bring economic and social vibrancy to town centres in line with Government’s policies, making them better places to live, work, socialise and raise a family. In April of this year I was delighted to announce €20.4 million in funding for 82 successful projects under the scheme.
Earlier this year, I launched an additional suite of supports under TCF, which will provide an additional €4 million to support the broader efforts to regenerate town centres through a bottom-up approach. As part of these supports, I was delighted to announce €2.6 million in funding to support 53 Project Development Measure projects under the umbrella of the TVRS.
The priorities for the 2024/25 TVRS are currently under review to inform the next iteration of the scheme which I would plan to launch before the end of this year.
