Written Answers Nos. 464-472
464. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the funding streams including town and village renewal, CLÁR, or other rural schemes that can be used to assist community groups in the purchase or long-term leasing of lands for public amenities such as waste facilities or community services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22969/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra468. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the supports available to community groups (details supplied) in their efforts to secure land for essential services such as a community hub; whether additional targeted supports for rural villages facing land availability challenges are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22972/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra469. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether flexibility can be applied under existing rural development schemes to support projects where land acquisition has proven difficult despite clear community need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22973/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 464, 468 and 469 together.
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.
Funding to support the acquisition of land and buildings is available under a number of such schemes subject to certain conditions and eligibility criteria. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland through projects such as bringing vacant and derelict buildings and lands back into use as community multi-purpose spaces.
In 2022, in recognition of the need to transform and regenerate town centres a Building Acquisition Measure was introduced under the TVRS to allow local authorities purchase vacant and derelict buildings for redevelopment into multi-purpose community facilities. Following the success of this measure it was reviewed and broadened to permit additional types of acquisitions, becoming the Building or Land Acquisition Measure. In 2025 this saw funding made available to Kerry County Council to purchase both land and buildings in its administrative area.
Also administered by my department, the Rural Regeneration Development Fund is a major programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural area. The focus of the Fund is on rural towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 people. RRDF project proposals are developed and delivered by eligible Lead Bodies including our local authorities, local development companies and other State agencies.
Calls for applications to the RRDF are sought under two categories, Category 1 and Category 2. Category 2 proposals encompass the detailed development of projects in advance of full implementation, while Category 1 projects entail larger scale support for capital projects that are ready to commence, with all planning and consents satisfied. Both categories can entail support for the purchase of land or buildings linked to regenerative projects.
My department keeps all its programmes under ongoing review to ensure they remain responsive to emerging needs. This includes consideration of how existing supports can be utilised with appropriate flexibility, within the parameters of each scheme. These reviews will help shape the design of any future iterations of the schemes.
465. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for a list of funding streams available for Men's Sheds and Women's Sheds. [22553/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am very aware of the huge interest in Men’s and Women's Sheds in Ireland, and of the great work they do in every corner of the country. They provide a space for men and women of all ages to come together on a regular basis in a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment.
My Department provides funding to Men’s Sheds and Women’s Sheds under various funding supports, including:
• The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP);
• The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2024 - 2028; and
• The LEADER programme.
Men’s Sheds and Women's Sheds can apply individually for all of these schemes.
Last year, my Department made up to €1 million current funding available to the Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA), to assist registered Men’s Sheds with their running costs.
As Women’s Sheds do not currently operate under a national organisation, my Department is unable to provide funding similar to that provided to Men’s Sheds via the IMSA. My Department and the Department of Health are currently working with the Women's Sheds of Ireland to support their efforts in forming a national body, thereby facilitating them to access similar funding.
Separately, the Department of Health secured funding of €150,000 in Budget 2026 to support Women's Sheds.
I would encourage all Men's Sheds and Women's Sheds to check my Department’s website www.gov.ie/drcdg and to engage with their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Local Development Companies and Public Participation Networks (PPN), to ensure they are aware of relevant funding opportunities as they become available.
I recognise the important work carried out by both Men’s Sheds and Women’s Sheds and remain committed to supporting their valuable work in communities across the country.
466. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the number of employees that were employed in his Department at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22882/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have provided the number of employees employed in my Department at the end of December 2025 in the table below. These figures are broken down by grade as requested. They do not include employees of Oifig an Choimisinéara Teanga, who are also civil servants, but which is an agency of the Department.
|
Grade |
Number of Employees |
|
Secretary General |
1 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
4 |
|
Principal Officer |
21 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
42 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
73 |
|
Administrative Officer |
17 |
|
Executive Officer |
65 |
|
Clerical Officer |
43 |
|
Temporary Clerical Officer |
4 |
|
Service Officer |
3 |
|
Professional and Technical Posts |
2 |
|
Technical Grades |
4 |
|
Special Advisor |
2 |
|
Quantify Surveyor |
1 |
|
Driver |
1 |
|
Total |
283 |
467. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the number of employees in each of the agencies under his Department's remit at the end of December 2025, broken down by grade, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22902/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information request by the Deputy is provided in the table below. A separate table is provided for Pobal in the context of their specific grading structure.
|
Agency Grade |
Assistant Secretary |
Chief Executive |
Director |
Principal Officer |
Assistant Principal Officer |
Higher Executive Officer |
Admin Officer |
Executive Officer |
Clerical Officer |
Temp. Clerical Officer |
Service officer |
Professional or Technical |
Engineer |
Other Grades |
Total Staff EOY 2025 |
|
Charities Regulatory Authority |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
11 |
0 |
15 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
47 |
|
Western Development Commission |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
15 |
0 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
36 |
|
Water Safety Ireland |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
9 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
|
Foras na Gaeilge |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
10 |
12 |
0 |
12 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
Warehouse Operatives 1 |
56 |
|
Oifig an Coimisinéir Teanga |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
|
Ulster Scot Agency |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Údarás na Gaeltachta |
0 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
26 |
37 |
0 |
24 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
108 |
|
Pobal: CEO |
Senior Leadership Team |
Grade 6 |
Grade 5 |
Grade 4 |
Grade 3 |
Grade 2 |
Grade 1 |
Total Staff EOY 2025 |
|
1 |
3 |
11 |
21 |
100 |
237 |
331 |
90 |
794 |
470. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23083/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 22 January 2025, my Department has delivered significant policy and programme achievements across rural development, community development, and the Gaeltacht and the Islands. The work of my Department is very much framed by it's Statement of Strategy 2025-2028, which is available here -Statement of Strategy https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-rural-and-community-development-and-the-gaeltacht/collections/statement-of-strategy/.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to publish and implement a successor to the Our Rural Future policy. After an extensive consultation processes, and a review of the previous policy by the OECD, work on a successor policy is nearing completion. As with previous rural development policies, this will be a whole of Government policy, led by my Department. I look forward to bringing this to Government in due course.
My Department is also currently developing a new National Volunteering Strategy, which will also fulfil a commitment in the Programme for Government. The role of volunteers is vital to a range of work supported by my Department and this policy will help support this vital sector. Work is also ongoing on a successor strategy for the community and voluntary sector, again with extensive consultation a key part of that work.
I would also note that, with regard to the Gaeltacht area, Government recently approved the Action Plan for Irish Language Public Services 2026-2028, and the Údarás na Gaeltachta (Amendment) Bill has been brought through Committee Stage and is now at Report stage.
In addition, implementation is ongoing across other policies, including:
• Town Centre First Policy (2022)
• Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors (2023 – 2027)
• Ár nOileáin Bheo (2023 – 2033)
• Trading for Impact (2024 – 2027)
• The Library is the Place (2023 – 2027)
• The National Philanthropy Policy (2024 – 2028)
• The 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language (2010 – 2030) and associated 5-Year Action Plan
• The Digital Plan for the Irish Language (2023 – 2027)
• The Strategy for Irish Language Based Arts (2024-2027)
• The National Plan for Irish Language Public Services (2024 – 2030)
The implementation of this framework of policies has seen the delivery of significant funding to rural, urban and Gaeltacht communities in 2025 and to date in 2026. This is delivered through a range of schemes, and examples of this funding include;
• €159 million was secured in Budget 2026 for the Gaeltacht, Irish Language and Islands Programme, an increase of over €36 million
• An investment of €35.7 million was announced under the NDP for the development of Inis Oírr pier
• €20 million joint funding was approved for Foras na Gaeilge and Ulster-Scots Agency
• Increased funding for both Gaeltacht Support Schemes and Irish Language Support Schemes.
• A further €31 million has been announced under the Community Recognition Fund supporting communities welcoming new arrivals
• €26 million was approved for over 100 projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme
• €25 million for 284 outdoor recreation projects – the largest approval to date under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme
• €21 million has been announced to support improvements to 369 community centres under the Community Centre Investment Fund
• €20.5 million under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund for 30 projects nationwide
• €17.5 million was announced for Local Authorities to upgrade rural roads and laneways under the Local Improvement Scheme
• €14 million for 238 projects under the CLÁR programme - the highest allocation since the scheme was reintroduced in 2016. Related to this, a commitment given in the Programme for Government to conduct a comprehensive review of the eligibility criteria of CLÁR was delivered in March (2026) with 110 areas added across 20 counties
• In 2025 €7 million was allocated for over 5,400 small community grants under the Local Enhancement Programme with a further €7 million available in 2026
• Increase of €4 million for the Community Services Programme, with its annual allocation increasing from €55.4 million to €59.4 million.
My Department will produce its annual report later this year, providing a comprehensive report on all progress during 2025. Taken together, the policy platform and range of programmes and schemes operated by my Department are having hugely positive impacts for communities across the country, and for the Gaeltacht, the Islands, and the Irish Language.
471. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the timeline for the introduction of an annual social enterprise empowerment and development allocation to support sustainable job creation, affordable childcare provision and community-based services, including disability supports, as outlined in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13204/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial enterprises have an impact in communities all over Ireland. Their core objective is to use their operations and/or profits earned to make a positive impact in people’s lives and communities. I welcome the commitment outlined in the Programme for Government to continue to support the vital role of social entrepreneurship, recognising its value in the local economy and society.
In 2024 the Government published the most recent social enterprise policy: Trading for Impact, which covers the period up to 2027. The policy has five objectives, including Growing and Sustaining Social Enterprise, and a Stakeholder Engagement Group has been established to support the implementation of the Policy.
In terms of an annual Social Enterprise Empowerment and Development allocation (known as SEED funding), my officials are engaging with colleagues on this matter, as well as actively exploring with stakeholders how best to meet the challenges of the sector as they see them. As part of this work, a Census of Social Enterprises will be undertaken in the coming months. Building on the Baseline Data Collection Report published in 2023, this important research will provide insights into the sector and where key supports are required to support its financial sustainability and growth into the future.
My Department is also working on the development of a new Dormant Accounts Fund Scheme for social enterprises to help them grow their traded income and become more financially sustainable. This is in line with the objectives of the Policy. I hope to launch this scheme shortly and details will be available on my Department’s website.
I am fully committed to supporting social enterprises and recognise the value in investing and supporting the sector. I will continue to advocate strongly for additional supports and resources to ensure the sector is supported and sustained into the future.
472. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail, agus Gaeltachta cén tacaíocht ón Ciste Oileán Roinnte atá tar éis bheith dáilithe aige ar fiontair Gaeilge aige, de réir méid agus céadatán den iomlán sa bhuiséad sa Choiste chuile bliain ó bhunaigh sé é maidir leis and Ghaeilge. [23930/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIs í aidhm an Tionscnamh um Oileán Comhroinnte an oiread leas agus is féidir a bhaint as na deiseanna ar fad a eascraíonn as Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta chun comhoibriú, caidreamh agus comhthuiscint a fheabhsú ar an oileán seo chun teacht ar chomhaontú maidir le todhchaí chomhroinnte.
Leagtar amach clár oibre uaillmhianach sa Chlár Rialtais chun oileán comhroinnte a thógáil, le tacaíocht leanúnach tríd an gCiste um Oileán Comhroinnte chun athmhuintearas, meas frithpháirteach agus fás a chothú.
Cuireann an Rialtas leithdháiltí ar fáil d’Airí faoin gCiste um Oileán Comhroinnte chun tionscadail infheistíochta agus cláir chomhoibrithe a chur chun cinn chun cuspóirí an Chláir Rialtais agus an Phlean Forbartha Náisiúnta a chur i bhfeidhm mar a bhaineann leis an Oileán Comhroinnte, ag obair i gcomhar le comhghleacaithe i bhFeidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann agus Rialtas na Breataine, agus le comhpháirtithe údaráis áitiúil, institiúidí oideachais agus sochaí sibhialta ar fud an oileáin.
Tá an maoiniú seo á chur ar fáil chun infheistíocht a dhéanamh i dtionscadail nua dírithe ar chomhoibriú Thuaidh Theas, lena n-áirítear tograí dírithe ar an nGaeilge agus ar theanga, cultúr agus oidhreacht na hUltaise i dTuaisceart Éireann agus cois teorann.
Tá €6 milliún in airgead caipitil curtha ar fáil go dtí seo ón gCiste um Oileán Comhroinnte mar thacaíocht do thionscadail Ghaeilge agus Ultaise - €2m in 2022 agus €4m in 2025 - mar aon le maoiniú ó mo Roinn fhéin, a dhéanann maoirseacht ar sheachadadh an mhaoinithe, i gcomhar le comhpháirtithe i dTuaisceart Éireann. Meastar go mbeidh 75% den mhaoiniú seo á chur ar fáil do thionscadail Ghaeilge.
Chuige sin, bhí an-áthas orm a fhógairt le déanaí go bhfuil maoiniú €4.8 milliún san iomlán thar 4 bliana ceadaithe agam don Chiste Infheistíochta Gaeilge chun cómhaoiniú a dhéanamh ar thograí pobail Gaeilge i dTuaisceart Éireann.
Tacaíonn an Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge le heagraíochtaí pobail agus deonacha a chuireann an Ghaeilge chun cinn agus gur mian leo tionscadail chaipitil den chineál éagsúla a fhorbairt. Táim ag súil go mór le toradh na dtionscadal atá á bhforbairt ag an gCiste a fheiceáil.
Roimhe seo, cuireadh maoiniú €1 milliún ar fáil do Naíscoil na Seolta don chéad chéim d'fhorbairt áiseanna cuí do naíonraí / naíscoil lán-Ghaeilge ar shuíomh slán in Oirthear Bhéal Feirste. Tá an naíscoil ag dul ó neart go neart ó osclaíodh na háiseanna nua i mí Eanáir 2025.
Anuas air sin, dár ndóigh, tá soláthar iomlán reatha d’os cionn €20 milliún san áireamh i Meastacháin mo Roinne i mbliana do chomhoibriú trasteorann chun tacú, ach go h-áirithe, le hobair an Fhorais Teanga chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn ar fud an oileáin agus chun feasacht agus úsáid níos leithne na hUltaise agus cultúr na hUltaise a chur chun cinn.
