Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 May 2026
145. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his plans to safeguard and expand upon the funding that is available to community development initiatives such as the Carlow County Development Partnership, amidst current economic uncertainties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38298/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to supporting community development initiatives across the country through a range of funding schemes and measures. Local Development Companies are key to the delivery of some schemes, in particular LEADER and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP).
The LEADER programme, which is co-funded by the EU, supports rural communities in areas such as economic development and job creation, rural infrastructure, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. In Carlow, the LEADER Local Action Group is Carlow Local Community Development Committee, with Carlow County Development Partnership acting as their implementing partner. Under the 2023-2027 programme this Local Action Group have an overall budget allocation of almost €5 million to complete work in line with their Local Development Strategy. The budget comprises of over €3.7 million to provide grant support to community and business projects, with the remainder covering their animation and administration costs associated with delivering the programme. This allocation over the programme period provides significant funding certainty for Carlow County Development Partnership.
In addition, Carlow County Development Partnership delivers SICAP across all of County Carlow on behalf of my Department. SICAP is Ireland’s primary social inclusion intervention. Funding of approximately €744,000 has been allocated to Carlow County Development Partnership for the delivery of SICAP in 2026, with an additional €125,000 allocated for delivery of programme supports to New Arrivals in the community. Funding for SICAP and related interventions has grown in recent years, helping ensure sustained progress in relation to social inclusion. We continuously review funding to such schemes to ensure our available funding is put to best use in terms of supporting communities throughout the country.
