Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2026
55. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether he will take a role in the failure to deliver community centres and other community services in new housing estates. [52756/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department has invested substantial levels of funding in resourcing community centres in recent years and this investment is set to continue.
The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) was introduced to provide high quality, accessible, community spaces that are available to all groups in all communities in both rural and urban areas. Some €112 million has been allocated since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres where such a need has been identified.
I was delighted to launch the latest round of funding under CCIF 2026 on March 26th for enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres. The fund will be delivered across 2 categories with maximum funding levels of €25,000 and €100,000 respectively. The closing date has now passed, and the appraisal process has commenced.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention programme overseen by my Department. This is a national programme that is delivered in both rural and urban areas by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need.
SICAP supports individuals and community groups who face disadvantage, providing targeted supports in areas such as employment, mental health, education, and community engagement and improving the quality of life of those facing social exclusion and inequality. The supports are provided by the staff of Local Development Companies in local communities across the country, often using community centres as their bases.
SICAP funding is subject to the annual budgetary Estimates process. I secured an additional €1.5m in Budget 2026 and bringing the annual funding for SICAP to over €50m and I am committed to progressively increasing funding for SICAP, in line with the Programme for Government commitment.
My Department’s Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports 434 community-based organisations, including 84 organisations under the primary activity of Community Halls, Sports, and Resource Centres. The CSP Programme provides an annual co-funding contribution towards the employment of 55 manager positions and 331 FTE positions, with a total funding allocation of €36.772 million to these organisations over the Programme period i.e. 2023-2027.
All eligible organisations, including those that are based in areas with new housing developments were given an opportunity to apply under the Open Call for applications to join the CSP Programme, which closed for receipt of preliminary applications on 08 May. All applications received are currently going through the various stages of the appraisal process. It is anticipated that organisations will be notified of the outcome of this Preliminary Application stage in the coming weeks. Subsequently, shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit a full application to Pobal.
The community centres that facilitate both programmes can be found in a variety of places and there is nothing in SICAP or the CSP that precludes the use of community centres in new housing estates.
