Vol. 970 No. 3
5. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will address the need for a new community centre for the north fringe of Dublin city; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24892/18]
45. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way in which his Department supports local parish and community centres in urban areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24891/18]
As the Minister is aware, the north fringe is a vast new urban district which was started nearly 20 years ago but was stopped for nearly ten years. Up to 20,000 people live there in areas such as Clongriffin, Belmayne, the coast and Burnell, yet we do not have many of the key services one would expect in such a big district such as education, health, sport and recreation. People believe it would be beneficial to have a multifunctional community centre in the heart of the area, namely, in Clongriffin. My question is whether the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, could be used. The Minister could become one of the stakeholders in such a project.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 45 together.
My Department supports the local community development committees which are responsible for overseeing local and community development funding and identifying local needs through the local economic and community plan, LECP, process. Dublin City Council's LECP includes as a strategic goal the provision of a range of public, safe and affordable amenities, activities and facilities that are accessible to people of all ages and abilities. In line with this strategic goal, a community centre was recently established in Clongriffin, on the north side of Dublin city. The centre is leased by Dublin City Council and the amenity has been available to local community groups since its official launch on 14 May last.
My Department provides a range of supports to communities and community centres nationwide, in both urban and rural areas, by helping citizens to participate in the development of their communities and by providing funding to improve facilities. The public participation networks enable citizens to have a greater say in local government decisions which affect their own communities. These networks are represented on the local community development committees. In addition, the community enhancement programme which I launched last month can contribute towards the renovation of community centres. My Department also provides funding under the Leader programme, which can support the development of community centres outside of the five main cities.
Separately, once a community centre is in place, the community services programme supports community businesses to provide local services and create employment opportunities for disadvantaged people. Under the programme, my Department can provide a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions.
The Minister mentioned Leader and the other programmes. It seems that this significant new urban district is falling between the cracks. We had the opening of a new hub, which essentially is a small space. We have a very vibrant community in Clongriffin and the adjoining districts. Besides the local "Dubs" and people from all over Ireland, including the Minister's county, we also have up to 40 different nationalities. People have seen what is done in other areas. Unfortunately, we are not a strategic development zone but we have seen a major new multifunctional community centre placed beside the secondary school in Phibblestown in the Taoiseach's constituency and in a number of other areas, thereby creating a centre for the area.
We have also seen developments in many comparator cities, for example Stockholm, which also has a major new urban district on the north of the city but where key services were put in at the start, whereas Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council and main developers such as Gannon and Kearns have been incredibly slow to put in the key services that are required. We campaigned for ten years for a railway station. I welcome what the Minister outlined and I urge him to consider becoming a stakeholder in the area. I know the energy the Minister has put into looking after the urban spaces in Westport, Ballina and Castlebar in his constituency.
I agree with Deputy Broughan's sentiments. I have visited some of the communities in Limerick and Dublin and in some rural areas. We have the community enhancement programme, the RAPID programme and the community facility programme. I joined two of the schemes together because the grant aid provided was small. Local community development committees, LCDCs, community groups, elected representatives and chambers of commerce can identify the areas most in need of grant aid. I accept that the amount of grant aid available is not significant.
The inner city is not Deputy Broughan's area of Dublin but we provided €3.5 million for it given the level of need and demand. Cherry Orchard received funding last year because of the problems associated with the area. The community had raised its own funds. It has a large hinterland and it had no centre. I agree with what Deputy Broughan has said. I want to see communities such as the one he has spoken about supported. Now that the economy is beginning to lift I want to see places like that getting the same opportunity. A total of €190 million is available under the SICAP programme over five years. I want to target disadvantage in communities on an individual basis and help the citizens who might not have got a chance in recent years. Many people have been targeted through the SICAP programme in particular in recent years and they have set up their own businesses. Some of them have accessed further education. We are now creating jobs for them. We must give them the opportunity and the supports.
There is a tremendous community spirit among the residents and many local community activities but people feel the need of a multifunctional community centre. The area was developed on the basis that it would be the size of Waterford city which means up to 50,000 people. I accept that Waterford will expand in the future. It is a huge new urban district.
People feel it is at a critical point in its development. If we do not come in with community facilities in the next year or two we could lose the area and would then be facing remedial measures, which we do not want. The indicative cost is about €6 million or €7 million. It would be important for the Department to be one of the stakeholders or pillars to allow this to be done. Part of the problem is that we have two county councils doing opposite things on the other side of the border, with smaller community spaces. We need to have everybody together in a multifaceted effort to create a community.
In respect of pastoral centres founded by different religious organisations but belonging to the whole community, is the Minister in favour of supports for them as well?
I would be supportive of anything that is good for community. It does not matter what religion, colour or creed - I want to support communities like that.
There is a scheme I urge the Deputy to investigate himself and to talk to Dublin City Council about. It is a new €2 billion urban regeneration fund that will be opening some time in June. The Deputy might look at making an application with the city council under that fund. These are the kind of projects that should be supported. Maybe the county council and other State agencies would assist the Deputy and the community to make an application. Applications will be open in June, announcements will be made in November and there will be a second round next year. This and all the existing schemes are there to support communities.
Deputy Ó Cuív had a question about the communities programme. We provide funding for staff and managers to support them. The social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and all the other schemes are there. I urge the Deputy to look at that urban regeneration scheme. I want to see areas of disadvantage getting an opportunity to draw some funding out of this as well. It does not always have to be where we want to create jobs. We also have to create a society and give people an opportunity.
7. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the proposals his Department has in respect of Brexit; the number of staff assigned to Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25722/18]
Coming from a west of Ireland constituency that is doing well, no doubt thanks to his own role, I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, is aware of the consequences for employment in rural Ireland of a hard Brexit. They have been well documented to date. There could be negative impacts and consequences for rural industries, especially agriculture, agrifood and processing, which constitute the backbone of employment provision for many thousands of our people in villages and towns across rural Ireland. What steps are being taken to ensure the Government is fully prepared to deal with such an eventuality?
My colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, has the primary responsibility for leading on Brexit negotiations on behalf of the Government. My Department has been making and will continue to make contributions to Brexit discussions, and is providing policy advice relevant to its remit as and when required.
This Department was established to bring a greater level of co-ordination and cohesion to policies that impact rural Ireland and communities in order to ensure that economic recovery can be felt right across the country. Part of that involves ensuring the potential impacts of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union are mitigated in those communities most likely to be affected by Brexit. Regional and rural businesses face enormous potential challenges on this front, particularly in the Border region, and this is relevant across a number of policy areas of my Department. In this context, considerations around the impact of Brexit are shared across different policy areas, rather than being assigned to a single unit or to dedicated staff. In addition, my role in the Cabinet committee on the economy gives me a specific forum to raise issues for rural Ireland relating to the economy, jobs, the labour market, competitiveness, productivity, trade, the Action Plan on Rural Development, and the digital economy, including managing and mitigating the risks associated with Brexit.
The Minister of State is aware, of course, that regional and rural businesses are extremely vulnerable and susceptible to the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, particularly given how the negotiations are drifting. In the Border region this is particularly pronounced but it is also apparent right across the country. It is extremely difficult to perceive any upside in respect of the current impasse in the negotiations. There is a clearly fractured British Government on one side, whose members are busy negotiating among themselves and cannot get agreement. How can Monsieur Barnier and his team at EU level try to achieve something in that context? It is all in a very precarious balance. A White Paper has not even been furnished by the British side to enable substantive, sustainable or significant negotiations to take place.
There are critical issues that affect the whole of Ireland, such as how to achieve a frictionless and open Border and preserve and protect the principles of the Good Friday Agreement. I am concerned about how far advanced we are. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is leading matters but what input has the Department of Rural and Community Development? Does it have any staff specifically assigned to ensure there is input into all areas and the necessary strategies are formulated and put in place? This is of momentous importance to all our communities.
We have tabled a similar question, No. 24. I support Deputy Penrose in that respect. My question was to ask the Minister if we have contact with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland around this issue. Swanlinbar in County Cavan is part of my constituency. It is in the same parish as Kinawley across the Border. There is such a movement of people and business; everything that happens crosses the Border. It is just like two townlands beside each other in any part of rural Ireland. There needs to be an emphasis placed by those on both sides of the Border on working with the authorities on both sides to come up with solutions for the people who live in these areas because they are all our people.
Clearly, Ireland wants the closest possible relationship with the UK post Brexit. Everything we are doing is to ensure that happens. We are still of the view that the optimum outcome for the UK is for it to remain part of the Single Market and the customs union. That is a matter for the United Kingdom and it is in the throes of debate on those very issues.
There is detailed work going on across Government in respect of this area. The Deputies contributing now are from the midlands and Border areas. My colleague, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Heather Humphreys, has a particular affinity with ensuring that everything possible is done to mitigate the impacts of Brexit on the Border areas. There are ongoing negotiations across all of Government. The Taoiseach paid a very positive visit to Northern Ireland last week, to both sides and traditions, and was well received. There has been ongoing engagement. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, met recently with the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, MP, in respect of agriculture and food.
There are a number of dedicated measures including the €300 million Brexit loan scheme for businesses which was launched in March and increased funding to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation as well as the €25 million Brexit response loan scheme for the agrifood sector and additional supports also for capital investment in the food industry and Bord Bia in terms of marketing and promotion.
We need a very close working relationship. In the context of our exports and imports, there is great interdependence and has been for years. There are people travelling and the common travel area is obviously protected. The relationships are significant and, as Deputy Martin Kenny said, we are intertwined at all levels, even at micro level. I read an interesting article in The Sunday Business Post about Drum, a small area. Fields are straddling the Border. There is no thought given by those hard Brexiteers. One of them was mouthing last week, Boris Johnson. He did not even know and obviously has never visited the area and has no concept of the degree of interdependence. We have it in the agri industry, for example Lakeland and the dairying industry, as well as the pig and sheep industries. There is such a degree of interrelatedness and interoperability. There has to be free flow of goods. Apart altogether from the significance of the Good Friday Agreement and all it entails, mere common sense would dictate that this is critical. North, South, east and west, there has to be free flow. The Minister of State and the Government will have our full support in trying to achieve this.
It is hugely important that everyone in this House is on the one side and, clearly, they are in terms of the necessity of getting the best deal possible in terms of Brexit.
Obviously, it was a decision for the UK. We wished it did not happen but it is the reality that has resulted from the decision made by the UK. There is a team effort from every part of Government to ensure that the best possible deal will be achieved. It is very important that people at senior levels in the UK Government are acutely aware of and visit communities in Northern Ireland. It is certainly not too late. I know there have been some visits but we need to ensure they know about the cross-trade nature, the cross relationships between communities and matters relating to, as Deputy Martin Kenny said, parishes, the number of road crossings and the number of farmers with land on both sides of the Border. There are real issues that are either impacting or could impact on communities, particularly those along the Border, so it is hugely important that we continue the team effort within Government and within this House to ensure that the best possible deal is achieved regarding Brexit.
8. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications for the 2016 and 2017 outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, the criteria used in project selection and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25900/18]
The Minister recently announced funding for the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, which has been up and running for the past couple of years. Can he give an indication of the types of projects that have been funded to date and, specifically, in the context of the current scheme, as advertised? What will be the selection criteria for the projects that fit into that scheme?
The outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure. The scheme facilitates the development of numerous greenways, blueways, walks and other trails across the country.
In 2016, 117 projects throughout Ireland were selected for funding of €7.4 million from a total of 221 expressions of interest received from local authorities, local development companies and State agencies during 2015. Under the 2017 scheme, 251 projects were approved for funding of €13.6 million from a total of 376 applications which were received by my Department from local authorities and State agencies.
The applications under both the 2016 and 2017 schemes were assessed under the following general headings: the collaborative nature of the application; the element of match funding available; the provision of detailed costings of all elements of the project; and the amount of added recreational value that the project would bring to the community, the region or nationally.
I launched the 2018 outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme on 1 June last, with an allocation of €12 million to continue to support important local, regional and national rural recreation projects this year and into 2019. Details of all projects funded under the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme in 2016 and 2017 and the scheme outline for 2018 can be found on the rural recreation pages of my Department's website.
This is a very good scheme of which I am very supportive. I tabled this question because I had some slight concerns following the Minister's announcement. I am very conscious of the fact that he represents rural Ireland so well. When he launched this scheme, it was noticeable that he spoke about improving recreational facilities significantly to enhance the quality of life of people who live close to the projects and to support sustainable economic development in rural areas. He went on to say that increasing tourism is a key pillar of the action plan for rural redevelopment. My concern is to ensure that these projects would not all be rurally based. There is a very significant need for these projects in urban areas to enhance tourism but also for people's well-being in terms of healthy lifestyles. In respect of the Minister's emphasis on rural Ireland, which I understand because there is nobody better than the Minister when it comes to looking after rural Ireland, it should not be the case that people in Dublin and other urban areas do not have facilities such as the Great Western Greenway in the Minister's county. I want an assurance from the Minister that while he referred to rural Ireland in his press release, urban areas will be treated equally in the context of this grant.
The outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme is the name of the scheme. It is an all-Ireland scheme. It is for everybody - town, village, rural area or city. On this occasion I am looking at allowing Leader companies come in with regard to the smaller schemes. I will leave the two bigger schemes to the local authorities. The Deputy is quite correct. These have been a tremendous success. They have added value, particularly to the tourism product throughout the country. I have visited towns and villages - cities not so much - in respect of the scheme but it does not matter whether an application worthy of support relates to Dublin, Mayo, Cork or Kerry. I know we gave major funding. I will ask the Department to let the Deputy know whether we have funded anything in the Dublin area. I cannot remember off the top of my head but I know we made a major investment of €1 million into walks in and around Cork city.
I have to bring the Minister to some of the urban areas. Last year, South Dublin County Council ran what one might describe as a participatory budget competition whereby the local communities were able to promote ideas and vote on them. One of the issues they voted on and where they recommended that money be spent involved the restoration of what is called the Silver Bridge. It is also known as Guinness Bridge or Farmleigh Bridge. It crosses the Liffey from Waterstown Park in Palmerstown to Farmleigh. It joins the two parks - Phoenix Park and Waterstown Park. It has huge potential. The funding that is available for that involves a feasibility study relating to restoring the bridge, connecting the two parks and developing a greenway and facility along the Liffey. I would hope that projects like that would be considered in terms of this scheme. While it is right in the heart of Dublin, it addresses the issue of tourism and the greater issue of healthy living and exercise. I hope projects like that would be considered in the same way as rural projects.
When I was in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, there were some schemes there, particularly for cities and bigger towns. I want to make it clear to the Deputy that the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme opened on 1 June, the closing date is 27 July and it is open to everybody. Every application will be considered on its merits. I will set out the guidelines. It is a three-phase scheme. Measure 1 is for small-scale small maintenance or promotion of existing infrastructure where the maximum grant payable is €20,000. Measure 2 involves medium-scale repair or upgrade and new trail development where maximum amount payable is up to €200,000. Measure 3 involves larger-scale repair or upgrade and new strategy trails and development where the maximum amount payable is €500,000. I am talking to some State agencies at the moment to see whether they will come and support me with further funding but this funding is there. This is funding from my Department. I will talk to the State agencies to see whether they might top up some of these schemes. Local authorities can make ten applications for smaller schemes, four for medium schemes and one for a big scheme so they must prioritise the scheme or schemes they want - one large scheme, four medium schemes or ten smaller schemes. If a project is worthy of support and the application meets the criteria set out by the Department, it will be considered regardless of whether it involves a rural or urban area.
9. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which he has identified suitable project support under the rural and community development programme affecting rural and or urban areas, the extent to which he expects to be in a position to address issues of urban and rural or isolation in the course thereof and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25851/18]
224. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps he plans to take to address issues of isolation in communities urban or rural throughout the country; if a particular strategy is applicable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26174/18]
My questions concerns a similar situation, namely, the extent to which the rural and community programme is likely to be rolled out in all areas throughout the country - urban and rural - identifying if possible areas of social or economic deprivation for special attention and areas where restoration can be done to enhance tourism and education and take full advantage of the situation.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 224 together.
I am leading a Department whose mission is to help build vibrant and sustainable communities across the country in both rural and urban areas. To do this requires a mix of policy initiatives and actions to improve economic development and to address gaps in meeting the social needs in these areas.
Many of these initiatives form part of the Government's published Action Plan for Rural Development and framework policy for local and community development which include a range of measures which will contribute significantly to addressing isolation and social inclusion in communities.
The Department is committed to the successful delivery of a number of programmes which will greatly benefit rural and urban communities. These include the new five-year social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, which runs from 2018 to 2022 and is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. It is a €190 million national programme that is delivered locally to help those in the greatest need. The new community enhancement programme, which I launched last month, will provide capital grants worth €4.5 million to projects which target disadvantage. The new version of the seniors alert scheme came into effect on 1 November 2017 and has seen a surge in demand. The Leader element of the rural development programme 2014-2020 will provide €250 million in financial resources to address the challenges facing rural areas over the course of the programme period, particularly under the themes of economic development and social inclusion.
I launched CLÁR, a targeted investment programme for rural areas, in March 2018. The programme provides funding for small-scale infrastructural projects in disadvantaged rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation. The town and village renewal scheme is another initiative under the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and is part of a package of national and local support measures to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Funding of €15 million has been earmarked for the 2018 scheme and it is hoped that up to 200 projects will be approved for funding this year. All this funding will bring benefits to rural and urban communities by addressing isolation.
I thank the Minister for a comprehensive reply. We all recognise the important role he has to fulfil in restoring public confidence in rural Ireland and in areas suffering from social deprivation, perhaps over a long period.
I want to ask about the degree to which the Minister might direct attention to particular areas. Notwithstanding the applications that will be made by various communities throughout the country, it is also important that he identifies projects in particular areas, with a view to restoring the kind of public confidence in all areas, rural and urban, that is required. There has been a tendency in recent years to run down the morale of communities in both urban and rural settings, with obvious detrimental effects on encouraging investment. What issues might the Minister focus on to restore public confidence in those areas?
I will allow Deputy Fitzpatrick to make a brief comment.
Will the Minister outline the amount allocated under the local improvement scheme in 2018, both nationally and in County Louth, and whether there will be an additional round of funding?
I agree with Deputy Durkan that we should not demoralise community groups and, instead, we should support and help them. If we did not have these community groups to help provide certain social services, we would have a serious problem where Government or State agencies are not providing those services. That is why, earlier this year, I looked at the situation of some of these community groups in regard to the funding I had available. Whether it is the Tidy Towns or a show, for example, these give a village or a town a lift. That is why I launched the community enhancement programme through the amalgamation of two programmes, and provided €4.5 million. I let that funding move down to the LCDCs, into the local communities, so they can identify where the local needs are. I do not want people to allocate funding to an area that does not need it. I want to make sure the people on these committees identify where the needs are, and that is why we have put the funding in place.
The seniors alert scheme has been raised by the Deputy on many occasions. While there was funding in the kitty, it was not being drawn down. I will answer a question on that scheme later.
I wish the Minister well in his important work in this area. Might it be possible to engage in a public relations programme on the restoration of pride in local areas? Restoration of pride is important, both for people living in the area and people who look at the area to live in or invest in. It would be of huge benefit if the Minister was seen to be restoring pride in local areas, whether urban or rural, and creating the aura of confidence that is necessary for business and communities to survive.
I compliment the Deputy because, while he may not believe this, I asked departmental officials this week to look at organising a community weekend. We have a problem in this country in that people living in local areas do not know one another. My neighbour came in to me on Monday just when I was leaving for Dublin, and handed me a leaflet explaining there was a get-together on Friday night in my area. There are a number of people living in the area but we do not know each other because we are all busy, moving around and working. There are young people and families with young children who do not have an opportunity to meet. We are, therefore, having a get-together on Friday night.
I have asked my officials to sit down and look at this, and we are going to have a community weekend where people will get to know one another again. They might have a street party or might go into one another's houses, and at least introduce themselves to one another. What has happened is that people are getting busier and working harder, and they sometimes do not have the time for a social life. If they met their neighbours for even half and hour or an hour, they would at least know they are there for one another. I compliment the Deputy on the question.
Deputy Heydon did not get to take his Question No. 6 earlier. He believed there would be five Priority Questions when there were only four today. I have the prerogative to allow him to ask his question now but I would like to get the agreement of the House. I intend to accommodate Deputies Willie Penrose, Maureen O'Sullivan and Niamh Smyth afterwards. Is it agreed to allow Deputy Heydon to take his Question No. 6? Agreed. I ask the Deputy to forgo his introductory remarks and to limit his contribution to one supplementary question.
6. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the town and village renewal scheme; when applications from County Kildare can be submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25293/18]
I launched the 2018 town and village renewal scheme on 27 April this year with an allocation of €15 million for projects which will run over a 12 to 18-month period. Local authorities are required to seek expressions of interest from communities for proposals under the scheme, and each county has been invited to submit up to 12 proposals to my Department for consideration. The closing date for the submission of applications is 30 June.
During July, my Department will assess all the applications received, with a view to announcing successful projects as soon as possible thereafter. Projects will be expected to commence before the end of the year and should be completed by the end of 2019. Successful proposals are likely to include activities which have clear positive economic impacts on rural towns and villages. They will also demonstrate close collaboration between communities and business interests in the design and delivery of the projects.
More than €31.6 million has been approved for over 450 projects across the country since the town and village renewal scheme was introduced in the second half of 2016. I anticipate that up to 200 further projects will be approved through the €15 million being allocated under the 2018 scheme. The scheme is an important part of the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development. The Government's commitment to supporting rural Ireland is further demonstrated through Project Ireland 2040, which will result in the creation of a new €1 billion rural regeneration and development fund, which I will launch shortly. The new fund will provide an opportunity to deliver ambitious and integrated projects which will further support the revitalisation of our rural towns and villages.
I appreciate the indulgence of the Chair. I thank the Minister for his response. Kildare has experienced positive benefits from the town and village renewal scheme to date. I agree with the Minister's point about collaboration with local business and that economic activity and drivers are crucial. We have seen this in Ballymore Eustace with the €92,000 towards the walking trail, which will have a direct tourism benefit. It is also evident in Narraghmore, where €80,000 in funding will contribute to the development of a country market in an old hardware premises that was disused and had fallen down. Likewise, €100,000 has been provided for Monasterevin and the €67,000 in funding for CCTV in Athy shows the flexibility in the scheme, as well as the €95,000 for the upgrading of the town square.
We are working closely with Kildare County Council on applications for this year and we are also working with local communities in areas that hope to submit applications.
Kilcullen and Rathangan are two towns, in particular, where we have considered a public benefit element and I hope their applications would be looked on favourably. I hope further applications will be submitted by Castledermot, Monasterevin and beyond. I thank the Minister for opening up the scheme. It is beneficial and we look forward to working with him.
I thank the Deputy for his comments. He was correct that this has been a positive scheme with tremendous work being done. In his county, €796,403 has been allocated to a number of projects, some for which he lobbied hard. They are making an impact and the town and village renewal scheme is working well. I want the scheme to continue. I hope we will see some good projects on foot of it.
10. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the proposals his Department is working on in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, NTA, and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to deliver on the improvement of roads on offshore islands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25724/18]
I am somewhat flummoxed at the thought of the Minister not knowing everyone in Westport. He has received a submission from my colleague, Mr. Seamus Rodgers, a former councillor in Donegal who is concerned about the islands. There has done much work for islands not only off the coast of Donegal but off the west coast. There are some islands in the Minister's area and he knows the cost associated with maintaining the road networks for the island communities. It is much more expensive than it is for inland communities.
I thank the Deputy for his question. Statutory responsibility for the development and improvement of roads, including those on offshore islands, lies with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. However, since 2017, my Department has funded a local improvement scheme, which is a scheme for carrying out improvement works on private non-public roads. Often these roads lead to multiple houses, parcels of land that support agricultural activity, or amenities such as lakes, rivers or beaches.
The scheme is funded by my Department and delivered in conjunction with the county councils which administer it and carry out the improvement works. The county councils assess and prioritise the roads for improvement works and advise my Department of the projects they intend to carry out within their funding allocations. A local contribution is also made to the cost of the works.
It is solely the responsibility of the local authorities to select and prioritise the road projects that will received local improvement scheme funding in their areas, including on the offshore islands, in line with the scheme criteria and the council's funding allocation.
The allocation is not sufficient, as it takes much more resources to repair roads on the offshore islands. It is vital we provide supports for access and egress for the islands. The road network is vital for our island communities in terms of transport, employment and fisheries. The local authorities may allocate funding to the islands but it might only cover the cost of road maintenance for 1 km of road compared to 2 km elsewhere because of the significant impact of erosion on the islands. We want to ensure the sustainability of our islands to enable people to live on them. The former councillor, Seamus Rodgers made a detailed submission to the Minister. I ask him to review it to ensure some progress and to work in collaboration with the NTA, which might not be aware of our islands, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the local authorities. The Minister's Department is critical and pivotal in ensuring and highlighting the importance of our island communities and the protection and enhancement of facilities, including the road infrastructure.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. There are three islands in my constituency, although I acknowledge there are not many in the midlands.
There are none.
I compliment my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Kyne who opened up a scheme for the islands. Deputy Penrose was correct in pointing out that the islands incur extra costs to transport materials in and out of them. I would like co-operation between the local authorities, the Departments of Transport, Tourism and Sport and Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and my Department. The Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, has responsibility for both Gaeltacht and non-Gaeltacht islands. There should be a scheme to assist island communities. They are a special case and have a special need. It is important we maintain and look after our islands. They are a great tourist attraction and we want people to live and work on them and to be able to travel on roads of a good standard. I lobbied for island communities in recent years, as I have three islands in my constituency. The Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, opened up a scheme when he had responsibility for the Gaeltacht. We had other plans and we hope to continue with them.
Just in case we get stranded on an island here, I ask the Minister and the Deputy if they would be agreeable for us to move on.
Yes.
12. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the development of new draft guidelines for dog breeding due in quarter 2 of 2018 have been finalised; when they are likely to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25116/18]
13. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the legislative changes he is considering as a result of analysing the submissions received through consultation regarding dog breeding establishment guidelines; and the steps being made to progress those changes. [25115/18]
It has been agreed that Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan will take Deputy Clare Daly's Questions Nos. 12 and 13. Will Deputy O'Sullivan forfeit her 30-second introduction of the questions and allow the Minister of State to respond to them?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together.
My Department is currently finalising revised dog breeding establishment guidelines, taking account of the submissions received during the public consultation process, a summary report of which has been published on the Department's website. In recent months, departmental officials have been engaging with the members of the original working group and with other stakeholders to ensure that the revised guidelines reflect, where appropriate, the views received during the consultation period. I expect to have the revised guidelines ready for my approval to publish later this month. That is a commitment I gave in February in responses to parliamentary questions in the Dáil.
I want, and I am sure we all do, the highest standards achieved by dog breeding establishments in Ireland and will oversee the progression of any necessary legislative changes required in this area. My immediate priority is to finish work on revising the guidelines. Amendments to the relevant legislation, if necessary, will be progressed subsequently. My Department is currently identifying legislative amendments that may be required.
Broader issues relating to enforcement and licence conditions were also raised in the public consultation. I have asked my officials to consider whether further measures are required in these areas.
In this context, it is important to bear in mind that the enforcement of animal welfare standards for all animals, including dogs, is a matter for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Animal Health and Welfare Acts. Both Departments work closely with each other to ensure a co-ordinated approach is taken in this area.
There is an urgency about these guidelines given the dreadful reputation Ireland has as the puppy farm capital of Europe. The conditions on puppy farms are poor and there is a lack of enforcement of regulations. Deputy Clare Daly and I constantly receive calls from individuals, organisations and animal welfare groups about those conditions. I checked the DoneDeal website this morning. It has 2,000 advertisements for the sale of puppies and that does not take into account the number of puppies available in each. We know the appalling conditions on some of the farms. These are all the issues that must be taken on board.
The rescue communities have to pick up the pieces and while they are being funded, it is not sufficient. The puppy farms are a profit-making operation, churning out puppies all the time. We read of the seizures being made by customs officers practically every week. For example, a couple of puppies were seized last week. They puppies have to be rehoused and retrained and the animal welfare groups take all that into account. Having regard to what the Minister of State said in his reply, I hope there will be much better conditions and improved enforcement.
I wholeheartedly agree with the Deputy. We all recognise the important issues regarding puppy welfare. A number of submissions were made during the public consultation process. I expect to publish the revised guidelines by the end of this month. We can also be positive about some of the changes that have been made under the Animal Welfare Acts, including microchipping, and the trends in dog control statistics. The total number of dogs euthanised in local authority pounds was 996 in 2017 compared to more than 1,600 in 2016. That indicates a continuation in the annual decline in the number of dogs being euthanised, which is down from a high of more than 21,000 in 2002. There is positivity in the area, notwithstanding the issues that have arisen.
At the end of December 2016, 248 dog breeders were registered with the local authorities and 275 inspections of dog breeding establishments took place. The total number of dog breeding establishments on the register with local authorities at the end of December 2017 was 258.
The problem with inspections is that they are scheduled by appointment and, therefore, the dog breeding establishment knows when the inspector is coming. There needs to be on-the-spot appointments. If a fault is found, a notice is given to improve. Enforcement is not strong enough.
There are two other aspects, one of which is related to revenue. We need to consider the number of dog breeding establishments in Ireland and their revenue. I have been trying to pursue that with the Minister. There is also a serious environmental issue. Hundreds of dogs are being bred on puppy farms and there is the issue of dog poop and what is happening in that regard.
In his response to a Topical Issue matter I raised with the Minister previously, he agreed that the scope of the existing guidelines needs to be enhanced because they are benign. They represent a minimal standard that is no longer acceptable. We need to move much more radically on this issue.
Responsibility for animal welfare comes under three Departments - the Minister of State's Department, and the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
When it falls between the cracks like that, abuses take place.
Another question is whether puppy farms should exist at all. Puppies are not livestock and are not bred for slaughter or food production. I hope that the guidelines will be more robust and have severe enforcement aspects.
The consultation was robust and there were a number of submissions which we expect to be able to take on board. I note the Deputy's concerns about this being a cross-departmental issue. Some of the submissions also made that point and were of the view that it should be entirely within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, where vets have a role. The local authorities, which fall under a separate Department, have ultimate responsibility for enforcement. There is good collaboration, however, between the Departments, vets and local authorities. My officials have engaged with the relevant stakeholders, for example, local authorities and vets under the auspices of the County and City Management Association, CCMA, the ISPCA and Dogs Trust, on revising the draft documents.
The Deputy is right concerning Buy N Sell, DoneDeal.ie and so on. She can take up the Revenue issues with the Minister for Finance, but it was a valid point.
14. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work of the Action Plan for Rural Development specifically relating to the revitalisation of towns and villages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24822/18]
16. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the commitment contained in the Action Plan for Rural Development to rejuvenate more than 600 rural and regional towns. [25804/18]
I will forfeit my 30 second preamble.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 16 together.
I thank the Deputy for her question. The town and village renewal scheme is a key component in revitalising towns and villages and sustaining our rural communities. It was introduced in 2016 and allocated €10 million to 170 projects in its first year of operation. In 2017, as part of the Action Plan for Rural Development, I launched an enhanced town and village renewal scheme with a focus on projects that could bring a positive economic impact to our rural towns and villages. Under last year's scheme, I approved €21.6 million in funding to 281 projects. I launched a further round of the scheme in April of this year, with an allocation of €15 million. The closing date for the submission of applications to my Department is 30 June and I anticipate that up to 200 further projects will be approved arising from this call for proposals. These projects will be completed over a 12 to 18 month period.
In addition, my Department provided €7 million in CLÁR funding to 231 projects in 2017. More than 400 applications have been received under this year's CLÁR programme and I will be announcing details of successful projects shortly. I also allocated €1.4 million to Tidy Towns committees throughout the country last year to mark the 60th anniversary of the competition in 2018. I made €812,000 available towards the running costs of agricultural shows around the country. These shows attract many extra visitors to rural towns and villages.
The new €1 billion rural regeneration and development fund, which was announced by the Government recently as part of Project Ireland 2040, will provide an opportunity to deliver ambitious and integrated projects that further support the revitalisation of our rural towns and villages. I will be announcing full details of the fund later this month.
On the basis of the progress made to date, the target in the Action Plan for Rural Development to support the revitalisation of more than 600 rural towns and villages over the period 2017 to 2020 will be exceeded. My objective is to ensure that the investment made in these towns and villages has a sustainable impact that will make them more attractive places in which to live and work and to visit.
Speaking as someone from a rural constituency, the Minister's portfolio is one of the most important nationally. His remit, particularly in terms of the Action Plan for Rural Development, has the potential to do much for towns and villages, which have been stripped of services down the years. Their post offices, Garda stations, shops and banks have closed, but the Minister has it within his gift to put fire in the belly of communities to see a revitalisation of their towns and villages.
Of the €21.6 million that the Minister allocated for 2017, how much has been spent? Will he meet his target? What are his ambitions for the 2018 allocation? Will there be an increase in the action plan or will that stay as is?
The Minister referred to CLÁR funding. Tunnyduff national school in my community is dependent on such schemes. We are into the summer months and the school is breaking up for the summer. The announcements were meant to be made in May. I hope that the Minister will clarify when they will be made.
I thank the Minister for introducing these schemes in recent years. They have been of considerable benefit to rural Ireland. CLÁR, town and village renewal schemes, community involvement schemes, CIS, and local improvement schemes, LIS, have been crucial.
Will there be a timescale this year for money to be spent under town and village renewal schemes? Will there be a definite funding stream annually? Will the amount be the same or will it grow in subsequent periods?
I thank the Deputies for their questions. I will not be political, but there have been many closures of small shops in recent years. They are finding it difficult thanks to the Internet and so on. People sometimes forget that many small shops are closing because multinationals have entered their areas. I have seen this happen in my own area. It is not always a good thing. I would prefer small shops employing local people, but that is how life has turned.
Deputy Smyth asked a valid question about the CLÁR programme. I am trying to get the scheme out as quickly as possible. The Deputy is correct in that many CLÁR programmes deal with lighting, safety schemes for schools, etc. They need to be notified quickly because they would like to get the work done between now and September. I am putting pressure on the Department to try to get the announcements made as quickly as possible. As the Deputy knows, there are three aspects to the scheme. I will try to get the safety element in particular announced as soon as possible, as that important work needs to be done while schools are closed.
Both Deputies asked whether there would be further funding for the town and village renewal scheme. I have sat down with local authorities. A stream of funding is guaranteed for the next number of years. To be fair to local authorities, they did not have the capacity to deliver some of these schemes because they did not have funding. Now that they know that there will be a continuation of funding for a number of years, they will be able to build capacity and employ people and the schemes will continue.
The town and village renewal scheme will last for 18 months. We expect that any funding allocated this year will be spent in 2019.
Has the Department met its targets for 2017's €21.6 million? Has all of it been spent? Will the Minister increase funding for the Action Plan for Rural Development in 2018? He mentioned small shops in towns being crucified by large multinationals, but the main problem is broadband. It is a major issue for the Government in the revitalisation of towns and villages throughout the country. The Minister is right, in that many shops have been put to the pin of their collar because of online purchasing, but it is up to the Government to ensure that broadband is available in our small towns and villages so that they can compete with multinationals and online buying. The Minister's Department will play a pivotal role in putting fire in the belly of communities throughout the country.
One of the main advantages of the town and village renewal scheme has been how it has given communities another opportunity to re-engage with themselves in the first instance, join together and formulate plans. That approach has been missing in recent years.
An important element is something that the Minister referenced in a previous answer. Extra staff need to be available to assist communities in putting action plans and applications together. Some applications can be detailed, so assistance is required. Is the Minister confirming that extra staff will be available at local authority level to assist communities in that regard? I believe I heard him say that in a previous answer.
In 2016, I approved an allocation of €9.8 million. Of that, €9.7 million was spent. That is 92%.
The point that Deputy Deering raised was one of the complaints that I received from local authorities. I met the CCMA, which complained that many schemes had landed on authorities quickly and they did not have the necessary resources.
They know now. I actually wrote to them to give them a timeframe indicating when the schemes would open, when they would be closed and when they would be announced. Now they know that there will be a continuation of funding for the next several years and they can plan for that. They could not plan for it in the past.
