Claire Kerrane
Question:56. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the roll-out of the town centre first policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19347/23]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Departmental Policies
Ciaran Cannon
Question:72. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when local groups in Galway will be able to apply for funding under the town and village renewal scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19233/23]
David Stanton
Question:83. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will outline the work being undertaken by her Department to address vacancy and dereliction in rural towns and villages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19231/23]
Brian Leddin
Question:102. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has received applications from all local authorities in respect of the new building acquisition measure funding to tackle vacancy and dereliction in towns and villages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19333/23]
Colm Burke
Question:114. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when local groups in Cork will be able to apply for funding under the town and village renewal scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19401/23]
Will the Minister make a statement on the roll-out of the town centre first policy?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 72, 83, 102 and 114 together.
The town centre first policy is a major, cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the vision in Our Rural Future for a thriving rural Ireland, which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development.
My Department co-chairs the national oversight and advisory group for the policy with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This group seeks to oversee the delivery of the policy and ensure there is clear stakeholder visibility in respect of implementation. The group met for the first time in December and is due to meet again this month. The establishment of the national implementation office is key to the success of the policy. The office supports town regeneration officers in driving implementation at a local level and co-ordinates stakeholder engagement. This structure has now been put in place within the Local Government Management Agency and my officials are in ongoing contact with the national office.
A key aim of both the town centre first and Our Rural Future policies is addressing vacancy and dereliction in rural towns and villages and ensuring the policies and schemes in place directly address and tackle these issues. This complements other national policies such as Housing for All and the national planning framework, which also aim to tackle vacancy in rural towns and villages as well as supporting local communities.
Central to the town centre first approach is the range of support funding in place, including my Department’s rural regeneration and development fund and the town and village renewal scheme. Last November, I announced funding of €115 million for regeneration projects in rural towns under my Department's rural regeneration and development fund for 2023. These projects include a focus on combating vacancy and dereliction by regenerating iconic town centre buildings such as old hotels, banks, schools and courthouses. Similarly, last December, I announced €27 million in funding to combat dereliction and breathe new life into rural towns and villages under the 2022 town and village renewal scheme.
In 2023, the schemes implemented by my Department will continue to support the town centre first approach and prioritise addressing vacancy and dereliction. For example, last month I launched the 2023 building acquisition measure, which will allow local authorities to purchase up to three buildings up to a total grant value of €500,000. This call for applications is open and local authorities have until 28 April to submit applications. The scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year and the review process for the 2023 town and village renewal scheme is currently at an advanced stage. I intend to launch the 2023 scheme in June of this year and local community groups can then submit their proposals through their local authority for funding under the scheme.
My Department remains committed to the success of the town centre first policy to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages as set out in Our Rural Future.
I welcome the Minister's response. I may be a city person who travels through towns and villages only when going on a weekend trip or visiting family, but there undoubtedly is a great deal of dereliction, with many unoccupied buildings. It can be shocking at times to pass through some of the smaller villages and to see the extent of, first, the housing crisis but also the image the dereliction presents.
On the issue of staffing, the Minister stated in October, "A key function of these Officers will be the development of Town Centre First Plans at local level." She described the recruitment of further staff as "well advanced". Will she provide an update on that? How many staff have been recruited to deliver this at local level? She might also comment on the implementation and evaluation of the policy.
I am pleased to hear the Minister is considering reopening the town and village renewal scheme within a relatively short timeframe. All my experiences of seeing the scheme implemented throughout the constituency of Galway East have been very positive. In light of the recent announcements regarding the Croí Cónaithe scheme, which sets out to address dereliction and bring buildings back to life to be used as housing units, aligned with and in partnership with the investment that will be made through the town and village renewal scheme, I believe we are going to see a lot of vibrancy and energy in our towns and villages in the years to come.
One project in which I have a special interest is Loughrea town hall, which recently received funding for its redevelopment as a cultural arts and enterprise centre for the town. As there is a funding shortfall associated with the increased building costs, I urge the Minister and her departmental colleagues to work in partnership with Galway County Council to address that funding shortfall in order that works can begin as soon as possible.
I would again join with colleagues here in welcoming this scheme and the work that is occurring under the various schemes. It is fantastic to see a rejuvenation going on.
I remind the Minister that Cork county is maybe seven times the size of some other counties-----
Like Cavan.
-----and when she is allocating funding to bear that in mind. We find sometimes we get the same allocation as very small counties indeed and that maybe is not fair.
With respect to acquiring buildings, is it possible to acquire land adjacent to buildings which would assist in rejuvenating the buildings and bringing them back to life? For instance, sometimes access to the upstairs of a building can be a problem and land close by can lead to other floors of buildings being used. Off-line, I can tell the Minister about a case that I have in mind. I refer not to the building itself, but maybe property close by as well which would make a significant difference to rejuvenating dereliction and vacancy.
I thank the Minister. I very much welcome all the work that the Department is doing in town and village renewal to date but also that the Minister plans to have completed in 2023.
I am wondering about the co-ordination between the Department and the local authorities because I have come across one issue recently in relation to the vacant property grant where an application was submitted over four months ago and still the local authority had not signed off on it. Is there any co-ordination to ensure that there are checks and balances so that there are not any additional hurdles for the people who want to get on, develop and get renewal into their village or town?
The other issue, which I raised previously with the Tánaiste and, indeed, with the Taoiseach, is that in some areas the reason there has been no investment over a long number of years in a particular property is because of title problems. I have suggested that local authorities would engage with the property owners about using the compulsory purchase order system-----
The Deputy can contribute again later.
-----which would allow the local authority to buy and to sell again to the person who wants to develop because it would rectify the title issue.
Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí.
First of all, in response to Deputy Paul Donnelly, 22 town regeneration officers are appointed. There are four positions left to be filled. I expect those will be filled in the coming weeks.
Second, we have a national oversight and advisory group for town centre first and it is due to meet later this month. At this meeting, the town centre first national office will outline progress to date on its work programme for the year. I will keep an eye on it to make sure that they are moving on. It is a new position and we want to work with them.
Deputy Cannon is a big supporter of Loughrea town hall. There is a request in from the local authority for more money for that project. My officials are currently going through the due diligence on that. Hopefully, when that is finished, they will make a decision and they will come with a recommendation to me at that stage. In fairness, many projects have gone over budget costing more than initially expected. We are trying to work with local authorities because we want these projects to get finished.
Deputy Stanton spoke to me directly about a project in his constituency where the community needed to acquire a piece of land and the adjacent building so that they could open up access and expand the facilities at a local library in his area. There are two options. The local authority could seek funding under the building acquisitions measure, which is open at present; or it could put together an application under town and village renewal, which will open for applications in June. By the way, in case the Deputy thinks Cork did not do well, it did, as they say up my country, "rightly". It got €34.605 million under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. That is only one fund in my Department. I will not read out what the other counties got, but I think they are ahead.
Deputy Colm Burke talked about local authority applications. They have to come through the local authority before they get to me. We liaise with local authorities but, ultimately, they have to make the decision on what comes through.
The title problems were raised with me previously by the Deputy. That will be a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
I appreciate the answer around the appointments. It is good to see 22 people have been appointed. There are four left to be appointed. That will be excellent.
In terms of the implementation, I await the first report back from that to see how it is being implemented and monitored.
I thank the Minister for that update on Loughrea town hall. There is significant potential here to develop something truly remarkable - a 156-seat theatre, an arts centre and a business incubation - that will serve not alone the needs of Loughrea but, indeed, the whole of east Galway. I am very encouraged to hear that the Minister's officials are doing an assessment of that proposal right now.
In terms of towns nationally, what sort of work does the Minister envisage happening in encouraging people to live over the shop? Loughrea Chamber of Commerce in recent years did a survey of the main street of Loughrea which during the day is an exceptionally active and vibrant place but is rendered somewhat still and silent at nighttime. I am wondering what will we do to develop the potential of those significant number of units that exist over every shop in every town in Ireland.
I thank the Minister for her earlier response and am glad that she keeps Cork to the forefront of her thoughts. That is marvellous.
The town centre first and town and village renewal schemes work to make towns nice places to visit. They are attractive and draw people in. People can socialise and enjoy themselves. They are pleasant places. However, has the Minister any interaction with the Department of Transport in order to get heavy trucks and congestion out of towns? I particularly think of Mallow. A northern relief road is planned for Mallow. The local community did a huge amount of work there to try to build up the ambience in the town and make it a nice living space but the northern relief bypass, even though over €1 million has been spent on it, has been put on the long finger. Is there any interaction between the Department and the Department of Transport with respect to getting rid of congestion such as heavy trucks, which, I am sure the Minister will agree, would benefit everybody and benefit the overall Government policy with respect to town centres first?
I very much welcome the funding the Minister has outlined for Cork. As my colleague from Cork, Deputy Stanton, clearly outlined, it is a huge county. There are lots of towns and villages throughout the place. It is important, therefore, that there is co-ordination and that where communities have a real drive on to renew and revitalise their area, there is no hurdle put in their way which prevents it from happening. It is important that there is that co-operation from the Department with the local authority in making sure that the local authority is delivering because I know the Department will deliver. It is about us all working together so that we can make really good progress in a very short time period.
My Department works very closely with the local authorities. We need them to work with us to deliver these projects locally because they are consulting with local communities and they know what they need on the ground. Only last week, my senior officials met with the director of services with responsibility for the implementation of some of the funds from my Department. It is in constant contact to see where there might be issues that we can address. It is a two-way process, let me put it that way, and we will continue to work with them.
Under the buildings acquisition measure that I introduced last year, we gave funding to local authorities to purchase two buildings which they identified with local groups could be converted into community use. Much of what I am dealing with is community and remote working and enterprise hubs. We are working with them. Many of them have bought former bank buildings and they are converted into remote working hubs or enterprise spaces. In other cases, it might have been an old primary school or a Garda station which will become a home to the local men's shed or another local community group. That is where we are keeping the focus on it.
Then there is the standard town and village renewal scheme. It provides grants of up to half a million euro. For the larger scale or over €500,000, there is the rural regeneration fund. Indeed, last week I visited Abbeyshrule in County Longford where there is an 18th century stone building that was basically a ruin.
It was being used as a farmyard. It has been completely restored and is now a remote working hub. When I was there, they said to me that they should have invited Deputy Ring because he gave them the money. It goes to show that it takes a while for some of these projects to be finished. Deputy Ring allocated them that money. They have not forgotten about it. They said to pass on their best wishes to Deputy Ring. We had a great day. We opened this lovely centre that runs right along the Royal Canal. That is the type of focus that my Department has on the community, enterprise and remote working side.
The Government announced a full suite of measures for over-the-shop property on top of what we are already doing. We approved a major expansion of the Croí Cónaithe scheme, with grants of up to €50,000 now available to bring a vacant property back into use and of up to €70,000 if it is a derelict property. I believe this is a really good initiative. I know from the inquiries coming into my constituency office that there is huge interest in it. I believe this fund can be used to renovate centre-of-town properties. It can be well spent. Some €70,000 is not to be sneezed at. It is a lot of money and it will go a long way to help people to look at renovating existing vacant houses. It will prove to be successful. I think I can leave it at that.
Rural Schemes
Peadar Tóibín
Question:57. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding drawn down from the rural regeneration and development fund in each month since she took office. [19222/23]
Michael Ring
Question:110. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the rural regeneration and development fund, including a list of all projects scheduled for completion in 2023, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19148/23]
I have to inject some level of reality into this debate today. Rural Ireland is on its knees.
(Interruptions).
It is suffering significant population decline, predominantly concentrated in the west and midlands of Ireland. That continues apace. It is calculated that in the last 40 years, 800 electoral divisions have lost population or significantly lost population. There has been a lopsided spatial policy which has put hundreds of thousands of young people into the Dublin area, in particular. The Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures state that there is increasing income inequality between the western regions, the north-western regions and the rest of the State. When will this Government's policy become more than social welfare for rural Ireland?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 110 together.
The rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. The fund is central to achieving the objectives and key deliverables of Our Rural Future, the Government's five-year policy for rural Ireland. At the heart of Our Rural Future is a commitment to revitalising towns and villages across rural Ireland, making them more attractive places to live, work and raise a family. The projects supported by the fund assist in the regeneration of rural towns and villages by addressing vacancy and dereliction and positioning them for further growth through regeneration and town centre renewal. The fund also invests in strategic projects that contribute to further economic development in rural areas.
Calls for applications to the fund are sought under categories 1 and 2. Category 1 relates to large-scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place, which are ready to proceed. Category 2 provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for category 1 applications. Since the RRDF was established in 2018, funding of €395 million has been approved for 215 projects. When matching funding is included, the total value of these projects is worth over €542 million. Since my appointment as Minister for Rural and Community Development in June 2020, funding of over €100 million has been drawn down from the fund. A table setting out the monthly drawdowns since June 2020 has been attached as an appendix to this response.
The delivery of projects funded under the RRDF experienced significant delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, I am pleased to confirm that stronger progress is now being achieved. Thirty projects are complete. In addition, a further 81 projects are expected to be completed by the end of the year. A list of projects in each county scheduled to be completed in 2023 is attached to this response as an appendix for the information of the Deputies. I remain committed to ensuring that this vital funding can deliver real and transformative change in towns across rural Ireland. Underlying this is the need to ensure delivery on the ground. To this end, I have outlined to local authorities the priority that I assign to the delivery of these projects. I have asked my officials to ensure there is an ongoing process of engagement with local authorities.
I do not think the Minister is getting to the nub of the question at all. The issue is that the EU has downgraded the north-west region as a lagging region. The EU has said that as a result of falling GDP per capita in those areas compared with the rest of the country, places like Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan and Mayo face increasing challenges. That is happening under the Minister's watch. GDP is falling in these areas, which is damning. The gap between the north and west region and the national average is now estimated to be three times higher than it was a decade ago. What I mean by social welfare for rural Ireland is that the current approach is not fixing the problem. It is handing out money here and there but it is not getting to the core issue. I know of many people who tell me that kids want to live in those areas but cannot get planning permission. What happens is that schools and services start to close. I know farmers are leaving the land because prices are too low to be able to raise families in these locations.
The EU has said that underinvestment in key infrastructure is leading to regional inequality. These areas want good transport infrastructure, communications infrastructure, education facilities and telecommunication facilities so that they can do business. That is still missing from the Government's plans.
First of all, I want to say that Deputy Tóibín should come down to Mayo tomorrow. We have a €300 million investment, which is the biggest single investment. The road between Westport and Castlebar will open tomorrow. Allergan, Baxter and Coca-Cola are all crying out for people for their workforces. I meet principals of schools from every corner of the county. All these areas are expanding. I disagree with Deputy Tóibín. The great line from the Opposition is always that the west has been left behind. There have never been as many people working and living in rural Ireland as there are now. It is time that we spoke up. The kind of stuff that has been done by the Department of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, over the last number of years has been fantastic for towns and villages. The rural regeneration scheme is fantastic.
I want to ask the Minister a question. I compliment State agencies such as Údarás na Gaeltachta. When I was Minister, and the Minister has continued this, it set up the Gteic facilities, with jobs in counties Galway, Kerry, Waterford and Mayo. I am asking the Minister if she could talk to more State agencies and LEADER companies because some local authorities are not actually standing up to the plate. Projects and money are being allocated by the Minister's Department and these projects are not being delivered. It is not through the fault of the Minister or the Department but because some of these people are not doing their jobs. I ask the Minister to look at other State agencies that could carry out some of these works and maybe allocate the funding through them rather than always to local authorities.
To clarify something, there has been no downgrading of the north and western region by the European Commission from being a region in transition. This 2018 designation is based on GDP per capita in the region and has been used to calculate European funding allocations for 2021 to 2027. Separately, the European Parliament's committee on regional development categorised the north and west region as a lagging region using a range of other data such as productivity, education and skills. They are two completely different, separate things.
I agree with Deputy Ring. Sometimes projects are not delivered as quickly as we would like. We engage with local authorities. We have constant contact with them. We were in touch with them again last week. A new LEADER programme is coming out, which is currently open for expressions of interest. Proposals will come in in due course. Deputy Ring is right. I know Deputy Tóibín is a one-man band in here but he is a party leader.
He needs to get out and go around the country. If he went to County Mayo, he would see the Air Dome, which is some place. It is outside Claremorris and Deputy Ring knows it well. That was funded under the rural regeneration scheme. It is a fantastic project. Deputy Tóibín would be very welcome to come to Bailieborough where his party has a councillor. She will show him some of the wonderful investments that have happened in Bailieborough, particularly in the renovation of the old courthouse.
If I represented a county that was downgraded to a lagging area by the EU, I would be furious with the approach the Government is involved in.
No, it is not. That is misinformation.
The second issue is the average age now in many towns and villages along the west coast is ten years older than it is in towns such as Ballbriggan, Naas and Navan. The reason is young people in this State, on average, who go to university and get university jobs cannot get jobs in the regions. They try to get jobs in Dublin but cannot afford to live there and so are forced to live 20, 30, 40 or 50 miles away and commute on a daily basis. That is the reality people are living with.
You would not know it from this debate, but there is a swell of anger in rural and regional Ireland at present as regards what is happening to the country. I agree with Deputy Stanton in respect of the fairness of the funding. Cavan-Monaghan got 10% of the local improvement scheme for 2022-----
Plus they said they could not spend it.
-----even though it accounts for 2.5% of the population.
Meath could not spend it.
While it might suit the narrative for our local constituents to be able to say that, the truth of the matter is every county should be getting a fair shot at it. Strangely, Dublin got investment for 63 rural hubs through Our Rural Future, even though the likes of Mayo and other counties get far less. That is a strange question as well.
I disagree with Deputy Tóibín. He does not have his facts right. Sporting organisations in towns such as Ballina, Castlebar and Westport are not able to provide the infrastructure because so many people are coming back from the cities, and England, America and Australia, to live in County Mayo. It is a fantastic county. If the Deputy saw last week what we did in Ballina, we made Mayo and Ireland proud. We showed what could be done. The people did that.
Deputy Tóibín talked about funding. When I was Minister, I heard the same kind of thing from members of the Opposition, which was that this or that county did not get funding. It was very simple. It was because some of their local authorities were not applying for funding and were not making the application. I remember getting attacked-----
Is it a coincidence that the two last Ministers-----
-----about west Cork getting funding-----
-----always get the most money?
-----when it had no application in and we could not give it funding.
Is it a coincidence? You know it is not.
The Minister is doing a fantastic job. Rural Ireland is alive and well and people like Deputy Tóibín will not talk it down.
Everybody-----
He will not talk it down with his one-horse band.
You are shouting me down now. Every Deputy is smiling-----
He will not talk it down with his one-horse band.
Every Deputy is smiling at the fact-----
Please, can we have some bit of decorum in the House?
-----that the two Ministers get more money for their counties rather regularly.
In fairness, the funding was not there to deliver these projects in the past. We now have the rural regeneration fund. When Deputy Ring was Minister, he set up that fund. He fought for €1 billion. I can honestly tell Deputy Tóibín that he fought for it because I watched him and he did a good job.
I think he should be Minister now.
It is a €1 billion fund.
Why is he not a Minister any more?
Deputy Tóibín would want to get up now and go around the country, even around County Meath where he lives. I am going there in the next few weeks. There is a new library and cultural centre in Trim.
I fought for it.
There is a new community hub in Enfield and many remote working hubs that allow people to live and work in their communities. Deputy English is a big supporter of those projects. I will visit them shortly. They are making a difference. I am going around rural areas and talking to people. I can tell the Deputy that if he had been with me in Abbeyshrule, County Longford, last week, he would have seen how appreciative communities are that we are providing funding to allow them realise their vision and ambition for their communities. We are empowering and helping communities. It is not a top-down but bottom-up approach. When we get the applications, we work with communities to deliver.
On a point of clarification regarding the local improvement schemes, additional funding was given to local authorities that stated they could spend it. If they asked for it in the last round, they got 70% or 80% of what they asked for. If counties Monaghan and Cavan can spend it, all I can say is fair play to them.
Control of Dogs
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:58. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update in relation to work being done by Government and local authorities to combat dog attacks on sheep; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18576/23]
I ask for an update regarding any work being done, or any proposals, relating to the Government or local authorities combating the issue of dog attacks on sheep.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. In late 2022, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was tasked with leading a cross-government review of legislation regarding dogs. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and I held a meeting in early January and asked officials to convene a working group on the issue. The terms of reference of the group are published on gov.ie. The working group examined issues related to dog control and made a number of recommendations for action.
The report of the group was approved by the Government and is also available on gov.ie. The report's recommendations include increasing on-the-spot fines in relation to offences under the Control of Dogs Act. My officials are currently drafting the necessary statutory instruments to effect this change as soon as possible. It is my firm intention to significantly increase the fines regarding dogs which are not in effectual control and, therefore, at risk of worrying livestock. The report also proposed increasing the number of local authority dog wardens nationally. This action is necessary to ensure increased enforcement of penalties and act as a deterrent to irresponsible dog ownership. This recommendation will now be progressed in the context of annual budgetary processes.
My officials will continue to work closely with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to co-ordinate efforts in the area of dog control and related issues across government. I look forward to engaging with stakeholders as we progress this important work.
Can we get some information regarding the timeline for those statutory instruments? When will we see them in operation? Are any changes proposed from a legislative point of view? I have never been exactly sure what "in effectual control" means. I accept we are creating a set of rules regarding irresponsible dog owners. Where we have good dog owners, responsible people and good manners, we do not have this particular issue.
An example I brought up previously was that of the Cooley Mountains. In fairness to dog wardens in Louth County Council, they and the Garda have been out publicly. Some of that is about highlighting the issue that exists for farmers and ensuring that dogs are under control when they are on the Cooley Mountains or in any other rural area. Enforcement will always be difficult in those particular areas. As I said, are we looking at anything from a legislative point of view? What is the timeline for that?
We are going to do a number of things. I will explain the term "in effectual control" because I was not sure what it was either. It means dog owners are required to keep their dogs under effectual control at all times. It is very apparent when a dog is not under control and it is important dog wardens have a degree of discretion in applying this definition. I acknowledge the work of dog wardens. It is not an easy job to be fair to them.
This issue crosses three Departments. My Department's priorities are to increase on-the-spot fines for offences, such as dogs that are not under control; add the Presa Canario breed to the list of restricted breeds for which regulations are being drafted; substantially increase penalties for all offences under the Control of Dogs Acts, to which amendments are being prepared; funding a targeted neutering scheme for dogs; and convening a stakeholders group. We want to keep in touch with stakeholders. Many farmers are out there. There is nothing worse for them than having sheep or livestock savaged by dogs.
Local authorities have to increase the number of dog wardens, who must be trained because it is a difficult situation. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is amending the dog microchipping regulations and guidance on rehoming biting dogs, in addition to revising the Animal Health and Welfare Act. There are then the joint actions.
We want to encourage responsible dog ownership. I thank an Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for his indulgence.
Everyone would welcome a considerable number of those moves. Like I said, enforcement and on-the spot-fines can be difficult to put in place. We want to see a greater level of microchipping. Many of us have often spoken in this Chamber about the maintenance of databases. Some of this would need to happen on an all-Ireland basis. In the Minister's constituency and in my own, there are particular issues that are impacted by partition even in this regard. If we could be operating some of these on an all-island basis, that would definitely make sense. Engagement with stakeholders is an absolute necessity.
I threw out the idea of in effectual control because we have been given the examples where people would have gone out with large dogs. We can get into the ins and outs with particular breeds but in some cases, they could have very long leads and then that asks the question of what in effectual control is. I accept that there is discretion, but I would like to think there would be guidelines. Again, if we had good manners, we would not need half of these rules. We also have to make sure this issue is publicised.
The Deputy is correct; sometimes the training means training the dog owners. They would want to be under control sometimes too. If they are treated properly and well, dogs are a wonderful companion for anybody. We all have our own dogs of whom we are very fond. However, not to take care of dogs and let them out of control and allow them to worry sheep or chase after livestock is irresponsible. We are going to have a media campaign around responsible dog ownership. We will look also at the recommendations of the joint Oireachtas committee report on dog control. It is, therefore, a sort of multifaceted approach. There are a number of different things we can do.
I do not want to be too prescriptive in terms of effectual control. We need to give the dog warden a bit of latitude because there are all different types, sizes and breeds of dogs. We need to make sure of certain things, however. I am totally against dogs that are bred to fight and so on. That is completely cruel and wrong. There is much legislation in place, but we want to tidy up and focus on a few other things to make it better.
Departmental Funding
Ciaran Cannon
Question:59. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when local groups in Galway will be able to apply for funding under the outdoor recreation infrastructure fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19234/23]
Emer Higgins
Question:60. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when local groups in Dublin Mid-West will be able to apply for funding under the outdoor recreation infrastructure fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19237/23]
When does the Minister intend to reopen the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, ORIS? It has been extraordinarily successful in recent years in supporting communities and, indeed, local authorities in developing new outdoor activity infrastructure projects. This serves two purposes, not alone to embellish and enhance the attractiveness of localities for tourism but also to support the development of amenities that benefit the local community in terms of people's health and well-being.
Two particular projects are under way in east Galway right now, one of which is at the Long Point on Loughrea Lake and the other in Portumna at Lough Derg, which will come to fruition fairly shortly and be of immense benefit. How can that good work be replicated throughout the country in the shortest timeframe?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 60 together.
The ORIS is funded by my Department under Our Rural Future. The scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor infrastructure such as trails, walkways, cycleways, blueways and bridleways throughout rural Ireland.
The scheme is central to embracing Ireland outdoors, the new national outdoor recreation strategy, which is set to shape the future of outdoor recreation over the next five years. The strategy will ensure there is a joined-up and co-ordinated approach to deliver maximum impact from the significant investment in the sector and build on the natural advantages in place. The strategy also aims to increase the number of people active in the outdoors, especially young people and under-represented groups, and to foster a greater understanding of how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.
There is an undoubted increase in the appetite for the outdoors. A growing wealth of trails, cycleways, greenways and outdoor recreation infrastructure has been developed in recent years thanks to significant levels of investment across government. Since the launch of the ORIS in 2016, funding of in excess of €106 million has supported more than 1,500 projects across the country. County Galway has seen investment of €5.2 million supporting more than 65 projects, and Dublin Mid-West has seen investment of €1.6 million supporting eight projects. I expect to open another round of funding under the scheme in the coming weeks under four measures, that is, small-scale projects requiring funding of up to €30,000, medium-scale projects with funding of up to €200,000, large scale projects seeking funding of up to €500,000 and project development funding of up to €50,000 for development costs for strategic large-scale projects.
Projects within County Galway and Dublin Mid-West are eligible to apply for ORIS funding. While projects should in the main be located in the countryside, the development of recreational amenities in the vicinity of urban stretches of rivers, lakes and beaches may also be considered. The scheme may also fund recreational infrastructure linking a town or village to the countryside and particularly linking towns or villages to other outdoor recreation facilities located in the countryside. I encourage local community and voluntary groups to engage with either the relevant local authority or local development company that administers the scheme at a local level on behalf of my Department. I look forward to accepting applications to further support outdoor recreation projects in Galway and, indeed, further afield across the country.
Deputy Cannon is a big supporter of the walks project, particularly the one in Loughrea. I announced more than €200,000 for that project last year and was delighted to visit it with him. He also mentioned the project in Portumna, and I will follow up with him on that.
It is great that the scheme will be reopened relatively shortly. We underestimate the value of investing in facilities like this, as I said, not alone from a tourism perspective. The Irish Association for Adventure Tourism recently outlined that adventure tourism right now is worth well over €1 billion to the tourism economy. As the Minister pointed out, that is something we will see developing with an extensive network of greenways and blueways being developed right across the country as we speak.
What it also does in leveraging community endeavour and community activism is inspire communities to get behind projects and for people to roll up their sleeves to do local fundraising and have this great sense of pride in the facilities that are developed. It is an opportunity to row in behind communities who ultimately know best what kinds of facilities are needed locally. Those very strong partnerships the Minister is developing with our local authorities across the country will reap major dividends for Ireland in the future.
I have to agree with Deputy Cannon. There is no question that ORIS and the other schemes we have all over the country are major tourist attractions, and not alone for people walking but also for people's health. They were a godsend in every corner in this country, in particular, during Covid-19
The next time the Minister is having discussions with the local authorities, she might ask them to make sure they maintain them, because the Minister and Department have done fabulous work. That is part of the problem. They need to put schemes in place to make sure they are maintained because they are great assets for counties and for the country. The number of people who come to my county and into my town and area for walks is good for tourism, bed and breakfast accommodation, food outlets and pubs. It brings thousands of people. They have been a great success. I would not like to see anything happening to them, which is why I would like the local authorities to take a keener interest in maintaining some of them.
I thank the Minister for all the work she is doing in this area. Are these schemes community-led in the main? Do they come from the ground up rather than being imposed by local authorities?
I ask because sometimes, schemes open and close quite quickly and people do not have time to make the application. There is a very short window in which one can make an application. Will the Minister keep in mind the giving of time to people and community groups? Will she make sure they are advertised pretty well in order that people know about them and present the detail in a user-friendly fashion?
I have been involved in a particular project with a number of community groups. The problem is that the route cuts across two local authorities. It is about getting co-operation. One is Cork City Council, the other is Cork County Council and the issue is whether it can be co-ordinated between the two. There must be buy-in by both authorities. It is a well-developed project by a small number of people that is really worth examining. Both local authorities are examining it but unless they work together, the project will never get off the ground.
If the Deputy had said Kerry and Cork county councils were not working together I might have understood but there is no excuse for two Cork local authorities not working together. The Deputy should tell them to work together and we will work with them if they work together. These boundaries would do your head in. These schemes are community-led. During the Covid pandemic, as we all know, we had to stay within 5 km and we suddenly discovered walkways that needed a bit of work but which we never knew existed. We were able to provide funding to upgrade those trails. Deputy Cannon spoke about adventure tourism. You just have to go to the Slieve Bloom Mountains to see the benefits of the mountain bike trail. That is adventure tourism at its best. There are loads of other facilitates around the country that have been funded through the outdoor recreation scheme. It is a great scheme that puts money into local areas through visitors into the economy and it is good for mental health as well. It is good to keep fit. There are many benefits to it. I will continue to support this scheme. The outdoor recreation scheme is one of the best schemes we have. We also are examining the improvement of surfaces and making them more accessible for wheelchairs and even parents with buggies. Some of the walkways were not particularly good and we will examine how we can make them more easily accessible. It is a great scheme and we will continue to support it.
The next question, Question No. 61, is from Deputy Cairns, who is not present and no one is taking it for her. One of my questions was grouped with it. Somebody from Fine Gael might want to take the question as well. The questions are grouped. The questions pertain to remote working hubs and high-speed broadband, if anyone is offering.
I will be next.
Does Deputy Durkan wish to proceed?
Can I swap? I am happy to swap with the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach.
Lean ar aghaidh.
Question No. 61 taken with Written Answers.
Departmental Schemes
Richard Bruton
Question:62. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has assessed the potential for the rural economy of the development of circular economy strategies; and if she will indicate the extent to which initiatives with focus on more sustainable use of products and materials, and on recovery and reuse are figuring among projects receiving support from her Department. [19324/23]
The Chair has approved that I take this question. Deputy Bruton wishes to inquire the extent to which the circular economy can be applied to the scheme in the Department of Rural and Community Development, with obvious advantages from the recycling, recovery point of view etc.
A vibrant circular economy is an essential part of a sustainable, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient economy. The first whole-of-government circular economy strategy was published in December 2021 by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a national policy framework for Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. Alongside this, the Department is playing its part in promoting opportunities available in the circular economy at local level. This aligns with Our Rural Future, which recognises the benefits for rural areas of transitioning to a more circular model. Social enterprises are important players in the circular economy, often being the only enterprises handling certain goods or materials that would otherwise be discarded, while also providing training and job opportunities. The continued implementation of the national social enterprise policy and the development of its successor will underpin support for these social enterprises.
Dormant accounts funding has supported social enterprises in this area, including start-up funding of €10,000 and non-financial supports for circular economy projects. The community services programmes, CSP, under my remit supports community-based organisations to promote local social, economic and environmental services. There are currently 31 CSP organisations providing circular economy-related projects, including a new initiative on upcycling of bicycles and e-bikes for those on low incomes and marginalised and disadvantaged communities. This pilot is run by the Department and the Department of Transport. The LEADER programme from 2023 to 2027 also has potential to support projects linked to the circular economy, and this will be considered as part of the current LEADER local development strategy process.
This year, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, is sponsoring a special circular economy award for the SuperValu Tidy Towns competition. We also have just opened a new strand under the community services programmes specifically for circular economy projects led or run by Travellers. We are trying to drum up more work and projects in this area, which has been inspired by projects such as Bounce Back Recycling in Galway, and Kingdom Furniture Revamp in Castleisland, two projects led by Travellers. It is an area we are determined to grow as part of the strategy.
I ask further the degree to which the Minister of State and the Department continue to promote the benefits of the use of the circular economy in rural development projects that may be available and suitable for adaptation, as well as the application of some benefit to those schemes to a greater extent to make them even more valuable than they are.
Several of the schemes and programmes I outlined impact clearly and directly on rural economies. I draw attention to the Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2022. There are a few points worth drawing out. The Act provides for the power to introduce new environmental levies on single-use disposable items such as coffee cups and food containers, together with a levy on waste recovery activities. These new levies, together with existing plastic bag and landfill levies, will be paid into the new circular economy fund. This funding in particular holds a lot of promise for communities, including rural communities across the country, as well as social enterprises operating in rural communities. There is a circular economy strategy at the moment and a plan to update it. The new circular economy strategy will set out targets for specific sectors of the economy, including reductions in material resource consumption, increased levels of repair and reuse and increases in the use of reusable products and materials. Importantly and specifically, balanced regional and rural development will be a theme of the new circular economy strategy.
What is the nature of the repair, reuse and recovery of the technology and of the materials? What is the extent to which that can be done and the extent to which it can be applied to and bolted onto the schemes operated by the Department? What does the Minister of State regard as a useful adaptation? A bolt-on may be of benefit to the economies of the Department.
There are a number of projects specifically under the CSP programme that specifically upcycle and recycle technology. About five or six weeks ago, I was in Clondalkin and visited the recycling project there and specifically launching the Traveller strand in relation to the circular economy. It does amazing work and engages people on Tús schemes and community employment schemes and, ultimately, a lot of them work in full-time positions in that project. I draw attention to another relevant plan on the way, which is the bio-economy plan. The bio-economy is part of our economy which uses renewable resources such as crops, forestry and fisheries to produce food, products and energy while also reducing waste. A public consultation was recently held to support the development of a bio-economy action plan, which is due to be published in the coming months. This coming action plan will contain a specific pillar dealing with communities, regions and cities.
We will proceed to Question No. 65, in the name of Deputy Gould.
Excuse me. Have I been passed by on my own question?
Gabh mo leithscéal. We can come back to you again, Deputy, if that is all right.
Have we the time for that?
I apologise. There have been several no-shows, so I appreciate your frustration. I did let you cover for a colleague. I can revert to you if you wish.
Excuse me a second.
I think there is time.
There is time. I will be quick.
The Ceann Comhairle decided that I would be-----
I am well aware that-----
-----allocated time on behalf of the colleague, and I have a question myself for which I have waited here all night as well.
Deputy, I strongly appreciate that, and I try to accommodate everybody, but, as I said, we have several no-shows.
I know, but-----
I have no problem waiting.
I will be quick as well.
Deputy Durkan was ahead of me, so-----
You are most gracious, Deputy Gould. Thank you.
Fair is fair.
Question No. 63 taken with Written Answers.
Voluntary Sector
Bernard Durkan
Question:64. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues dialogue with voluntary rural and community groups throughout the country, including Northern Ireland, with a view to maximising efforts likely to contribute to the sentiments of the Good Friday Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19270/23]
The question is about the degree to which the Minister engages with the various community groups along the Border, North and South, with a view to allowing them all to avail of benefit from the schemes run by her Department in a way which would be beneficial and complementary to the Good Friday Agreement.
My Department continues to engage with community and voluntary organisations to support all communities across Ireland to develop in a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable manner.
With particular regard to communities in Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland, I am very pleased that my Department shares responsibility for the PEACE IV programme, which supports peace and reconciliation and promotes the social and economic stability of all communities in this region. This programme has delivered significant improvements for all communities, with support and funding provided by my Department.
My Department is currently working with the Special EU Programmes Body, SEUPB, one of the six cross-Border bodies set up under the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, to manage the PEACE programme, and with relevant Northern Ireland departments, on guidance documents and calls for applications. Along with our Northern Ireland counterparts and the SEUPB, my Department is presenting at pre-application support workshops to support potential applicants, including voluntary and community groups. The workshops are focusing on providing applicants with an overview of the PEACE Plus programme, the relevant investment areas, guidance on concept notes and policy interests from a Northern Ireland and Ireland perspective.
It is anticipated that the launch of the PEACE Plus programme will take place in the first half of this year with a value of over €1.1 billion. We need to continue this essential work to continue the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. This new programme represents an opportunity to continue to fund peacebuilding interventions alongside activities which help to make the region a more prosperous, healthier place to live through funding areas of mutual interest on a cross-Border basis.
My Department is also supporting strategic projects such as the Ulster Canal, and my officials have met with their Northern Ireland counterparts to discuss the potential for the Connected Hubs platform to partner with Northern Ireland enterprise and co-working hubs under the shared island fund.
This is a very important business, and I strongly urge that every possible opportunity be used in this regard to promote and to develop good and better relations between the communities and, in particular, to be able to identify on each side of the Border those areas that are in need of rejuvenation, restructuring, redevelopment - the helping hand, in other words - on a continuing basis, with a view to achieving a noticeable benefit in the shortest possible time.
I do have an interest in this area. In November I visited Derry and Belfast, and a couple of organisations I met there are worth a mention. Holywell Trust is a community relations and community development organisation committed to positively transforming the lives of local people through addressing interpersonal and societal challenges. We had a very good meeting there about the challenges the community and voluntary sector faces in Northern Ireland, and they came down on a return visit in February and were here in the Chamber to watch some of the proceedings. I also met people from the Playhouse Theatre and Peacebuilding Academy. That project aims to use theatre as a vessel to allow individuals whose lives have been deeply affected by the Troubles to share their stories with audiences. In Belfast I met representatives of the Shankill Shared Women's Centre. There is a huge project there that will provide a new neutral space and cross-community activities that will provide meaningful, purposeful and sustained contact between women, children and young people from both sides of the interface area. I had a meeting with the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, NICVA, in Belfast as well. It is the equivalent to the Wheel here in Ireland. Again, we shared some challenges from both sides of the Border and built some good relations there.
Community Development Projects
Thomas Gould
Question:65. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding available to develop new community centres. [19280/23]
I am looking to find out what funding is available to develop new community centres.
I thank Deputy Gould for raising this matter.
Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in many towns, villages and urban areas across the country, and this Government recognises the important role they play in community life in Ireland, bringing people together and engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. With that in mind, my Department has put in place an integrated programme of supports for the establishment and development of community centres across schemes such as CLÁR, LEADER, the community support fund, the town and village renewal scheme and the new community centres investment fund.
The 2022 community centres investment fund was warmly welcomed the length and breadth of the country. Over €45.5 million has been committed to the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres across the country. These projects are ongoing and will be completed over the coming year.
Following on from that, I want to assist community groups striving to build their own community centres to service local needs, so this year the focus of the community centres investment fund has moved to new builds. This focus will help specifically those towns and villages that have no community centre whatsoever.
In March I was delighted to announce a €20 million fund to support communities with "shovel-ready" projects on greenfield or brownfield sites to build new community centres. This measure will target areas which do not have an appropriate facility to meet the needs of their area. The minimum grant funding available is €1 million, with the maximum being €6 million. The deadline for receipt of applications is 3 July 2023 and I encourage communities that have eligible projects with planning permission to submit an application under the fund.
As the Minister herself has just recognised, community centres are the heart of communities. They are a safe place, a great meeting place, a place where people can come together to build their community. A lot of places, however, do not have community centres and, as a result, suffer. In my constituency, the area of Ballyvolane does not have a community centre. It has hundreds of houses, and hundreds more are planned, but there is no community centre and the community has lost out in a major way over the years and will continue to lose out unless a community centre is built.
Also, there is Riverstown Community Centre, which does great work, but Glanmire is in a community with thousands of people and is constantly growing. It needs an all-purpose community centre built. Like Ballyvolane, Glanmire has been at a loss for years and badly needs a community centre now. We saw during the Celtic tiger how communities were let down by bad planning and lack of infrastructure and facilities. As a result, communities missed out and lost out. Is the Department now looking at new housing developments to ensure that community centres are at the core at a strategic level? On top of that there are areas such as Bishopstown in Cork, where the community centre is not fit for purpose. There is a derelict sign up there. All they need is the funding, so I welcome what the Minister said. Also, areas like Blarney need funding. I will be talking to all the people involved over the next few days to ensure they take advantage of the funds the Minister said are there.
I agree with my colleague from Cork North-Central. I happen to have been chairperson of Blackpool Community Centre a number of years ago - in fact, when we applied for planning permission for a community centre in Ballyvolane. Unfortunately, however, there were so many local objections that it never got planning. I think the mistake that was made in Ballyvolane was about a site not being set aside on day one for a community centre and that it would be built at the same time as the houses were. There are over 1,200 or 1,300 houses there, and then when the houses are all up it is decided to apply for planning. We need to do a lot more in that regard with planning, making sure that people, when they are buying their houses, know the community centre will be close to them in order that we do not allow what happened in Ballyvolane 20-odd years ago, since when nothing has happened there.
In the area of Glanmire there is a need for the local authority to work with the Department on identifying a site and getting the funding. GAA clubs have been very good as regards developing facilities but they too are confined in what they can do because of a lack of space. There needs to be a lot more done by local authorities and then the Department can become involved in providing the funding.
I congratulate the Minister on this initiative and on the refurbishment initiative. It is far-seeing and visionary. Well done to her. How are the applications going at the moment in this regard? Is there significant interest? It appears that the window for making applications is quite tight at just three months, and those who are not shovel-ready with planning and so on will not get past first base. Does the Minister anticipate another round following on in a number of months when this is finished? We have moved from refurbishing existing centres, which is very good, to building new ones, which is excellent. The next step will be to have a fund in place to purchase a site so that a community can get a site. If there is no site, they cannot build anything. In many instances they do not have the ground on which to build a community centre. I agree with what colleagues have said, that community centres are the heart of communities and really and truly do great work. Build it, and they will come.
I thank the Deputies for their contributions. This fund came about because it was raised with me. There were a lot of new communities around the country and I met with a number of Deputies from County Galway. There was one particular area with a lot of new houses and no community centre. They had a lovely plan, in fairness to them, but they had no money. I said to myself that this was happening in other parts of the country as well. That is why we opened up the €20 million fund. I want it shovel-ready with planning permission in place and I want it to be ready to go, go, go. The Deputy rightly asked me why funding is not being spent. For this specific scheme, we wanted shovel-ready projects. There will be other opportunities. There is always funding available for good projects. I have just allocated €45.5 million for the upgrade of existing community centres and that was very much welcomed. There is €20 million in this fund. We will see what the demand is like. I think there will be a keen interest in it. Some places will not be ready but they might be ready next year if there was another similar type of fund. We will see how it goes. There is €20 million there. The local authorities have a role here too now. The communities need to talk to their local authorities. If we are talking about buying a site, I cannot see why a local authority could not either give or help with the acquisition of a site.
Voluntary Sector
Paul Donnelly
Question:66. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on her Department's engagement with the future board leaders' pilot 2023 scheme for individuals who are interested in volunteering their skills with organisations that have board vacancies, in particular those from minority backgrounds. [19267/23]
Will the Minister report on the Department's engagement with the future board leaders pilot scheme for individuals who are interested in volunteering their skills with organisations that have board vacancies, in particular those from minority backgrounds?
As the Deputy will be aware, the future board leaders pilot 2023 is a joint initiative by the Leadership Academy, a project of The Wheel, and Boardmatch Ireland. It is primarily funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science through the National Training Fund. While my Department does not deal directly with the future board leaders pilot, it does provide funding for a variety of other schemes that provide supports for volunteer board members in the community and voluntary sector.
Boardmatch has been working since 2005 to build stronger, more effective charity and not-for-profit boards by facilitating the matching of skilled individuals with the skills gaps of not-for-profit boards. Funding is provided to Boardmatch Ireland under my Department's scheme to support national organisations, and it has been awarded a total of €191,555 in funding under the current iteration of the scheme, which runs to 2025.
My Department has also provided funding to Boardmatch Ireland under the National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025. The funding was provided to implement action 52 of the strategy, which is to provide training on good governance to volunteer board members, as well as a matching service to recruit new board members. Boardmatch Ireland used the funding to deliver training sessions on financial governance and trustees training sessions, leading to a total of 465 individuals upskilling in trustee knowledge. Indeed, this year, Boardmatch Ireland has been awarded €58,600 under my Department’s scheme to strengthen and support volunteering.
Finally, my Department has responsibility for the Charities Regulator, who provides guidance and related supports to charity trustees, to assist them in carrying out their duties. Good governance practice is fundamental to the effective, efficient and accountable operation of our charities. These supports, as well as the implementation of the Charities Governance Code, have been vital in assisting our charity trustees.
It is something that is critically important for the development of our communities. Coming from a constituency like that of the Minister of State where a huge population has come in over the past 20 years, it is really important that we provide every opportunity we can to encourage, upskill and train for people to come on to voluntary boards. I have been involved in voluntary boards for close to 30 years. It is becoming harder and harder to encourage people. A lot of the regulation and governance, which is extremely important, sometimes can overwhelm them, put them off and even frighten them a little. It is critically important that we provide that funding for people, particularly those who have come into Ireland from the migrant communities, to encourage them to get involved with the boards. I welcome the funding.
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