Vol. 1039 No. 6
68. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she is committed to ensuring that an interdepartmental committee meets every three months to review projects and targets included as part of the Our Living Islands policy, and that there will be representatives from the islands on the committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28310/23]
This relates to the subcommittee. I understand that a question has already been asked about it but I ask the Minister to detail that initially.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.
I was delighted to publish Our Living Islands, the national islands policy last week. The commitments in the policy will be delivered progressively over its lifetime and implementation will be underpinned by three-year action plans, the first of which I also published last week alongside the policy.
A whole-of-government approach has been taken in the development of the Our Living Islands and a co-ordinated and cohesive approach in a range of Departments will be required for its implementation. The publication and implementation of this policy was a key commitment in Our Rural Future and its implementation will be overseen within the same framework. Oversight will be carried out by the Cabinet committee on the economy and investment, chaired by the Taoiseach and supported by a senior officials group. Progress reports on implementation will be provided to the Cabinet committee as appropriate, alongside the periodical reports on Our Rural Future.
The Government recognises that people who live on the islands are key participants in the development and delivery of initiatives to develop their own communities. This policy, therefore, is underpinned by the principle of engagement by island communities in its implementation and monitoring. In that context, a monitoring committee, chaired by my Department, will be established, to which I will appoint representatives of the island communities. It is my intention the committee will meet regularly. Its role will be to engage with key Departments, agencies and local authorities in respect of progress on implementation and report periodically to me and the relevant Cabinet committee. I will look for representatives from Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann and Comhar na nOileán. It is important they are represented on it.
Moreover, I want to ensure there will be a geographical spread. This is a living document and-----
I thank the Minister but her time is up.
Tá cúpla ceist agam i dtéarmaí cén bhealach a n-oibreoidh sé go díreach. Cén uair a bheas an fochoiste ag casadh ar a chéile? Sin í an chéad cheist. Cén bhealach a n-oibreoidh sé leis na hionadaithe ó na hoileáin? An mbeidh toghchán ann nó an mbeidh daoine ainmnithe? Cé mhéad ionadaithe ó na hoileáin a bheas i gceist? Táim sásta go bhfuil an tAire ag rá go mbeidh ionadaithe ó na hoileáin éagsúla ionas go mbeadh na tuairimí sin á gcur in iúl.
I have a few questions on the monitoring committee. I welcome it and think it is important we have a specific focus on the islands. This is a matter I have raised frequently with the Minister. When will the monitoring committee meet and how will it work with the representatives of the islands? It is good that, as the Minister suggested, it will cover several of the islands. How many of them will be represented? Will the representatives be elected among themselves or will the Minister nominate people? How will it work?
I launched the strategy only last week. I will engage with islanders and there will be representation on the interdepartmental group. They have welcomed it. As I was about to say earlier, this is a living document and, as with any policy, it can change. I want to hear from islanders on the interdepartmental group at which they will be represented, regarding what is working and how we can make it better and how we can change what is not working. As I said, the strategy was launched only last week. I want to ensure there will be a good geographical spread and to look at the best way to achieve that. It has been welcomed by the island communities, who will be at the table. They will be there, along with representatives of the other Departments, and we will hear from them. I insisted that islanders be at the table because they know what is happening on the ground. I will have further details shortly, given I launched the strategy only last Wednesday, and I will be happy to hear the Deputy's views on the matter.
Tá cúpla rud maith ansin. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh ionadaithe ón bpobal agus ó na hoileáin air mar tuigeann siad cén bhealach atá sé a bheith i do chónaí ar oileán chuile lá beo. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil easpa infreastruchtúir cuí ar na hoileáin, ach go háirithe na céibheanna, agus tá mé ag smaoineamh ar chéibh Inis Meáin. Scríobh mé chuig an Aire faoi chasadh leis an ngrúpa atá ag feachtasaíocht i gcomhair chéibh Inis Meáin. Luaim céibh Inis Oírr chomh maith. Tá an t-airgead ann agus caithimid a chinntiú go bhfuilimid in ann é sin a bhrú ar aghaidh chomh sciobtha agus is féidir.
I welcome the Minister's response and am delighted she pushed for representation from the island community, given it is only islanders who know the real-life impact of living on an island. We know about the lack of adequate infrastructure, and there are a few issues in that regard. We have discussed Inisheer and Inishmaan several times, and I wrote to the Minister in regard to getting in the Inis Meáin group to meet representatives of the Department, which would be important. There is money for Inisheer, which is welcome, but we need to push it to make sure it will get over the line as soon as possible in order that we can get the work started.
I am well aware of these issues, given I visited the islands within the past year or two. I walked the pier and I know all about the matter. There have been the first two phases of the Inis Meáin project, as we know, and the simulation has now finished. I wanted to make that clear because it took a long time, given these waves cause problems. When the second phase began, a problem was discovered with the waves. It is now a matter for Galway County Council, which is to put together a business case. When I receive that business case, I will go to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and get the money to build the pier. This has been ongoing for years and I am well aware of it. I am committed to making sure the pier will be completed in due course.
In the meantime, I have ring-fenced money from the various schemes in my Department that will go to the islands. Moreover, the Croí Cónaithe top-up of 20% will be welcome because it means there will be additional funding for people who want to renovate old or vacant buildings on the islands.
69. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how many applications have been received to date for the 2023 community centres investment fund. [28220/23]
85. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the level of interest to date in applications for the 2023 community centres investment fund; the options available under the fund to communities in circumstances where access to suitable land for the construction of a community centre is not easily accessible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28286/23]
99. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the community centre fund, which closed on 3 July; and if requests for funding have exceeded the fund available, and if so, by how much. [28300/23]
How many applications have been received to date for the 2023 community centre investment fund?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 69, 85 and 99 together.
The Government recognises the important role community centres play in community life, bringing people together and engaging with those who may be marginalised or disadvantaged. I am always struck by the immense pride communities have in their locality. The community centre should be a safe, positive and accessible space for all manner of community activities and I want to ensure community centres will remain a hive of activity.
As Minister, I have placed a huge focus on developing and improving community centres nationwide. With this in mind, my Department has put in place an integrated programme of supports for the development and refurbishment of community centres in schemes such as the CLÁR programme, the LEADER programme, the town and village renewal scheme, the community support fund and, of course, the new community centres investment fund, which I announced last year.
This year, I have shifted the focus of the community centres investment fund somewhat. While last year's iteration of the fund focused on widespread improvements to community centres throughout the country, the 2023 fund focuses on supporting new-build community centres. The response to last year’s fund was phenomenal and the initiative was well received. In excess of €45.8 million was allocated to refurbish more than 860 community centres, making them safer, more accessible and more enjoyable places for families and communities. By doing this, we have ensured these great facilities will remain at the heart of our communities and continue to act as a hive of activity. These projects are ongoing and will be completed over the coming year.
My aim under the 2023 round of funding is to support communities with shovel-ready plans to build new community centres. It became clear from the success of the first round of funding and engagement with communities and the local authority sector that strong demand exists for funding to develop new-build multifunctional community centres. The Government recognises the important services provided through community centres and, therefore, I want to assist community groups striving to build their own community centre to service local needs.
I was delighted to announce a €20 million fund in March for shovel-ready new-build community centre projects on green or brownfield sites.
This means that planning permission and all the necessary consents are in place in advance of application. This requirement will ensure projects that are ready and waiting are delivered and that facilities become available in a timely fashion. The measure is open to both urban and rural communities. The minimum grant funding available is €1 million with the maximum being €6 million. As the grant funding is substantial, and for the purposes of compliance with public financial procedures, the lead party to an application must be a State-funded body, for example, a local authority, a local development company or a State agency. Therefore, if a community organisation or voluntary group wishes to avail of this fund, they must partner with a State-funded body that will assist them with the application and project management. As the deadline for receipt of applications is 3 July, I am not in a position at this stage to definitively quantify the number of applications that will be made nor indeed the number of proposals likely to be funded. The exact number of projects funded will depend on the size and scale of the successful projects. However, I have been very encouraged by the level of interest to date from communities as we approach the closing date for applications.
In circumstances where suitable land for construction of a new community centre is not available, communities can use my Department's integrated programme of supports to upgrade an existing building. For example, I launched the 2023 building acquisition measure under the town and village renewal scheme in March. The building acquisition measure allows local authorities to apply to purchase vacant or derelict buildings to be brought back into use as multifunctional community spaces, such as community centres. This year the measure provided an increased funding allocation of up to €500,000 to each local authority to purchase up to three vacant and derelict buildings. This builds on the success of the 2022 building acquisition measure and I was happy to approve support for the first tranche of successful applications this week. It is important that we build strong, coherent communities and that facilities are provided to meet the needs of these communities into the future. Therefore, I encourage communities which have shovel-ready projects to apply for funding under the 2023 community centre investment fund. There is still a bit of time left yet.
From the outset, the funding the Minister made available in 2022 through the community investment fund was well spent. I was looking at the list that was published late last year in relation to my own constituency. There are sums that are large and small but which are significant to many voluntary groups out there. Whitechurch received €100,000; Firmount, €136,000; Grenagh, €25,000; Courtbrack, €26,000; Farranree Community Centre, €100,000 and the list goes on. All those groups and organisations right across the country, with which many Deputies here will have worked, were very grateful for this fund specific to community centres.
I will twist the question Deputy Crowe tabled. Regarding the money that was spent last year, will there be a further roll-out of the category 1, 2, and 3 which the Minister had in the community centre investment fund last year which covered grants on a small scale up to €25,000, larger scale grants up to €25,000 to €100,000, and the major projects of €100,000 to €300,000 in terms of refurbishment? Will there be an element of that again this year?
I thank the Minister for her answer to the question. It is obviously early days and we do not know the extent of the applications for that fund. It will be important to know the extent of them because then we will be looking to the need and the demand within the communities. I return to the community centre investment fund. There are strong stipulations on how we also need guidelines and boundaries around it. However, if a community centre on band 2 or 3 with an application for funding, discovers that there is an issue it did not know about, which unfortunately is now going to throw their timelines way out, is there leeway within the guidelines for that community centre to come back and ask for another six months or an extra year on top of what they had because otherwise they might lose the funding?
This was a scheme that everybody was looking for for many years. It really has been a lifesaver for many rural communities. In the early years, community centres were where everybody was going and they were being used by the community. I compliment the Minister for the funding she has secured. In particular, I thought it was a fantastic idea to have the bigger projects and the smaller projects. It has been a lifesaver. When does the Minister expect to be making the announcements again on the community centres?
I thank the Deputies for their input. Initially, the fund for the upgrade of the community centres was €45 million. A lot of applications came in. It was initially anticipated that there would be €15 million in this fund but I was able to find savings from other areas. I know this is an important one and that many communities are benefiting. I was even out in Deputy Donnelly's own constituency in Hartstown and it was well-received that day. The community was delighted. The community centre certainly needed a facelift. The Deputies are asking me whether there will be more funding. I really think it is a good scheme and I will make the case to see if we can get further funding. Again, that will be part of the budgetary process. We have the fund now for the new community centres and they are important as well. There are many new communities across the country which do not have the wherewithal to acquire a community centre. We want local input into this as well. For these big schemes from €1 million to €6 million, we thought it was important for the financial management of these projects - because they can go awry - and we wanted the involvement of the local authority or a State agency to help communities to manage these. It is a big ask to get a community to do that itself.
The smaller grants of up to €300,000 were administered through Pobal. I have been out and about and a few people have said to me that certain projects were going to cost more than they thought. That is usual. I told them they could not have gold taps and they had to cut their cloth to measure, but we do not want to see anybody not progressing and we will look at things within reason. There is no doubt that we will do that. In terms of time delays, I am trying to keep the pressure on. If I have not spent the money, it is very hard to make the case for additional funding when I go in with a cap in hand to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I know there will be delays and we will give a degree of flexibility. That is important because at the end of the day, this is about communities. It is about helping them to realise their ambition for their areas in terms of a new community centre or upgrading the existing one. We were very conscious during Covid-19 that communities could not do the normal fundraising so this was the helping hand. Some of the communities only got small amounts but it really has made a difference. Again, it came from the bottom-up approach. I thank the Deputies for raising this matter with me.
I thank the Minister. I have two supplementary questions. First, from what the Minister said, I take it that the focus this year will be on the new builds, and pending the budget later in the year, that the Minister hopes for a new round of last year's community investment fund sometime next year. Will the Minister clarify that? I do not want to be putting words in her month but she might expand on that. The second is regarding the fact that a State-funded body has to be the lead actor. I am assuming that is an organisation like Cork County Council or Cork City Council that will work in partnership with either a new community association, a new voluntary group or perhaps an existing one. In my own area of Glanmire, servicing a population of 25,000 people, all we have is an old former schoolhouse building, the equivalent of three rooms, which is not fit-for-purpose for catering to the demands of that community. We are shipping people left, right and centre outside for all sorts of amenities. Will the Minister clarify this again? I assume it is working in the spirit of partnership.
I welcome the response about projects where the issue may not even be extra money, but a difficulty with a planning application or something that has been discovered that has thrown plans a little awry. As I said, it is not always about extra money, though that is welcome, but the flexibility to maybe kick it out for a further six months if the timeframe is already 12 months. I agree it cannot be unlimited and there has to be a definite line put on it. The community centre fund has been welcome and as I said, we had a fantastic day in Hartstown Community Centre. It is certainly one of the projects we really look forward to starting and finishing to get it back into the community and operational as much as we possibly can.
We work with people and we have a degree of flexibility and common sense, to be fair. Again, we engage with the Department or with Pobal at the minute. It all comes from my Department.
For the new build in Glanmire, I suggest that Deputy O'Sullivan should work with the local authority. It needs to engage. The local authority has been asked to engage with communities and to help to build capacity within communities that need new community centres. He should engage with the community section of his local authority. There has to be real engagement with the people on the ground to find out exactly what they need. It is important their needs are taken into consideration. My advice is to go to the local authority. I will leave it at that.
71. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding the review of public participation networks to ensure they are fit for purpose for climate action, as laid out in appendix 1 of policy measures in Our Rural Future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28135/23]
This is a timely enough question considering we will be discussing Our Rural Future tomorrow. It arises from one of the commitments in appendix 1 of that document, namely, to conduct a review of the public participation networks, PPNs. I want to get a sense from the Minister of State of where that work is at in the Department at the minute and where we plan to go from here to strengthen a structure that could be extremely valuable in facing up to the crisis in society.
I thank the Deputy for the question. PPNs provide representation for the community sector in local policymaking, giving local groups a say in local government decisions that affect their communities. There is a PPN in each of the 31 local authority areas and membership of a PPN is open to volunteer-led and not-for-profit groups in each area. The network has grown substantially since its establishment and over 18,500 groups nationwide are now registered with their local PPN.
In line with the programme for Government, a review of PPN structures was commissioned by my Department to ensure PPNs continue to be fit for purpose generally, including for climate action, and to make recommendations to support their ongoing development. The review report was published in June 2022. Following publication, my Department set up a working group to oversee the development of a roadmap of future actions to support the operation of PPNs. The working group is drawn from a range of PPN stakeholder groups, including PPN staff and volunteers, civil society groups, local authorities and relevant Government Departments. A draft roadmap has been agreed by the working group in recent weeks and my Department has just appointed an independent service provider to consult PPN stakeholders more widely on the draft roadmap and make recommendations on its content based on the feedback received. A finalised roadmap is expected to be submitted for approval later this year. The working group will remain in place to oversee the implementation of the roadmap and ensure it enhances the effective functioning of PPNs.
In addition, PPNs already have an important role in local climate action. Under section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, local authorities are mandated to consult PPNs in the development of local climate action plans. In this way, the volunteers that make up PPNs can feed their invaluable on-the-ground experiences and local knowledge into local climate planning. Local authorities are required by law to consult PPNs for their local climate action plans.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. The pivotal piece is one of the first things he said, namely, giving local groups a say in local government decisions that affect their communities. I am not convinced that is what we actually see with our PPNs. I am aware the Minister of State is absolutely steeped in this sector. I imagine most of us in the House this evening have had some sort of route to market with PPNs. They can feel like a talking shop. I smile wryly looking at the language. We are having a review, then a review report, a working group, we are overseeing the development of a roadmap, then we have a draft roadmap, an independent consultant to consult more widely and that is going to make recommendations before we receive a finalised roadmap. That feels very like the PPNs in some way. I have been in this situation. There is a very long journey from somebody in a PPN group having a good idea to that idea seeing the light of day, so we need to streamline the process. If we are using PPNs for community engagement, we need to make it authentic engagement.
Authentic engagement can take a bit of time sometimes and PPNs are specifically set up with a flat structure. That makes them difficult when it comes to decision-making sometimes and that has been recognised. I was also very conscious of what the Deputy listed, but it has been done in conjunction with the PPNs, so participatory and co-design processes are being used to ensure stakeholders are actively involved in designing the actions that will affect PPNs over the coming years. We have 18,500 members and we want to bring them all on a process of change as well. That takes a bit of time and it is worth a bit of time.
The review found the performance, understanding and communication of what PPNs really do is variable across local authorities. Some PPNs are doing excellent jobs in making their voices heard and some need more support. Many local stakeholders still do not understand the role of PPNs fully.
I thank the Minister of State. If I sounded cynical in my first contribution, I am not. Community action is where it is at. National politics can feel very distant from people and individual action feels like you are getting lost. In their community, people can make a difference and they can feel that difference. It seems to me, looking at the challenges we face with climate, biodiversity, housing and civic engagement, which is one of the OECD better living indices we score least well on, that community mobilisation is the answer to all of these things. However, sometimes people who are engaging through the PPNs lose heart because it takes so much time for that good idea to get to market. I also have a nagging concern they are too dependent on their local authorities and consequently they do not have that kind of external view of their local authority. They do not feel they can have an opinion on it and at times that limits the usefulness of the structure.
It is important to say the PPNs are independent structures and are funded independently. We gave them a significant budgetary increase last year as well.
I have a couple of important points to add. On foot of the findings from the PPN structural review, the Department is commissioning research to investigate any potential barriers to involvement in PPNs. The research will explore the demographic characteristics of groups currently involved in PPNs and make recommendations on increasing participation of any underrepresented groups in PPNs. I would like to see more young people involved in PPNs and it is something we need to target. On the Deputy's question, the Department is also providing supports to a group of PPN stakeholders to develop a paper exploring the potential of PPNs to specifically promote climate action locally. Once that paper is finalised, it will be submitted to the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action for its consideration. The workshop on that is on 1 July. Membership of the environmental pillar is growing significantly, especially over the last four or five years. That is a reason to be encouraged, going forward.
73. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the roll-out of the community recognition fund; if she will advise if the fund is on track to allocate the target of 60% of funding in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28383/23]
The community recognition fund is a significant initiative to support communities hosting people from Ukraine and other countries. Will it be possible to get an update on whether the fund is on track to allocate the target of 60% funding in 2023?
I thank the Deputy. In May I announced details of €50 million in funding for more than 880 projects under the community recognition fund. At its core, the community recognition fund recognises the efforts of communities who have gone above and beyond what might be expected during a very challenging period. It will support towns and villages nationwide that have shown such generosity in welcoming people from Ukraine and other countries.
Through this initiative communities will be assisted to develop projects ranging from large-scale multipurpose sports facilities to walkways, cycle paths, playgrounds, equipment for sports clubs and community festivals. The fund has been allocated across all local authorities based on the number of new arrivals located there. It follows an extensive consultation process with local authorities who submitted individual lists of projects for approval. Of the 880 projects approved for funding, there is a good mix of smaller scale projects that can be delivered quickly and larger scale projects that will draw down funding in tranches. I expect there will be strong delivery across projects in the coming months, and my officials will continue to liaise with our colleagues in local authorities on delivery and the management of the financial allocations. I look forward to seeing the benefits for communities across the country as these projects are delivered over the coming months.
I thank the Minister. There is a lot of very welcome stuff in it. Many communities in my constituency, across Cork and across the State will benefit, which I welcome. Specifically, the question related to the target that exists of €30 million this year and €20 million next year. I would be grateful if the Minister could give me an answer on that and as to when the advertisement for next year's round will come out. Is it anticipated to happen at the start of next year or towards the end of this year that organisations will be asked to submit requests for next year's fund?
I will not delay the Minister. That scheme was really successful. A lot of groups did not get funding and are waiting to see when they can apply again. Maybe if there was any extra funding or funding that was not spent between now and the end of the year, the Minister might look at the ones that made applications for this year. The Minister and her Department were on the ball. A lot of new people were forced on communities and the communities responded very well. However, some of the State agencies did not come in and give them the support they needed. The Minister's Department did, and many organisations are stretched, doing their best to try to accommodate, help and support, particularly for children who are staying in hotels. They are providing outlets, looking into community halls and getting in contact with sporting organisations. I hope the Government will respond and give the Minister and her Department the support they deserve. The communities have responded, she has responded, and she needs more funding for that project.
I have one supplementary question. I echo the sentiment Deputy Ring espoused - I was going to call him Minister Ring. Many communities have put shoulder to the wheel and it is great to see them acknowledged and rewarded for that. However, there are anecdotal tales that sometimes certain projects are being advanced where those communities might not have had as many refugees or Ukrainians coming into the community. Is there any kind of audit being done by the Department or somebody keeping a watchful eye to make sure those communities that do the heaviest of lifting are getting the resources the scheme was intended for?
I concur with my colleagues that the scheme is very important. The 48 different projects that were awarded funding in County Mayo of in the region of €2.2 million will have a really positive impact on both the individuals and the communities that were allocated funding. The direct engagement with local communities and through local community development groups in municipal districts was very important. It demonstrated the efficiency of getting these projects delivered. Certainly the insistence to have 60% of the funding spent before the end of the year did put the wheels in motion for a lot of these shovel-ready projects that might not have had access to any other schemes to get them off the ground. I commend the Minister. We look forward to a second round being announced very shortly.
As the Deputies have all said, this is a very popular scheme. I announced the funding last month. There is €50 million allocated. It is up to the local authorities along with the community groups to get the projects delivered as quickly as possible. They need to start spending. There is no point coming back looking for more money if they have not spent what they have. I mean that. There is always pressure to get this money spent. It is about delivery, delivery and delivery. It is with the local authorities. I will keep the pressure on them but I will ask all the Deputies to keep the pressure on their own local authorities. Cork City Council got €1.163 million, Cork County Council got €2.307 million and Mayo County Council got €2.354 million. There is a good lot of money gone into the different local authorities. There is a range of projects but I have to stop.
It is interesting and novel to hear a Minister urging this side of the House to make sure to spend the money. She is right, absolutely. The local authorities and organisation need to make sure they spend it. The timescale of it, necessarily, was tight enough and some organisations were not aware of it and might like to put in more comprehensive applications. They might like to come back next year, if she can tell us when that advertisement is going to come out and how organisations can prepare for it.
The other comment I will make is more for the record and is not particular to the Minister's Department. Cash is welcome and beneficial in respect of community facilities. An awful lot of communities have done enormous good and hard work and absorbed pressure on resources. What Government also needs to do is address cross-departmental issues whether it is Garda numbers in a community, a library, access to general practitioners or school places. Government as a whole across the Departments needs to match those needs as well.
I am just looking here at some of the projects in Cork city. Ballyphehane Togher Community Development Project got €48,000 to replace a community bus. That should not take them too long. Douglas Street in Cork city got a pocket park development and signage for a historic trail. There is some stuff here and they should be able to do it fairly smartly. Another community bus, equipment----
I am not sure the bus has been acquired.
Togher community got equipment and the Carraig Centre in Ballincollig got room dividers. I am just giving the Deputy examples. There are some bigger projects and they will take longer. That is why it is a €50 million fund and €30 million this year and €20 million next year is how we want it spent. I would say to anybody who can spend it to get at it now boys and do not waste time. Get the money out there to the communities that need it. My Department has a suite of other schemes. If local authorities are not delivering, as I said, and if they do not spend the money, they cannot expect me to give them more money. Keep at them boys, and I will keep at them as well.
74. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures being taken to tackle vacancy and dereliction in our towns and villages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28352/23]
It is crucial that Government continues to address the issues of vacancy and dereliction in our towns and villages. I would appreciate any insights into the Department's efforts to revitalise our towns and villages.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. 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 Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland, which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development. A key aim of both this policy and the Our Rural Future policy is addressing vacancy and dereliction and ensuring that the policies and schemes in place directly address and tackle these issues in our rural towns and villages. This complements other national policies such as Housing for All and the national planning framework that also aim to tackle vacancy and support 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 across rural towns under my Department's rural regeneration and development fund for 2022.
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. I have approved funding of €5.4 million to support the first tranche of projects under the 2023 building acquisition measure. This funding will see some 23 vacant or derelict buildings purchased by local authorities and brought back into use as multipurpose community spaces. 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 thank the Minister for her response. The two policies outlined in her statement around the Town Centre First policy and the town and village renewal scheme are crucial in addressing the pervasive challenges around dereliction and vacancy in many rural towns and villages throughout the country. As someone who advocates for the development and revitalisation of our rural communities, which the Minister is also passionate about, I wish to emphasise the importance of these schemes. She is allocating the money as outlined. It is €115 million under the RRDF. She approved the first tranche under the building acquisition measure and the town and village renewal scheme is also in place, for €5.4 million. That is important. What I specifically like about these schemes is the comprehensive approach that is taken involving local authorities, community groups and businesses to ensure value for money in terms of what is being rejuvenated in our rural towns and villages. Will the Minister provide additional information regarding when the other measures under the town and village renewal scheme will be announced? Are other announcements due under these measures to support our towns and villages and rejuvenate them?
I agree with my colleague. In particular, under the derelict sites initiative for towns and the Tidy Towns committees for which she has responsibility, funding has been very well spent by the committees. They are frustrated by derelict buildings. Even though I say this against my own local authority, it had an opportunity to buy houses recently from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, but did not deliver. It is probably one of the worst counties in the country. We have to judge the local authorities. The Minister provided funding and they have to be judged on what they do with derelict sites. Mayo County Council did three but I am open to correction on that. It talks a great deal about derelict sites and everything else but it does not deliver on them. We need to get these derelict sites out of towns. It is not fair on businesses that are trying to keep their properties up and running, repainting them and looking after them. It is not fair to have a vacant site beside them for 20 years with nothing done about it. There is now an opportunity to buy some of these vacant sites. I hope the council will. It needs to start using the Derelict Sites Act 1990 more. That Act is there and the powers are there.
I thank the Deputies. They are both right. Plenty of money is available. It has been made available to local authorities to identify these buildings and to purchase them. Now of course my Department is providing €100,000 per annum to each local authority for a town regeneration officer. The Department is committed to providing this funding for a fixed three-year period. Some 24 town regeneration officers have been appointed. The remaining two positions in counties Kerry and Kildare will be filled shortly. This gives an opportunity for the town regeneration officer to liaise with local businesses and the local community to identify what needs to be done in the town. Through the Town Centre First plans, 26 towns throughout the country have been selected under the first phase with each receiving €100,000 to develop the plans. They includes Killala, County Mayo. Support is there for local authorities that want to deal with this issue.
I thank the Minister again for her response. I commend her and her Department on their commitment to rural development. I applaud the positive impact under the town and village renewal scheme and the Town Centre First policy. Certainly, as Deputy Ring outlined, the implementation on the ground through local authorities has been disappointing to a degree. Castlebar historic core was allocated more than €11 million under the URDF by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We would like to see other URDF projects implemented and started much more quickly. Through the Department of Rural and Community Development, we should have a special delivery team or project team to ensure that they work on a collaborative basis with the local authorities in order that they can move through the decision-making process, be it through procurement, design, tender and construction, and achieve swifter delivery. The Department is allocating the money. I am sure the frustration from the Minister's side is that they are not delivering quickly enough. Will the Department issue a special delivery team for the projects?
I have a question on a similar issue. Dereliction is a substantial problem in many villages and towns but also in some urban areas. While under different funding streams, sometimes we neglect how significant a role vacancy, even if not quite dereliction, can play. There could be three or four buildings next to each other on a street that might not be derelict or reportable under the derelict buildings register but they can still impact on the vibrancy of a town or village. That in itself can be a challenge. We need local authorities to be more aggressive. For example, Louth County Council is very aggressive in that regard. I commend it on that. There needs to be more aggression. There are two potential challenges. The first relates to tradespeople and builders. If a builder has a choice between taking on a risky vacant or derelict property as opposed to an extension, the incentives are not great. The other challenge, and I wonder whether the Department can do more in this regard, is it can often be difficult with vacant or derelict properties to perfect title on unregistered property, particularly in the old cores of towns. Can the Department do much to support that to assist tackling vacancy and dereliction?
I do not think my Department can do anything in regard to perfecting title on properties but what we can do is support individuals through the Croí Cónaithe fund administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. That is a popular fund. The threshold has now been increased to €50,000 for a vacant property and €80,000 for a derelict property. However, it does not have to be derelict either. It can be vacant or gone past use. They can be repurposed through the RRDF. That is a good fund for local authorities to acquire and repurpose buildings. Whether they are repurposed into a library or a remote working hub, there are many opportunities. Since the town and village renewal scheme started in 2016, County Mayo has received €6.3 million in funding. That is considerable funding. Under the RRDF, which in fairness Deputy Ring set up and got the money for, €1 billion has been provided. That is a lot of money. It is paying off Mayo has received €31.8 million since it was set up. A great deal of money is being invested in rural areas and rural towns and villages. I travel up and down the country looking at this and it is really paying off. There is a new air of optimism in rural Ireland. We deserve it.
78. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding CLÁR 2023 applications from County Kerry; the number of applications; the total ask involved; when she hopes to allocate funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28303/23]
84. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce the successful projects for the new round of CLÁR funding. [28217/23]
I want to emphasise how valuable the CLÁR money is and how badly needed it is. I specifically raise the case of Keel GAA and Keel community walking track. It is probably the most dangerous drop-off and collection and parking GAA facility in Ireland, not just in County Kerry. A bad accident occurred there two weeks ago. It has also applied under this year's tranche. It is important that funding is granted to make that facility safe for all users.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 84 together.
The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. As Minister for Rural and Community Development, it gives me great satisfaction to visit these projects. I get around to a good few of them and see at first hand the excellent work that has taken place over recent years with funding from the programme. CLÁR is designed to support a vast array of projects that will benefit people of all ages and abilities, including the provision of Astroturf pitches, playgrounds, sensory gardens, handball alleys, outdoor, cinemas, walking tracks, community gyms and car parks. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures, with more than €57 million being approved for almost 2,100 projects.
The Deputy mentioned a specific project. Seven applications from Kerry were submitted directly to my Department under measure 2 of the programme, which relates to mobility, cancer care and
community first responders' transport. A total of 15 applications seeking almost €608,000 were submitted by Kerry County Council under measure 1, which deals with community facilities and amenities. As the Deputy knows, all the applications have to be assessed. The project he referred to is a worthy cause that will address a potential danger. There is funding available. I cannot say the project will be funded but it will be assessed along with the other applications. I hope it will stand up on its own merits and get the support the Deputy is seeking.
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to put my question and the Minister for her response.
