Vol. 1042 No. 5
50. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if Cork County Council and Cork City Council have provided for the expenditure of the full €2,755,923 local improvement scheme allocations for 2023, and if so, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41293/23]
53. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will ensure that any local improvement scheme work not undertaken by Cork County Council and Cork City Council will be contracted out thus ensuring the full value of this year’s allocations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41294/23]
I ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if Cork County Council and Cork City Council have provided for the full expenditure of the full €2,755,923 local improvement scheme, LIS; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 53 together.
The local improvement scheme, LIS, supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity, which I view as an important issue for rural Ireland, whether it be access to homes, farms or outdoor amenities. Indeed, I have seen firsthand the important contribution that this scheme has made in rural communities right across the country.
The LIS was introduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Since 2017, my Department has allocated almost €114 million to the scheme. In recent years, I have sought to allocate additional funding to the scheme where possible, and I was happy to be in a position to do so again earlier this year. The scheme is administered at a local level by local authorities, and I am anxious to ensure that the allocations in each county are fully expended each year. With this in mind, I have asked my officials to maintain a close engagement with our delivery partners in the local authorities to ensure that the funding available under the range of schemes operated by my Department is drawn down and used in the most efficient and effective way possible. As part of this process, I am aware that the delivery of improvement works under the LIS is in many instances contracted out by local authorities.
Between 2017 and 2023, over €10.1 million was provided to Cork County Council, which has resulted in improvement works taking place on more than 200 roads, benefitting landowners and residents in these rural areas. For 2023 alone, Cork has been allocated more than €2.7 million in funding under the scheme to fund works on its approved list of 47 priority roads this year. The local authority has advised my officials that it is on track to complete works that have been approved under the 2023 scheme.
My Department maintains ongoing contact with local authorities in order to monitor demand and, importantly, the capacity to deliver under the LIS. The scheme criteria and the mechanism for funding allocation is reviewed accordingly each year. The issue of funding for the LIS has been raised on a number of occasions in this forum, and I continue to engage with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, regarding his Department contributing to a jointly funded local improvement scheme. I will continue to work with our partners in local authorities to ensure that the LIS delivers projects that are of real benefit locally and that contribute to the Government's vision for rural Ireland as outlined in Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.
I thank the Minister for the response. The Minister does not need to be told she is from a fairly rural constituency. Even in the part of the world I am from - although I cover the northern part of Cork city - there is a large rural hinterland. We had a tough enough couple of months during the summer. It was very wet. Many roads are in a state of disrepair. It is great to see that Cork County Council is on track to draw down that full allocation, as the Minister has assured me in her response. I look forward to that being drawn down. The Minister knows the importance of the scheme. Even in my days as a county councillor on Cork County Council, it was very important to get out among people and offer this alternative to people because, as the Minister knows, these are private roads in most circumstances.
I will touch on a couple of other local authorities. I understand that Kerry and Galway have been inundated with applications. I think in the case of Galway there is a waiting list of two years to get on the scheme in that county. Deputy Healy-Rae was quoted as saying here one evening that there are approximately 800 applications in Kerry that are also on a waiting list. I will therefore impress on the Minister that if further funding was to be allocated or to become available that those counties that are proactive in compiling lists are considered. While some have compiled lists and while some have extensive waiting lists, I have also read in the media that when the call-out goes out, many counties do not draw down the full amount. It is imperative that all counties that are allocated moneys would draw those down.
I agree with the Deputy; when they are allocated the money, they would want to spend it. I like to keep the pressure on to spend it, because if they do not spend the money, I have to give back. It is not that easy to get in the first place.
As the Deputy knows, €114 million has been spent in the past five to six years. I would love to put more money into funding the LIS. I did put more in this year and last year. In total, I allocated an additional €16 million in July of this year. The funding must be spent on upgrade works by local authorities within the calendar year. We understand, as the Deputy does, that local authorities have competing priorities and different levels of ambition and they are faced with capacity constraints that vary from authority to authority. Each local authority decides locally what works are prioritised to be submitted to my Department for funding.
In 2021 and 2022, I doubled the allocation for the LIS using savings that were identified within the Department. In 2023 alone, I allocated almost €30 million to the scheme. As the Deputy knows, the lanes are the same as roads in rural Ireland. There can be multiple houses on them. Cars drive on them. Milk lorries go up them. They need to have a decent surface. For that reason, LIS-like roads were always funded by the Department of Transport. The Department of Transport has a very large capital budget, far in excess of what my Department has. I have raised it with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on a number of occasions to see if that Department would co-fund. If they matched what I am putting in from my Department it would make a huge hole in it. It really would get rid of those waiting lists. We have done a lot, and I can say that the lists are much shorter than they were five or six years ago, but we still have to keep working at it.
I want to finish by thanking the Minister again for her response. Some local authorities are better at drawing down the money than others, and that is evidenced in much of the reading I was doing before I came in this evening.
If I could touch on something else, the Minister spoke about working with the Department of Transport, and possibly with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. A bugbear of mine is when roads are upgraded, they are an asset to everybody who has chipped in. The State has chipped in a significant amount of money. Yet, the process of taking charge is quite difficult and onerous. That might vary from local authority to local authority, but I ask that the Minister would consider speaking about this with her colleagues in the Department of Transport and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. If a road is upgraded, if a hefty investment has been put in by the State, and if the contribution has been made by the local community, I ask that serious consideration would be given to the process of taking in charge in order to ensure that we get better maintained roads into the future, as well as to increase the likelihood of the road surviving its typical life span of 15 to 20 years. I would appreciate if the Minister could comment on that as well.
I thank the Deputy. We fund the roads through the LIS scheme. They are private lanes. I do not know about the process of taking in charge, but after time has passed and after roads have fallen into disrepair, one can reapply. I have seen instances of people who have reapplied to have them resurfaced. It is not at the same expense that they were originally, but it is up to the landowners to try to keep them in good shape.
I received a message this evening from someone who had been waiting a long number of years. The person sent a photograph of a LIS lane that had just been repaired. My goodness me, but it was done to a very high standard. A decent amount of tar is put on the roads. A good job is done and the roads last for a long time if the landowners look after them.
It is a popular scheme. I am committed to it and will continue to support it insofar as I can.
51. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 1394 of 13 June 2023, for an update on the rural proofing model promised in Our Rural Future; the details of the engagement her Department has had with other departments to progress work in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41371/23]
This is a straightforward issue. I am seeking an update on the rural proofing model that was promised under Our Rural Future, which the Minister has often referred to and which is the Government’s blueprint up to 2025. In particular, what has been the engagement with other Departments? There must be an all-of-Government approach.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Our Rural Future commits to developing an effective rural proofing model to ensure that the needs of rural communities are fully considered in the development of Government policies. To advance this measure, my officials commissioned research in this area. The resulting report, entitled “Proposals for a Rural Proofing model for Ireland”, was published in January. The report outlines options that could be applied and assesses the merits and potential barriers to their implementation. A central theme of the report is that the international evidence makes clear that no one-size-fits-all approach can be quickly and successfully implemented.
Informed by these conclusions, my Department is now applying rural proofing concepts to a number of pilot initiatives to inform the development of a nationally applicable approach that would then be rolled out more broadly. Included in the rural proofing pilot phase are the following significant initiatives: the first revision of the national planning framework, which is being overseen by a cross-departmental steering group led by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the development of a new sustainable tourism policy, which is being led by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; and the development the new national hubs strategy, led by my Department.
In addition, my Department is in the process of developing a new social enterprise strategy. I was anxious to ensure that this important strategy would see the benefit of a rural proofing process. With that is mind, my Department hosted a rural ideas forum during the summer to ensure that the consideration of a rural perspective was central to the development of the strategy, particularly given the important role that social enterprises play in many rural communities.
I expect to conclude the pilot phase of developing a rural proofing model in early 2024. At that point, my officials will draw on the lessons and insights gained from the pilot to put in place workable and effective solutions to support the mainstreaming of the rural perspective in policymaking across Departments.
I thank the Minister. I was aware from the previous reply in June that the research had been done. I welcome that, and I welcome the update that the three pilots will be completed in early 2024, at which point the Government will roll out a full policy on rural proofing all documents.
Perhaps the Minister could tell me more about the new enterprise strategy. I think of seaweed and wool, which present fantastic opportunities for indigenous industries that are currently going nowhere. Those are just two examples.
In my constituency in Galway, there is no rural proofing. We have a day centre. This has to do with the Minister’s Department indirectly, given that the day centre was closed three years ago last week. It must be only the second such place in the whole country. No one has assessed the absence of a day centre and the effect of that on the community. In Carraroe, we have no treatment centre, so sewage is going directly into the water. A site was picked, but it is not suitable. Twenty years later and we are still looking into that. Towns and other places cannot thrive without these essential industries.
Rural proofing is a tool to support the policymaking process. There are more examples of rural proofing models failing than of being successful. We want to use the test cases to develop an approach that suits the national conditions. When every Department makes decisions, I want it to think rural. It is as simple as that. It is a question of how to ensure that happens each time.
The Deputy referred to social enterprises. We are developing a social enterprise policy. I am supportive of social enterprises across the country. They are not for profit, as the Deputy knows, and they provide employment in areas where the private sector will not go. They are a wonderful service. There is a local farmers’ co-operative beside my home. It provides all sorts of agricultural products and other materials. It is a hive of activity in the middle of nowhere every day, especially at weekends. The credit union movement is one of the great examples of a social enterprise, where everything is ploughed back into services for its members and others who use them.
We are developing this strategy. I want to ensure it is rural proofed so that rural areas get the opportunity to have important social enterprises. The Deputy mentioned seaweed. It is the perfect example of something that could be developed in her county.
When does the Minister believe the enterprise policy will be ready? She referred to rural proofing as a tool. It is an essential tool that has not been used to date. When does she envisage that Departments will mainstream the rural proofing approach? It has not been mainstreamed, which is why Carraroe is without a day centre. If that decision had been rural proofed and poverty proofed, it could never have happened. A similar situation applies in terms of the lack of industries, for example, seaweed and wool. Farmers are getting very little money for wool. Even though there are any number of possibilities, for example, insulation, these are not being taken up on the ground. Will the enterprise strategy consider such matters? When will it be published? When will rural proofing be mainstreamed by all Departments, as promised?
We are developing the social enterprise strategy. It is important that this be done as quickly as possible. I will be working on it. I want to ensure that all of these strategies are right. We found it took a long time to develop the island strategy, but we got there in the end and it was welcomed as a good strategy.
Our Rural Future is a good policy document and has been recognised by the OECD as best practice internationally in terms of rural development policy. This year, I attended the future forum on rural development in Berlin, where I presented on what we were doing. Last month, the Danish minister for rural development visited Ireland to look at and learn from how our rural policy was working. The Nordic countries are usually held up as examples of best practice in public policy, so it was heartening to see one of them coming to Ireland and learning from us.
For me, rural proofing means investment, making a difference and improving quality of life for rural people. That is important and I want to see it happen.
52. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department has considered allocating extra funding to Cork county for local improvement schemes for private roads and laneways; if her Department has considered allocating additional funding for Cork county to repair many regional roads across Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41417/23]
83. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to reduce the LIS list in County Kerry; if she appreciates how long it will take to clear the overall list in Kerry at the current rate of works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41328/23]
My question relates to funding for rural road infrastructure. Our schemes are well resourced, but we need more funding in County Cork, given the physical size of the county. Its road infrastructure has long been an issue, not only at national level, but also in terms of the area pertaining to the Minister’s Department. Deputy Humphreys has been a wonderful Minister nationally and she is no stranger to boreens and other rural roads, given that she comes from a rural constituency. We in County Cork face an issue and would deeply appreciate further funding to help people living in rural communities, be they farming or just living in localities where these schemes apply. The Minister’s support would be appreciated. I commend her on what she has done to date. She has been an excellent Minister to deal with on a cross-party basis.
We need further funding for County Cork.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 83 together.
I thank both Deputies for raising this matter. The local improvement scheme, LIS, supports the continued improvement of non-public roads and lanes that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future. I am very aware of the importance of the works funded by the LIS across the country. As the Deputies will be aware, the LIS was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Since then, my Department has allocated almost €114 million to the scheme, which has upgraded some 3,700 non-public roads and lanes, benefiting more than 16,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas. The scheme is implemented in collaboration with local authorities. The prioritisation of roads and delivery of the scheme at local level are matters for each local authority.
The maintenance of regional and local roads is funded by the Department of Transport. Earlier this year, the Government announced details of a €626 million investment programme for these roads. I have always sought to ensure that the LIS is well funded; in each of the last three years, I have been able to allocate additional funding to the scheme. In July this year, I announced an additional €16 million in funding, which ensured that almost €30 million has been allocated to local authorities in 2023 alone. I also engaged with local authorities to announce the initial 2023 allocations earlier this year in order to give local authorities the maximum time possible to complete works on the ground. From 2017 to 2023, a total of €10.1 million has been allocated to County Cork to fund works carried out on more than 200 roads. This is the third-highest allocation nationally. In County Kerry, over the same period from 2017 to 2023, more than €7.7 million has been allocated to fund works on 173 roads. This is the fifth-highest allocation nationally. For 2023 alone, more than €1.5 million has been allocated to County Kerry to carry out repair and maintenance works on 25 roads, whereas more than €2.7 million has been allocated to County Cork for works on 47 priority roads. Looking ahead to next year, my Department is already engaging with local authorities to establish delivery capacity, should additional funding allocations be available for the scheme in 2024. I am very anxious to ensure that my officials engage with our delivery partners on an ongoing basis across the range of schemes in the rural development investment programme to ensure that delivery of projects across rural communities is expedited.
Lastly, I stress that I understand the importance of the LIS to rural communities, which is why I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, with a view to exploring jointly funding the scheme. I am confident that the scheme can continue to make a real contribution to the goals set out in Our Rural Future.
I commend the information the Minister provided and how good an idea it is. The money that has not been spent in the Department of Transport needs to be transferred for these well-deserved schemes that need funding to progress. She made one comment that concerned me, in that County Cork is number three nationally. The county has the largest road network in the country. Surely, it should be first in line for funding when for the community involvement scheme, CIS, and LIS. I know the Minister will take this matter seriously and take it back to the Department but the front page of The Mail on Sunday last weekend highlighted a national scandal, stating that €14 billion was needed for transport infrastructure. There is money in the State's coffers that has not been spent. It is not the Minister's fault but it is an issue for the Department of Transport under the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I am hopeful, considering that there is money that has not been spent to date, that some will be transferred for a joint scheme between the Departments of Rural and Community Development and Transport under the auspices of the Minister for Transport. This is something that must be looked at.
I thank the Minister for her response. I commend her on all the work she is doing. I welcome the €7.7 million allocated to my county, Kerry, over the past six years. It involved 173 roads that previously were not done, which is important to the residents and farmers using those roads. For those people, they are the most important road there are. There are hundreds more roads that need to be done. While 25 roads this year is very welcome, it will take many years to clear the list at the current rate. That is why I want to ask the Minister if she will engage with our local authority. My understanding, from previous responses I have received from her, is that Kerry County Council has received everything it looked for in recent years. Is it, therefore, a question of the local authority's capacity to do more roads in the year? That is part of the problem and why it will take so long. The Minister is also looking for more funding. I raised this with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, when I met him recently at our parliamentary party meeting and asked that for every €2 the Department of Rural and Community Development chips in, the Department of Transport chip in at least €1. That would, for example, bring the budget this year from €30 million to €45 million and would deliver a huge number of roads all over the country. That question of capacity and the ability of the local authorities to do more is very pertinent for County Kerry because, at the current rate, with the Minister acknowledging that her Department is giving everything it is asked for, the council will take years to clear the list. Many people are waiting.
The Department of Transport has a large capital budget, which is far more than what I have in my Department. I have raised this matter with the Minister for Transport on a number of occasions and will continue to do so. The Department of Transport has a role in this area. I funded the additional money through savings in other areas in my Department. I have managed to do that over the past number of years but as projects in other funding areas, such as some of the other schemes I fund, fall due, there may not be as much money available from savings to allocate to the LIS. In the context of the budget and national delivery plan ceilings, I will be looking for more money for LIS. I guarantee that because it is so important. I know what it is like going up a rural road and, as I said to somebody the other day, you would hit your head in a tractor, never mind in a car because the holes are not good. It would do your heart good to see the video I got this evening of the new road finished. I am delighted. Everybody is happy and they are finished to a high quality. It is an important scheme. I know how important it is in rural areas. I will continue to support it.
There are not too many people in the Cabinet I would trust to pilot a Massey Ferguson but I guarantee that the Minister is one of them. Her comments are very welcome. It is good to know that rural Ireland has somebody at the table, like her, with the commitment to try to address this issue. She eloquently put it about having the awareness, for the likes of us in rural constituencies, whether it is Deputy Griffin in County Kerry or others in constituencies across the country, that this is a very personal matter to rural households. It is their equivalent to an urban family of public transport. It is their way to and from where they live to where they work and where their children go to school or training. If they farm, it provides access to and from the fields. It should be treated with the seriousness it deserves. This scheme has been successful but when it comes to County Cork, it is about the issue of resoucing. It is a pertinent point that County Cork is number three, even though we have the longest rural road network. It needs to be number one.
I know people in County Kerry who are No. 300 or 400 on the list. At the current rate of 25 per annum, which is a good year, it will still take so many years to get it done. I am under enormous pressure, as are other Deputies and councillors. If the council says it only has so much capacity to do X number of roads in the year, which is what I understand has been happening in recent years, and it has everything it looked for, can local authorities be given the option of additional funding and contracting the work out? There are many contractors in the county who I know are well capable of building good roads. Otherwise, some people will literally be waiting into double figures of years to get their roads done. We are not just talking about people driving motor cars; it is also about people who need to push buggies, use wheelchairs and children cycling up and down the road.
They simply cannot do it at the moment in the places where they live. We need to look outside the box in terms of models of delivery. If local authorities are limited with their capacity, can a different model be considered?
I reiterate that the Department of Transport has to step up to the line. It is a massive Department with a significant capital budget and it should not be leaving the entire burden to the Minister's Department. The Minister has stepped up but the Minister for Transport needs to play his part, too. There is a sustainable element to this as well.
I do not wish to go over the ground covered by the Deputies regarding the LIS but I acknowledge there will be extra funding. I emphasise the quality of work that has been done by local authority staff on the ground. It is top class. More funding in that area is very important.
In a similar vein, the Minister has been more than supportive of my county through the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme. I was up Errigal Mountain with my family this summer. Thousands of people are going up that new footpath. That investment and its benefits and spin-offs for the local economy are incredible. The greenway along the old Burtonport railway, which the Minister has been on, is excellent. From my contact with council staff, I am aware the Carrigart to Downings footpath or greenway, into which the Minister put €500,000, will be going to consultation with landowners in November and, it is hoped, to tender in the first quarter of next year.
In light of all the money the Minister has announced and the commitments she has given and, no doubt, future announcements in the upcoming budget, are we adequately resourced in terms of human resources and personnel to deal with the administrative workload at local authority level and within the Department? Are further resources necessary? I have no doubt the Minister will be having these conversations with the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, prior to the budget but, without requesting information along that line, in light of all these announcements are extra resources needed to back up the hardworking staff in the Department and local authorities?
We recently funded town centre first officers in all local authorities. That is an extra resource. We have the rural recreation officers as well, whom we fund.
To return to the LIS, Kerry indicated it could deliver €3.6 million worth of works in 2024, while Cork indicated it could deliver €5.4 million of works in the same year. Kerry County Council had a small underspend of almost 10% in 2022, as did Cork. The Deputies may keep the councils at it and make them spend the money.
As regards Cork being number three, there is not much in it between Cork and Galway. Number one on the LIS funding scheme is County Donegal. It got €11,421,000 to date. Galway, at €10,282,000, was a close second, while following close behind was Cork, at €10,118, 000. There is not a hair's breadth between Galway and Cork. It is money well spent. Deputy Paul Donnelly and I were discussing Culture Night earlier. We had Culture Night from Donegal. They were out on Árainn Mhór. The Deputy was out there himself. It came from the beautiful plaza on the beach that we funded. To where else did they turn then, only Dunlewey and the beautiful centre there. We are helping them to try to get that back on track. There are loads of things happening in Donegal. In fairness, Culture Night showcased them well.
54. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there will be another round of the community recognition fund in 2024. [41410/23]
Will there be another round of the community recognition fund in 2024?
Earlier this year, together with Government colleagues, I announced details of €50 million in funding for more than 880 projects under the community recognition fund. At its core, this fund recognises the huge efforts of communities that have gone above and beyond to welcome and support people coming to Ireland. It is supporting towns and villages nationwide that have shown such generosity in welcoming people from Ukraine and other countries.
The fund aims to support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members of the community. It is important to note this is separate from other public funding streams which aim to support the development of public service needs arising from the significant number of new arrivals into Ireland. Through this initiative, communities are being assisted to develop projects such as large-scale multipurpose sports facilities, walkways, cycle paths, playgrounds, equipment for sports clubs and community festivals. The entire €50 million fund has now been allocated across all local authorities based on the number of new arrivals located here. Projects for funding were submitted by local authorities to my Department for approval following a process of extensive engagement and consultation at local level.
I have been delighted with the uptake of, and engagement with, the fund to date. A key priority now is to ensure the range of projects approved across the country is delivered over the course of this year and next. Any future iterations of the scheme will be informed by the annual budgetary process and progress in delivering the large number of projects already approved. I look forward to seeing projects coming to fruition across the country in the coming months and I am confident these projects will deliver real and lasting benefits to many communities.
It is a really good scheme and it is very welcome in all the communities that have welcomed people into the country. There has been feedback that the timescale was tight. I understand that is so of necessity. There will be a split, with €30 million this year and €20 million available next year. Will the scheme for the €20 million be open towards the end of this year or will it open next year? It is important that people have time to think of the projects. These are good projects but proper community consultation is needed and people need time to work out the best way to spend the money so that the new and existing communities can benefit as much as possible.
A total of €50 million has been allocated. It has gone to every county. Some counties put in few big projects, while other counties put in a large number of smaller projects. This year, €30 million is allocated to be spent, while €20 million is allocated to be spent next year. That is because some of the projects, particularly the larger ones, may take longer than others. The first tranche of invoices are due into my Department by 6 October. Very little has been spent to date because the first drawdown deadline is 6 October. The Department will be engaging with local authorities to ensure we have a strong drawdown in 2023. More than 880 projects were included in the funding proposals approved from the local authorities. We want to keep the pressure on. I know the communities want to feel the impact of the projects but, as I stated, smaller projects will deliver much more quickly. That is why we left €20 million to be spent next year - there is planning and work to go into it.
As I raised previously with the Minister, it may be that unexpected hiccups are encountered, particularly in the case of community centres. There needs to be fluidity in the movement towards getting those projects up and running.
Has the entire €30 million been allocated to the 800 projects? Do the applications that have come in account for the entire €30 million? Can some of those projects apply again for funding next year or is that €20 million for next year for entirely new projects? Does that make sense?
Just to clarify for the Deputy, altogether we announced €50 million in funding. We said that €30 million had to be spent this year and €20 million next year. All the projects have been announced, but some projects are bigger and it is going to take them a bit longer. That is why we have allowed them a bit more time to spend. There is €50 million in funding. Regarding another fund, again that would be part of any budget negotiations that will take place in line with the national development plan ceilings. We will look at that, but I cannot give the Deputy a commitment on it. We have to see that the money that has been allocated is being spent. I know that it can be difficult sometimes. Through no fault of anybody's something will arise that may slow the spending down, but I do not want any of these local authorities sitting on their laurels and not spending the money. There is always pressure coming from other Departments that want the money spent. The smaller projects will be easily delivered, so they will probably come first. They are going to send their first invoices in by 6 October. My Department is engaging with the local authorities to make sure that the invoices come in quickly and we get the money spent. It is very hard to look for more money when you have not spent what you have got.
55. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has any plans to review the CLÁR areas in Cavan to include areas not currently included; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41198/23]
77. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the next tranche of successful CLÁR funding allocations will be announced; the amount he expects to be able to allocate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41327/23]
I am anxious to know when the next round of successful CLÁR allocations will be announced. The CLÁR scheme has had a massive impact all over the country and the funding is very welcome for communities. If the Minister could update the House, I think everyone would be interested.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 77 together.
The CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported over 2,100 projects with funding of over €59 million. This funding is making a real difference in many of our smaller and more remote communities. I launched the 2023 programme in March this year. Funding of almost €8 million has been allocated for the 2023 CLÁR programme, which is an increase of €0.5 million on 2022.
Measure 1 of the programme will support the development of community facilities and amenities including sports facilities, youth clubs, playgrounds, sensory gardens and walking tracks. For the first time, the programme this year offers funding to carry out improvements to spectator stands at local GAA and other sports clubs. Measure 2 supports voluntary groups that provide free transport to people receiving cancer care and other treatment. Community first responders and search and rescue organisations were also eligible to apply. The third and final measure is designed to support offshore island communities with funding for community transport and amenity projects.
In relation to the current eligibility for CLÁR, the areas in each county that are currently eligible under CLÁR can be found on my Department's website. As Deputy Smyth will be aware, the majority of County Cavan is currently considered to be eligible for CLÁR funding. A review of CLÁR areas nationally was undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 census of population data. The review examined the most recent changes in population patterns throughout the country on the basis of this 2016 data. It also examined the approach to developing the existing CLÁR designations, which is based on 2002 data, and considered how changes in population since then impacted on designations. From the review it is clear that many areas have seen population growth in the relevant period rather than decline. Indeed, the most recent census data published by the Central Statistics Office points to population growth across all counties since 2016. This population growth suggests that there would be very few additional areas that should now be designated as CLÁR areas using the initial criteria developed for the programme. The details of the review continue to be considered by my Department in advance of any decisions being taken on changing the areas throughout Ireland which are to be designated as eligible for CLÁR.
Turning to the announcement of funding under this year's scheme, I was pleased last month to announce the approval of funding of over €2 million for 37 projects under measure 2. This included support for community groups to purchase vehicles designed to transport people who have mobility issues or people being treated for cancer. Community groups that perform roles such as transporting blood samples from hospitals were also supported under the initiative, together with vital mountain rescue teams and subaqua groups. The assessment process is well advanced in relation to measures 1 and 3 of the programme. I expect to be in a position to make a decision on the successful measure 1 and 3 projects in the coming weeks. I know that this announcement will be eagerly awaited in many communities.
I thank the Minister. The announcement on the successful measure 1 and 3 projects is absolutely eagerly awaited. The Minister referred to the 2,100 projects that have been supported all over the country since the reintroduction of the programme back in 2016. Every single one of those projects is important in those communities. I raised the issue with the Minister during the summer. In my own locality, Keel GAA club has applied for funding to make safe the parking, drop-off and collection areas. It is one of the most dangerous GAA car parks in the country, if not the most dangerous. It is on the busy main Killarney to Dingle road. That is just one project that has applied for measure 1 funding. It would make an enormous difference to our community. It is the same for every single application. I ask the Minister to do whatever she can in terms of the maximum amount of funding that can be allocated to these projects. I can guarantee that with very few exceptions, there are not many applications that would not represent excellent value for money all over the country.
In relation to any future review of eligibility for CLÁR, we are seeing counties increase in population throughout the country, but it is the relative population increase that needs to be looked at. As we know, the east coast population is increasing at a far quicker rate than that of the west coast. We can see that in seat allocations when it comes to this House alone. I ask that that factor is considered as well, to avoid that having a disproportionate impact along the western seaboard where the population is not growing as quickly.
The Deputy is dead right. The CLÁR programme does not have a huge fund, but it is a very impactful and important fund. I always make a point of trying to visit the communities that have put a lot of effort and work into fundraising themselves. I have seen the improvement in school carparks, playgrounds and indeed many other worthwhile projects, and I can say that CLÁR is small but impactful.
The maximum funding provided under measure 1 is €50,000. Measure 2 supports mobility, cancer care and community first responders. Indeed, I have been out to visit some of them and they do wonderful work, a lot of them on a voluntary basis. This helps them to provide the vehicles that they need to transport patients to and from the city, most likely, for treatment. Indeed, there a lot of the other groups, such as the subaqua groups, and the blood bikes, which is another very popular one, that get support. Measure 3 supports our islands and provides funding up to €50,000 for community amenities on our inhabited offshore islands and up to €100,000 for electric vehicles or up to €120,000 for electric vehicles or solar panels, and charging points are included. Again applications under this measure must be made directly to the Department. It is specifically targeted at the islands. All in all, as the Deputy well knows, this is a very useful fund for those areas that can apply for it. There are a lot of areas out there that would like to be able to do it, but it would be very difficult. I have gone through a lot of this and you could run into some difficulties, let us say, if you were to justify changing any of it now.
One of the really important features of the programme is that it is relatively small money in the overall scheme of things. However, the fundraising capacity of the communities to which this funding is delivered is quite limited. For example, Camp Community Council, which is not far from where I live, was in contact with me. It built a fabulous playground many years ago. It needs an upgrade and the council applied under measure 1. For them to raise €50,000 in a small rural community would take years and a lot of hard work. They would also be competing with loads of other community groups which are doing excellent work as well. At central government level, €50,000 is not a massive amount but for the people of Camp who are looking to upgrade the playground for the children there, it is massive. That is where the impact is felt. Every cent that the Minister can get into this programme is very welcome.
If the Minister can fund as many schemes as possible, it will be very welcome and represent money well spent. I commend her on her efforts at budget time to get more funding for the scheme. It really gives a massive lift to rural communities.
I thank the Minister for the update on CLÁR funding. There are many groups eagerly awaiting the announcement of the next round of CLÁR funding. It is great to hear it will be in the coming weeks. One of the groups eagerly awaiting an announcement is Castletownbere GAA. As Deputy Griffin will know, football is everything down on the Beara Peninsula. Castletownbere GAA basically had to come up with roadside parking over the past while. Kids getting dropped off at the GAA pitch have to be dropped off at the roadside, so the club has put in for funding for a car park. It is really essential there. The club is eagerly awaiting the announcement and results. Hopefully the outcome will be positive for it.
The Minister mentioned the success of some of the CLÁR funding applications for schools, car parks and safety. I have a very genuine concern about the traffic hazards outside schools. If there is potential to assist schools in CLÁR areas with safety measures, it should be explored. There was an issue outside Dunkineely National School last week. Councillor Barry Sweeny raised it with me. There was a very near miss. I am not saying the Minister's Department is responsible for such major issues outside schools but there is a very genuine need to examine, cross-departmentally and at Cabinet level, the issue of safety outside schools. Ironically, there are more cars going to schools than ever in this day and age when we should be taking more cars off the roads.
All I can say is that it is a small grant that makes a big difference in communities. Deputy Griffin is right that it would take a long time to raise €50,000. In this regard, I learned a lesson many years ago when a community group got what was a very small grant in the overall scheme of things. It might have been €10,000, or not even that much. Those concerned rang me up and said to me they would be standing a long time at the traffic lights in Monaghan before they would collect €10,000 in the bucket. It goes to show how important small grants can be. We can talk about millions and billions but those grants make a real difference to people's lives.
I take on board the point on Castletownbere. I believe I was there with Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan on my last trip to Cork. There was fine weather in the summertime. I have to go back.
On the issue on safety at schools, there was a relevant scheme under CLÁR. Many schools got flashing lights through the CLÁR scheme. Schools need to engage with the local authorities as it is a roads issue. However, if we can help in any way, of course we will. It is important that our children be kept safe.
We need to be careful about those flashing lights.
58. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will publish a new policy and action plan for the development of our offshore islands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41172/23]
I am representing Deputy Cathal Crowe. The question relates to the plan for offshore island development.
I thank the Deputy very much for raising this. I am pleased to inform him that I launched Our Living Islands, an ambitious new ten-year national policy designed to support vibrant and sustainable island communities, in June of this year. Our Living Islands is the first whole-of-government policy for the islands to be published in 27 years. It is accompanied by the first action plan for the period 2023 to 2026 and includes 80 new time-bound actions that have been agreed to and will be implemented by various stakeholders, led by a nominated Department or State agency. Our Living Islands is underpinned by five high-level strategic objectives, identified by islanders themselves as being of key importance for the sustainable future of their communities.
The action plan has a real focus on improving housing and water infrastructure, better access to essential services in health and education, delivering high-speed broadband, supporting remote working, and further developing outdoor amenities and sustainable tourism.
Our overarching ambition for this policy is to see more people living on our islands, more people working on our islands and more people choosing to raise a family on our islands. The ambitious policy has been developed following an extensive consultation process with island communities and other stakeholders, which enabled them to express their views as to the challenges and opportunities associated with living on islands. Our Living Islands is a whole-of-government policy. I acknowledge the co-operation and support from colleagues across other Departments in its development.
I thank the Minister. She referred to her trip down to the Beara Peninsula. She popped to Bere Island for a quick visit. We could have brought her to so many islands on that visit, including Cape Clear, Sherkin Island, Long Island and Dursey Island, which she is also very familiar with. All those islands have common challenges. The Minister referred to many of them. In the first part of question, I would like to refer to the challenge of housing. Island communities are trying desperately to attract people to live on them. This is referred to in the action plan the Minister spoke about but I would like to elaborate on it. I am aware there are calls for a special approved housing body with a focus on the islands and that there has been a call for a specific action plan on housing. There was a very innovative idea for Cape Clear, which was to build what was called "gateway housing". All the locals wanted to build was four houses but they were refused planning permission by Cork County Council. If they had been granted planning permission, the four houses would have been used as a gateway for young families, couples and others who wanted to try island life. These people would have been incentivised to move to the island and would have lived in the houses at a very low rent. It would have given them an opportunity to get a flavour of island life. These are the types of initiatives I would love to see us pushing.
I thank the Deputy. I was on Bere Island. In fact, I logged in from that island to attend a Cabinet meeting remotely. I think that was the first time that happened. They actually have really good ideas on the island. I met some of the people in the community. Some of them went all the way to Arranmore for the launch of the policy. It was good to see them there because it is a long journey from Donegal to Bere Island.
Croí Cónaithe is a really good scheme, as the Deputy knows. If you live on an island, you get an additional payment to renovate a derelict vacant property. It will make a difference because housing is a big issue on the islands. There is no doubt about that; it was the thing that came through. We also have to ascertain how to improve the wastewater systems of the islands. There are many factors concerning other Departments. We now have the need ten-year national policy and it is accompanied by a three-year action plan with 80 time-bound actions. I have to hold the toes of the other Departments to the fire and give them a good toasting if they do not deliver. That is the way it works.
No better Minister.
I will do that.
Will it be smokeless coal in the fire?
Sorry, what are you talking about?
Let us try to restore a bit of order.
Tá mé finished.
I ask Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan to bring a bit of west-Cork sense to this.
I thank the Minister, as always, for her colourful response. I know there is great passion. The Minister got the sense about the islands. I would really like the gateway housing innovation on Cape Clear to be considered further because it was a great idea. Cape Clear is an island that the Minister would be more than welcome to visit. To get people back living on our islands and encourage people to move to them, we need to be innovative and think outside the box.
The other challenge we have on islands is the provision of education and healthcare. To give an example, I will refer to Cape Clear again. Its community is really struggling to recruit personnel for its primary school. It has one primary school and it is so important in attracting families to the island. The community also has issues in recruiting proper cover for healthcare – for example, community nurses. Perhaps we should consider something like an innovative tax exemption for professions such as those of teachers, nurses and doctors. I do not know what that tax exemption would be. I would not go so far as to make the islands tax havens but there should be some type of tax exemption to encourage professionals to have a little change of lifestyle and move out to the gorgeous islands we have in places like west Cork.
These are all areas that impact on other Departments but I am happy to raise them with the various Ministers to see how we can make our islands more vibrant and have more people living on them. There is a great sense of positivity on the islands at the moment. The islanders see a bright future. Arranmore is a particularly good example. There is a good remote working hub on the island. Tourism has been developed and many things are happening. We want to build on that. Each Department has a role to play and I will certainly work with my colleagues to ensure the islands get the support they deserve.
59. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire 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. [41414/23]
75. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding allocated for the rural regeneration and development fund in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41170/23]
Question No. 59 is from Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire who is being substituted by Deputy Paul Donnelly.
How much funding has been drawn down from the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, in each month since the Minister took office?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 75 together.
The rural regeneration and development fund provides funding for the development and construction of significant and transformative capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. The fund is central to achieving the objectives and key deliverables of the Government's five-year policy for rural Ireland, Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025. 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, raise a family and invest. The projects supported by the fund assist in the regeneration of rural towns and villages, including 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.
I have been fortunate to see first-hand many projects supported by the fund during my time as Minister and I have seen the real benefits they are delivering to rural communities. Calls for applications to the fund are sought under two categories, category 1 and category 2. Category 1 relates to large ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place which are ready to proceed, that is, shovel ready. 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 €409 million has been approved for 215 projects. When matching funding is included the total value of these projects is €560 million. Since my appointment as Minister for Rural and Community Development in June 2020, funding of more than €111 million has been drawn down from the fund. The table sets out the monthly drawdowns since June 2020, as requested by the Deputy.
Total RRDF Drawn Down – Grand Total €111,873,057.75
|
Month |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Jan |
€253,614.82 |
€306,058.54 |
€12,166.00 |
|
|
Feb |
€59,690.47 |
€56,858.30 |
€1,753,192.64 |
|
|
Mar |
€4,653.33 |
€1,716,288.80 |
€1,817,331.07 |
|
|
Apr |
€148,201.94 |
€755,022.11 |
€2,606,230.92 |
|
|
May |
€659,018.79 |
€1,922,755.07 |
€738,930.65 |
|
|
Jun |
€1,046,643.51 |
€1,330,800.26 |
€1,168,210.96 |
€1,513,615.69 |
|
Jul |
€274,679.06 |
€133,307.03 |
€1,804,356.79 |
€1,189,578.10 |
|
Aug |
€368,247.48 |
€416,226.38 |
€2,259,758.58 |
€3,580,130.01 |
|
Sep |
€388,730.67 |
€951,516.19 |
€2,692,276.63 |
€1,876,330.49 |
|
Oct |
€17,772,948.08 |
€1,672,109.81 |
€9,386,932.49 |
|
|
Nov |
€7,880,064.01 |
€8,992,525.13 |
€8,063,400.81 |
|
|
Dec |
€8,739,232.66 |
€9,431,640.85 |
€6,129,782.63 |
|
|
Total |
€36,470,545.47 |
€24,053,305.00 |
€36,261,701.71 |
€15,087,505.57 |
The budget for the RRDF in 2023 is €60 million and an additional €10.5 million of capital carryover. I remain committed to ensuring 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 I attach to the delivery of these projects and have asked my officials to ensure there is an ongoing process of engagement with the local authorities to ensure strong and timely delivery.
This issue is incredibly important. We see it especially as we travel around many of the towns and villages. Certainly when I travel around the country, I see quite a number of areas with a lot of dereliction where a lot of structural work is needed. I therefore welcome the Minister's work. Local authorities are important in the cross-collaboration of different agencies for delivery. Is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage also involved in the process?
I have visited a good few projects and have seen them first-hand. Delivery is ramping up with the funding from my Department. There is a strong pipeline of projects. I was in Fethard, County Tipperary, earlier in the year where a magnificent amenity has been developed. It is a remote working and community space. It is something else. I have been in Waterford, Kilkenny, Longford, Sligo, Meath and Roscommon and I was in Limerick last week, where I visited the Flying Boat and Maritime Museum in Foynes, which received funding. It is a game-changer for Foynes because it now has an attraction, a visitor destination that can be sold to tourists on the Wild Atlantic Way. I am seeing projects being delivered under the town and village renewal scheme, CLÁR, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, the community centre fund, LEADER funding and the RRDF. It is important that projects are delivered. I am always speaking to local authorities to get them to spend the money.
I can see those projects being delivered. It is important to get the infrastructure in place so other developments can take place. Sometimes a blockage can prevent other projects from progressing. Category 2 is important because sometimes organisations or communities do not have the €10,000, €20,000 or €50,000 it costs to do a feasibility study or get a project up and running. This funding is welcome to enable them to develop their projects.
The Minister spoke about putting pressure on local authorities. Sometimes that is required. As Deputy Donnelly said, we need some kind of cross-departmental outlook for this. When we talk about LEADER funding, the town and village renewal scheme or the urban regeneration development fund, URDF, under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and what I would like to see done with vacant properties, on some level, we need a more macro approach to deal with dereliction and vacancies and to facilitate our smaller towns and even some of our larger towns to get more people to live in their centres. That needs to be done. It might be up to the Minister to draw that together.
Some €409 million has been spent so far under the RRDF. Is it still planned to spend €1 billion by 2027?
Funding of €409 million has been approved for 215 projects. We have to get the money spent. There is no doubt that there have been delays due to different issues. That is why we now have category 2 funding. It means that people can have all their plans made and planning permission received. They can apply for category 2 funding to get the project ready and then they can apply for category 1 funding to complete it. When they receive the money they should be ready to press the button and go.
There is a good bit of joined-up thinking with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, including between the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and me, on the town centre first policy. The two Departments work well because we have the RRDF and the URDF. We need to work with the local authorities to get that joined-up thinking. We have appointed town centre first officers in the local authorities who work with businesses and communities to also get a joined-up approach. A good deal of investment has gone in. It is paying dividends and I want to see more of it happening and more projects delivered as quickly as possible.
