Paul Donnelly
Question:1. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the progress of the community recognition fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49723/23]
Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Community Development Projects
Could the Minister of State provide an update on the progress of the community recognition fund and make a statement on the matter?
In May of this year, together with Government colleagues, I announced €50 million in funding for more than 880 projects under the community recognition fund. The fund recognises the efforts of communities who have gone above and beyond during what has been a very challenging period for our country. It will support towns and villages nationwide that have shown 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. Projects approved under this funding include enhancement works to community and sports facilities and improvements to recreational amenities, such as the provision of lighting and outdoor gym equipment. Support has also been provided to address transport needs in communities.
The fund has been allocated across all local authorities based on the number of new arrivals located there. It follows an extensive consultation process by local authorities who submitted their individual list of projects for approval. The full €50 million was allocated in a single tranche with the aim of having all projects completed by the end of next year.
These projects are to be delivered over the course of 2023 and 2024. Local authorities are currently submitting funding drawdown requests to my Department regarding these projects, and my officials are assessing these for payment. I have been delighted with the response to the fund. A key priority now is to ensure that the range of projects approved across the country are delivered as quickly as possible. While we are anxious to deliver the projects quickly, officials in the Department are ensuring sufficient flexibility on delivery timeframes is being provided, as necessary, to local authorities and community groups. I am confident these projects will deliver real and lasting benefits to many communities.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I acknowledge that the fund will go some way towards building community supports and community integration. It somewhat recognises the generosity of many of our communities throughout the State. The very fact that the fund was put in place acknowledges the pressure on facilities owing to the huge number of asylum seekers, refugees and Ukrainians who have come into our communities. It is not within the Minister of State's remit but there is deep concern that his colleagues in the Departments responsible for housing, education and health have yet to come to grips with the impacts on local communities and the stresses placed on them.
I welcome some of the initiatives, particularly in the Fingal area, which we both represent. The story trail, facilities, multi-use game areas, and basketball courts will really help communities. I look forward to their delivery.
There has been a lot going on in supporting communities with new arrivals over the past 18 months. Under my remit, social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, allocations have been increased again. The additional €10 million allocation of last year will be repeated next year. The additional €1 million allocation that volunteer centres got last year will run into 2024 as well and, therefore, there is a lot going on in this regard.
In my other Department, it is worth noting that local authorities have been resourced to develop new local authority integration teams and that will put feet on the ground and connect the functions of the local authorities with new communities. We need every resource available to make things work well in communities but we have got a good baseline to build on.
Again, I welcome the initiative. However, I wish to issue a note of caution and concern regarding the significant number of people coming into the country, particularly Ukrainians. Somewhere in the region of 500 to 800 are coming in per week. Those seeking international protection and asylum seekers are coming in as well. A very large number of people are coming in. There are areas within the State that will not benefit from this community recognition fund, which amounts to €50 million over two years. I ask that there be additional funding for communities where new centres and other places of accommodation are being opened, if possible, because our communities will face further pressures in the next 12 months.
The initial allocation was €50 million, with €30 million for this year and €20 million next year. There is some flexibility, including on timelines. Requests could be made for adaptations of particular proposals. There is a lot that is not yet visible in terms of what the community recognition fund can do. Running into November, we are now at a stage where we hope we will see most of the moneys spent by next year. There is much more evidence to come to light on what the community recognition fund will do for communities. We are only at the beginning of seeing this rolled out across communities. As I mentioned with regard to additional resources, most local authorities have not yet recruited their local authority integration teams but we will see this accelerate and address any issues that arise.
Question No. 2 taken with Written Answers.
Library Projects
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:3. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development about the need to provide capital funding for new library buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50005/23]
This question is on the need to provide capital funding for new library buildings. Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.
There are 330 public libraries providing an excellent service throughout the country. On the provision of new libraries, my Department has provided significant capital funding to support local authorities, with funding of €29 million provided under the previous libraries capital programme for the period 2016 to 2022 for 17 projects, of which 12 were new library buildings.
One of the key strategic actions of the new public library strategy, The Library is the Place, is the development of a new libraries capital programme, which will align with the strategy for the period 2023 to 2027. This programme will co-fund investment by local authorities in new library buildings, refurbishments, extensions and building acquisitions. In general, the Department's funding will not exceed €3 million, or 50%, whichever is lower, and only library projects with a total value of more than €500,000 will be considered.
In April 2023, my Department invited all local authorities to submit applications under the new libraries capital programme for the period 2023 to 2027. Applications were received for 33 capital projects, ten of which are for new buildings. My Department is currently reviewing the applications, and those considered eligible in principle for funding have recently been forwarded to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for technical assessment.
I hope to be in a position to announce successful infrastructure projects before the end of the year.
My Department is also investing significantly in the development of libraries through the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF. Funding of more than €57 million has been provided to develop and deliver libraries across rural areas.
I am asking this question on behalf of Deputy Ó Laoghaire. He has a particular interest in one in his constituency, which I assume is getting one of the ten new library buildings of the 33 that applied. Libraries are an essential service in our communities. In my constituency of Dublin West, we are blessed to have a magnificent state-of-the-art library. We also have a mobile library that goes around the community. The library is well used. It is packed. In fact, it is so full that is very difficult for students in particular to find somewhere to study. It also has a wonderful room which communities can rent for meetings. I look forward to those libraries being built and I welcome the funding that has come onstream.
Cork City Council submitted an application for the libraries capital programme funding for the extension and refurbishment of the Frank O'Connor Library in Mayfield. This project is a joint development with St. Joseph's Community Centre. It is a priority project for the council. The project is being progressed through my Department's four-stage capital management process. This ensures that the project complies with the public library national standards of benchmarks, which guide the development of the public library service.
There is a wonderful library in Kinsale and I hope to go down to open it shortly. It is a fantastic facility. I agree with the Deputy that there is nothing like a library. It is much more than books now; it is a hub in the community. That is why a considerable amount from the RRDF has been allocated to upgrade old derelict buildings and bring them back into 21st century use. What better use than as a library? It is so much more and so much part of the community. It is an opportunity for communities to come in and meet the library staff. Like the Deputy, I cannot speak highly enough of the library services.
Question No. 4 taken with Written Answers.