Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 December 2004
243 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of headings under which applicants can qualify for grant aid from his Department; the qualification criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33522/04]
View answerThe headings under which applicants can qualify for grant aid from my Department are given in the following appendix.
I am also pleased to inform the Deputy that the qualification criteria are published in my Department's FOI section 16 manual which is available on my Department's website www.pobail.ie.
In respect of the newly introduced rural social scheme, to be eligible an applicant must be in receipt of farm assist or has been allocated a valid herd or flock number from the Department of Agriculture and Food and be in receipt of one of the following allowances from the Department of Social and Family Affairs — unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, if previously on community employment scheme, disability allowance. A self-employed fisherman is eligible if his or her fishing boat has been entered in the register of fishing boats or has been issued with a fishing licence for fishing for salmon at sea from the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and he or she is in receipt of one of the following allowances from the Department of Social and Family Affairs — unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, if previously on community employment scheme, disability allowance.
Appendix
(a) Schemes to support Community Development and Voluntary Groups
The community development support programmes — designed to mobilise the capacity of disadvantaged communities to participate in mainstream local development, training, education and employment opportunities. Grants for locally-based community and voluntary organisations — designed to enhance the effectiveness of local communities through the funding of voluntary and community organisations in disadvantaged areas and the promotion of community development education and training activity. Scheme of community support for older people — designed to direct funding to initiatives to improve the security of vulnerable older people.
Funding scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies in the community and voluntary sector — designed to support national representative federations, networks and umbrella bodies in the community/voluntary sector in providing support to their member groups. This scheme is currently closed to applications.
Funding scheme for training and supports in the community and voluntary sector — designed to develop support and training availability across the community and voluntary sector. This scheme is currently closed to applications.
(b) Rural Development Schemes
The CLÁR programme — a targeted investment programme for disadvantaged rural areas.
The rural development fund — provides finance for policy-oriented research, evaluations and pilot actions in rural development.
Leader — the Department oversees the delivery of the Leader programme, which promotes and supports the economic and social development of rural areas by contributing to rural development policy and implementing appropriate programmes. Comprises the Leader+ and Leader national rural development programmes, area-based initiative.
INTERREG — designed to fund actions and initiatives aimed at developing and strengthening the rural economy in the cross borderregion.
PEACE II — promotes peace and reconciliation by funding actions and strategies which promote cross-border agriculture and rural development co-operation and diversification.
Rural social scheme — aims to provide income support for farmers and fishermen who are currently in receipt of long-term social welfare payments, and to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. This scheme will allow those low-income farmers and fishermen who are unable to earn an adequate living from their farm holding/fishing, to earn a supplementary income. At local level the rural social scheme is managed on behalf of the Department by the Leader groups and in the Gaeltacht by the Leader groups in conjunction with Údarás na Gaeltachta; and although it is independent of the FÁS community employment scheme, it complements community employment, in areas where both schemes are in operation.
Farm relief services — designed to finance actions aimed at the improvement and diversification of the farm relief services.
Through its offices in Na Forbacha, County Galway the Department administers a variety of schemes designed to support the social and infrastructural development of the Gaeltacht and inhabited offshore islands as well as a number of schemes to support the Irish Language.
(c) Gaeltacht Schemes
Gaeltacht infrastructural improvement schemes — addresses local infrastructural issues in order to help sustain Gaeltacht populations so as to preserve and strengthen the Irish language.
(d) Inhabited offshore island schemes
Capital grants for economic and social development on offshore islands — funds road works, marine works, coastal erosion, water schemes, community projects, feasibility studies, general improvement works. Grants towards current costs — funds transport services to certain islands.
(e) Irish Language Schemes
Schemes to support the promotion and maintenance of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht include Gaeltacht housing grants scheme, Scéim labhairt na Gaeilge, Irish summer colleges scheme, Gaeltacht courses for adults, scéim spreagadh na Gaeilge, summer camps scheme, language assistants scheme, various social and cultural support schemes in the Gaeltacht.
(f) Ciste na Gaeilge
Under Ciste na Gaeilge, which supports the promotion of the Irish language outside the Gaeltacht, the Department provides support to Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge and to certain Irish language projects outside the Gaeltacht.
The Department, also from its head office in Dublin, oversees and co-ordinates the delivery of the following programmes:
(g) Other programmes
The RAPID programme — targets the 45 areas with the greatest concentration of disadvantage around the country, for priority funding under the national development plan and better co-ordination of service delivery at local level.
National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008 — co-ordinating the implementation of the 100 actions from the Strategy, including operation of the young people's facilities and services fund, under the direction of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Social Inclusion.
Local Development Social Inclusion Programme — administered on behalf of the Department by ADM Limited — designed to counter disadvantage and to promote equality and social and economic inclusion. Funds and supports partnerships, community groups and employment pacts.
Peace and Reconciliation, PEACE II — administered on behalf of the Department by ADM Limited-CPA, aims to support economic and social projects that address the legacy of the conflict or that takes opportunities arising from peace.
