Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2005
212 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the extent to which his Department expects to fund or support community schemes throughout the country in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2859/05]
View answerSome €45.7 million is provided in my Department's Vote for the local development social inclusion programme to support local development social inclusion measures. Funding is allocated to partnerships and community groups to deliver the local development social inclusion programme under three measures — services for the unemployed, community based youth initiatives and community development. Capital funding of €6 million is being made available in 2005 to support small scale localised actions in RAPID areas, through co-funding with the relevant Department or agency. Funding of €1.333 million is available to support ADM and local areas in the implementation of the programme. Details of the areas covered by the local development social inclusion programme and RAPID are available on the Department's website, www.pobail.ie.
There is provision of €22.4 million in the Department's Vote for the community development programme to support 185 community development projects in disadvantaged areas. Community development projects are funded to provide community based resource centres to build the capacity of local communities and to act as a focal point for activities such as child care, services for the elderly and youth activities. On foot of budget 2004, an additional funding of €5 million will be allocated to support the development of community services.
The Department provides a range of once-off grants to a wide variety of locally based community and voluntary groups. Funding of approximately €2.9 million has been allocated in 2005 to provide for grants in certain categories. Equipment and refurbishment grants are targeted at voluntary and community organisations in disadvantaged areas. Education, training and research grants provide once-off payments to fund training, education or research initiatives aimed at supporting and enhancing the effectiveness of local community and voluntary groups in disadvantaged areas.
The scheme of community support for older people encourages and assists local support for older people through a community based grant scheme to improve the security of such people. Funding is provided by way of grant aid to voluntary groups and organisations, which have undertaken to identify the elderly people in need of assistance under the scheme. Funding of approximately €2.8 million has been allocated to the scheme in 2005.
The Department is also responsible for the work of the 14 local drugs task forces in Dublin, Cork and Bray and the ten regional drugs task forces in the rest of the country. It also funds the premises initiative which is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community based drugs projects and the young people's facilities and services fund development groups, which are based in the 14 local drugs task forces areas, as well as Carlow, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. The amount available to fund these initiatives in 2005, as well as the National Advisory Committee on Drugs, is €30.5 million.
Some €22.147 million is being provided in the 2005 Abridged Estimates for schemes to benefit communities in Gaeltacht areas, for example by means of road improvements, marine works, group water schemes, leisure facilities and cultural initiatives. The Department has a capital allocation of €12.8 million available for island development purposes in 2005. While the greater part of this funding will be spent on essential public infrastructure on the islands, a proportion will also be allocated towards community led projects such as recreational facilities and community centres. The Department will also provide funding of €34.3 million to Údarás na Gaeltachta to assist in developing industries, services and employment opportunities, in addition to fostering and strengthening the Irish language in Gaeltacht areas.
Under the CLÁR programme, community groups can avail of assistance under the measures detailed at the end of this reply. The areas targeted under the programme, which will continue to benefit from assistance in 2005, are parts of counties Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and all of County Leitrim. The 2005 provision for the programme is €13.2million. The rural development fund also assists community groups. Applications may be submitted for consideration at any time throughout the year. The 2005 provision will be indicated in the Revised Estimates volume to be published shortly.
The Department provides support to rural communities under the LEADER+ initiative, the area-based rural development initiative and the rural development initiatives of the cross-Border programmes INTERREG IIIA and PEACE II. The essential aim of the LEADER+ initiative, which has a public contribution of some €73.7 million, is to encourage new approaches to integrated and sustainable development in rural communities. The initiative is in place in 22 areas throughout the country. The area-based rural development initiative has a public contribution of €75.6 million. The initiative complements the LEADER+ programme and ensures the availability of funding in the 13 areas that were not appointed to deliver the LEADER+ programme. Funding for rural and agri-tourism is provided from the programme on a nationwide basis. In addition, the three collective bodies, Muintir na Tíre, Irish Farmhouse Holidays and Irish Country Holidays, that are not eligible under LEADER+ receive assistance under this programme.
Under the INTERREG III Ireland and Wales programme, 2000-06, there is a rural development and diversification measure to promote the economic and social well-being of the rural communities in INTERREG target areas. The total funding package for the measure is €10 million between 2000 and 2006. To date, over 60% of this funding has been committed. The rural initiative measure of the INTERREG IIIA Ireland and Northern Ireland programme, 2000-06, aims to develop and strengthen the rural economy in disadvantaged cross-Border areas. The funding package amounts to €14 million over the period of the programme between 2000 and 2006. To date, in excess of €6 million, or almost 50%, has been committed.
Funding is provided in two measures under the PEACE II programme, 2000-04, promoting rural community networking in marginalised rural communities and rural development co-operation and diversification. The funding package for both measures amounts to €5.7 million, of which over 60% has been committed.
I will conclude by giving further information about the CLÁR Programme. CLÁR provides funding to householders in the group water schemes by way of limited top up grants. Applicants contact their local authority, which administers the schemes. As the schemes are demand-led, there is no specific allocation. CLÁR funds local improvement scheme roads to provide support for better road access to homes in remoter areas. Applicants contact their local authority, which administers the scheme. The allocation is determined by the level of investment by the local authority from its county local improvement scheme allocation. The 2005 allocations to local authorities have not yet been made by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
CLÁR supports the joint village enhancement scheme operated by the LEADER companies and the local authorities covering small-scale infrastructural projects. Applicant villages, which also contribute to the scheme, should contact their local LEADER group. The total CLÁR funding for the scheme in 2004-05 is €800,000. CLÁR and the local authorities co-fund a local authority housing estate enhancement scheme with a local contribution for each project, which is selected by the local authority. A scheme for 2005-06 is being discussed at present with the local authorities. CLÁR and Foras na Gaeilge jointly fund a bilingual signage scheme for community projects in villages selected by LEADER under the village enhancement scheme. A bilingual townland signage scheme also operates with funding from the local community. As this scheme is demand led, there is no specific allocation.
CLÁR provides limited top-up funding to projects that are selected under the sports capital grants scheme run by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and recommended for CLÁR support by that Department. The allocation for 2005 will not be finalised until the projects under the 2005 scheme are selected by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism. Community based projects attracting less than 50% public funding under LEADER may qualify for CLÁR top-up funding subject to certain conditions. As the scheme is demand led, there is no specific allocation. Applicant villages should contact their local LEADER group.
The school outdoors play facilities enhancement scheme aims to improve outdoor play facilities in small rural primary schools in CLÁR areas. It is co-funded by CLÁR and the Department of Education and Science, up to 75% of the cost, supplemented by a 25% contribution from local sources. For 2004-05, €1 million has been provided under CLÁR, matched by €1 million from the Department of Education and Science.
