Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012
448. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there are any grant schemes within his Department or the EU of which he is aware that could support the refurbishment and improvement of a community centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46490/12]
View answerAxes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 have funding of €314m for allocation to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. One of the objectives of the RDP is to identify and provide appropriate amenity and leisure facilities to local communities not otherwise available to them. In this context it may also be possible to consider funding to support the refurbishment and improvement of community infrastructure under the LEADER elements of the RDP.
For the purposes of implementing Axes 3 & 4 of the Rural Development Programme (RDP), the following areas are excluded:
- The City Council boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick
- The Borough Council boundaries of Kilkenny, Sligo and Wexford
- The Town Council boundaries of Athlone, Ballina, Castlebar, Cavan, Dundalk, Ennis, Killarney, Letterkenny, Mallow, Monaghan, Mullingar, Tralee, Tuam and Tullamore.
There are 35 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department’s behalf, to deliver the RDP throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with Departmental operating rules and EU regulations. Contact details for these groups can be found on my Department’s website at www.environ.ie.
