Peter Burke
Question:70. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the town and village programme allocations for 2017; and if he plans to continue with the scheme in 2018. [1485/18]
View answerTown and Village Renewal Scheme
Questions (70)
Written answers
The 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched in April last year, with a focus on improving the economic development of our rural towns and villages.
In October 2017, I approved funding of €21.6 million for 281 projects in rural towns and villages under the scheme. Details of the projects funded are available on my Department’s website at: http://drcd.gov.ie/subheader1/town-village-renewal-scheme/.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme forms an important part of the Action Plan for Rural Development and has the potential to stimulate economic recovery and job creation in towns and villages across rural Ireland. A number of the projects approved under the 2017 scheme focus on the development of enterprise centres and digital hubs which will have a positive impact on local economies.
I intend to launch a further round of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in the first half of 2018, with an emphasis again this year on supporting projects which demonstrate strong economic impacts.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (71)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:71. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps he will take to ensure a full spend of all the funds provided in the 2018 Estimate in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1216/18]
View answerWritten answers
The Revised Estimate for Public Services 2018 provides for gross expenditure of €231.5m, comprising €144m current expenditure and €87.5m capital expenditure in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
My Department will continue to work with key stakeholders including local authorities, community and voluntary groups, and dedicated agencies to support job creation, attract tourism investment and contribute to sustainable economic development in rural Ireland. The Department will ensure that maximum use is obtained from the resources allocated and that value for money is delivered in respect of the 2018 allocation.
CLÁR Programme
Questions (72)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:72. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extra measures it is planned to roll out under the CLÁR programme in 2018; his plans to introduce a measure to support group water schemes in CLÁR areas with the aim of ensuring that the last areas in the country that do not have access to either a public water supply or a high-quality group scheme will get such a service at a reasonable cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1218/18]
View answerWritten answers
The 2017 CLÁR programme provided total funding of just under €7 million for 230 projects across four Measures as follows:
Measure 1: Support for School and Community Safety Measures
Measure 2: Play Areas
Measure 3: Targeted Community Infrastructure
Measure 4: First Responder Supports
I propose to launch a further round of the CLÁR programme in 2018 and I will be considering the measures to be supported over the coming weeks.
Community Development Initiatives
Questions (73)
Maria Bailey
Question:73. Deputy Maria Bailey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the criteria for grant aid under the community facilities scheme. [1698/18]
View answerWritten answers
The 2017 Communities Facilities Scheme was launched in March 2017. The scheme is administered on my Department's behalf by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) under the remit of the Local Authorities.
Under the scheme community and voluntary groups can apply for grants for capital projects which benefit the local community. Applications must relate to at least one of the following key target group and thematic areas:
- Youth
- Older people
- Immigrants
- Refugees
- Travellers
- Ex-prisoners and families of prisoners/ex-prisoners
- Projects promoting cultural activity
- Projects promoting equality
- Community development projects
- Projects promoting integration
- Projects which are part of the Creative Ireland 2017-2022 initiative
Communities Facilities Scheme funding is only available for capital projects, or capital funded elements of projects. Further details on the 2017 scheme are available on my Department's website, at http://drcd.gov.ie/community/communities-facilities-scheme/
My Department is currently reviewing the Community Facilities Scheme to facilitate improvements for 2018. This review may result in some changes to the criteria that applied previously. Any changes will be communicated to all stakeholders on the announcement of the 2018 scheme.
Community Development Initiatives
Questions (74)
Aindrias Moynihan
Question:74. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the initiatives to be put in place to support the community and voluntary sector in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1739/18]
View answerWritten answers
My Department supports a range of initiatives in the community and voluntary sector and has lead responsibility for developing the relationship between the State and the community and voluntary sector. The Scheme to Support National Organisations which has been in place since 2008 is a key element in the State's support for the role of the sector in developing a strong and vibrant civil society. The scheme’s objective is to provide multi-annual funding towards core costs of national organisations, focussed on organisations supporting disadvantage. Under a three-year funding programme which commenced in 2016, my Department will allocate €5.921m to the SSNO in 2018.
My Department also supports volunteer centres and volunteer information services nationwide, as well as a number of national organisations such as Volunteer Ireland and Young Social Innovators. The funding of these organisations is designed to strengthen and foster volunteerism in Ireland, building a support structure for volunteering locally from the bottom up. This is key to the Department’s citizen engagement objectives and supports the spirit of participation in communities. A total of €3.5m was allocated to these organisations in 2017 and a similar amount will be available in 2018.
Furthermore, my Department supports Public Participation Networks (PPN) which have now been established in each local authority area. PPNs aim to enable the public to take an active formal role in relevant policy making and oversight committees of the local authority. Since 2015, funding of up to €50,000 has been provided by my Department to each PPN, with supplementary funding being provided by local authorities. Similar funding arrangements will continue in 2018 to support PPNs in terms of their continued operation and development.
My Department also provides funding to members of the Community and Voluntary Pillar to allow for input into the policy making process within the community and voluntary sector. This year my Department will allocate €0.565m to the Pillar.
Finally the Deputy will be aware that I launched a revised Seniors Alert Scheme last October. The objective of the Seniors Alert Scheme is to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, as a result of the revised scheme and a widespread publicity campaign, there has been a significant uptake by the targeted group. My Department will allocate €2.3m to the scheme in 2018.
Leader Programmes Funding
Questions (75)
Brendan Smith
Question:75. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided in 2017 for the County Cavan Leader programme; the value of the drawdown of this funding by the end of 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1616/18]
View answerWritten answers
LEADER is a multi-annual programme covering the period 2014-2020, with a total budget of €250 million over that period. €220 million of this funding has already been allocated to the Local Action Groups throughout the country who deliver the LEADER programme. The remaining €30 million is available for schemes which will be delivered at a national level.
The Funding Agreement for delivery of the LEADER Programme in the Cavan sub-regional area was signed on 8 July 2016, with funding of approximately €8.5 million approved over the lifetime of the programme. The allocation for each LEADER sub-regional area is provided for the duration of the programme rather than on an annual basis. This provides greater flexibility to the Local Action Groups in managing their resources.
Expenditure for 2017 by the Cavan Local Action Group amounted to €264,138. This expenditure relates to the costs of the Local Action Group in administering the programme and engaging with potential applicants.
No project expenditure has yet been incurred in the Cavan sub-regional area. However, as of 31 December 2017, 15 projects with a value of over €827,000 had been approved for funding by the Local Action Group. I understand that a further 3 projects, requesting over €59,000 in funding, are at various stages in the approval process. This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims.
I am confident that progress now being made by the Local Action Groups, along with the administrative improvements I made to the programme in 2017, will result in a continued increase in project approvals and substantial payments under the LEADER programme across all sub-regional areas over the coming months.
Question No. 76 answered with Question No. 64.
Dormant Accounts Fund
Questions (77)
Catherine Connolly
Question:77. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his views on the recommendation that credit unions be brought under the aegis of the Dormant Accounts Fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1792/18]
View answerWritten answers
The Dormant Accounts Act 2001, together with the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003 and the Dormant Accounts (Amendment) Acts 2005-2012, provide a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts in credit institutions (i.e. banks, building societies and An Post) and unclaimed life assurance policies in insurance undertakings. The Dormant Accounts Fund is managed by the National Treasury Management Agency.
The legislation governing the Dormant Accounts Fund provides for schemes for the disbursement of funds that are unlikely to be reclaimed, for the purposes of supporting programmes or projects to assist specified disadvantaged groups. My Department coordinates these disbursement schemes.
Credit unions are currently not subject to the dormant accounts legislation. Dormant accounts in credit unions, and the practices surrounding them, are governed by Rule 22 of the Standard Rules for Credit Unions published by the Irish League of Credit Unions.
Detailed analysis and consultation would need to be carried out to establish the potential merits of adding dormant credit union accounts to the Dormant Accounts Fund. In practical terms, increasing the amount available in the Fund in this way would not necessarily allow for the introduction of new dormant accounts measures or programmes. Government Departments must source monies for dormant accounts programmes and measures from their Exchequer allocation in the same way as with all other funding programmes. It is only when monies are expended on dormant accounts measures that Departments can seek reimbursement from the Dormant Accounts Fund.