Brendan Griffin
Question:532. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his views on a matter (details supplied). [4000/19]
View answerTuesday, 29 January 2019
Questions (532)
Written answers
Under Project Ireland 2040, the Government has committed €1 billion to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund over a ten-year period to support rural economic development and help build strong communities. The Fund has been allocated €315 million over the period 2019 to 2022, with €55 million set aside in my Department's budget for successful projects in 2019.
The first call for applications for the Fund closed at the end of September, and there was an excellent response from all across the country, with 280 applications received.
Applications for the Fund are currently being examined by the Project Advisory Board, made up of representatives from key Government Departments and external experts, which was established to oversee the assessment process. Category 1, "shovel ready", projects were prioritised in the assessment process in the first instance and Category 2 projects - those which need development funding to become potential Category 1 applications in future calls for applications - are also now being considered.
My role is to consider and approve the recommendations that emerge from the assessment process outlined above. While the process of assessment for the first call for proposals remains ongoing, I expect that a further announcement detailing successful Category 1 and Category 2 projects will take place shortly, with a second call for the Fund taking place later in the year.