Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 February 2019
229. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of the €55 million funding allocated to the rural regeneration and development fund in 2019 or the planned initial funding of €315 million to the fund on a phased basis over the period 2019 to 2022 that will be reprofiled to another Department following spending overruns; and the amount being reprofiled from the fund for the allocations announced to date. [8767/19]
View answerUnder Project Ireland 2040, the Government has committed €1 billion to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund over a 10 year period to support rural economic development and help build strong communities. The Fund has been allocated €315m over the period 2019 to 2022 and the various allocations over that period will be confirmed as part of the annual budgetary process. Certain projects under the fund are multi-annual and this will also be provided for.
I do not expect the overall 4 year allocation for the Fund to be impacted by any re-profiling taken to address capital funding shortfalls elsewhere and my Department remains focused on delivering on its mission with the aid of the vote allocated to us for that purpose. Indeed, in respect of the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, just last week in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan I announced the details of 66 projects which were successful in the first call under the Fund. These projects will benefit from €62m in funding from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and are worth €83m in total investment for rural communities. Combined with the first announcement I made in November 2018 of 18 successful projects, the Fund has made available a total of €86m in funding to enable projects worth €117m to be delivered across every county in the country.
Further to the above, I also expect to be in a position shortly to launch a second call for applications under the Fund. I am satisfied that the funding commitment is available to enable these projects and future projects to be delivered over the next four years.
