Thursday, 28 Mar 2019

Written Answers Nos. 186-203

CLÁR Programme

Questions (186)

Dara Calleary

Question:

186. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to each local authority under the CLÁR programme in 2017 and 2018; the amount paid to each local authority to date based on the latest information for each allocation in question in tabular form; the amount paid out to date as a percentage of the amount allocated to each local authority in each such year based on the latest data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14710/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

As the Deputy will be aware, CLÁR is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and focuses on areas which have suffered the greatest levels of population decline.

The table below details the amount of funding allocated and paid to each Local Authority to date under the CLÁR Scheme in the years 2017 and 2018, and the payments expressed as a percentage of the allocations.

It should be noted that while Local Authorities were the applicants under certain measures funded under the CLÁR programme, other measures were targeted at community-based groups, such as first responders. Full details of the funding allocated to approved projects in each county are available on my Department’s website at www.drcd.gov.ie/clar/.

County	Amount Allocated CLÁR 2017	Total CLÁR 2017 Paid to Date	% of 2017 Allocation Paid to Date	Amount Allocated CLÁR 2018	Total CLÁR 2018 Paid to Date	% of 2018 Allocation Paid to Date
Carlow	€178,760	€156,445	87.52%	€337,707.00	€132,490	39.23%
Cavan	€288,731	€288,469	99.91%	€551,489.00	€508,653	92.23%
Clare	€323,132	€323,132	100.00%	€371,598.43	€253,425	68.20%
Cork	€195,600	€175,000	89.47%	€611,191.00	€394,315	64.52%
Donegal	€70,590	€70,590	100.00%	€461,841.00	€219,060	47.43%
Galway	€519,792	€519,493	99.94%	€603,614.57	€100,000	16.57%
Kerry	€134,188	€134,188	100.00%	€431,677.07	€0	0.00%
Kilkenny	€161,932	€107,030	66.10%	€303,464.00	€281,900	92.89%
Laois	€51,395	€51,396	100.00%	€508,313.00	€417,306	82.10%
Leitrim	€457,552	€457,553	100.00%	€380,236.00	€76,033	20.00%
Limerick	€161,730	€160,925	99.50%	€343,840.00	€293,540	85.37%
Longford	€238,417	€237,067	99.43%	€414,181.00	€95,120	22.97%
Louth	€245,869	€155,370	63.19%	€266,207.00	€252,887	95.00%
Mayo	€628,230	€596,637	94.97%	€624,166.50	€399,305	63.97%
Meath	€104,000	€104,000	100.00%	€226,440.00	€81,069	35.80%
Monaghan	€536,784	€528,987	98.55%	€503,164.00	€222,182	44.16%
Offaly	€186,954	€185,665	99.31%	€259,639.00	€259,638	100.00%
Roscommon	€320,555	€311,516	97.18%	€312,465.00	€292,447	93.59%
Sligo	€274,650	€271,746	98.94%	€376,895.00	€353,820	93.88%
Tipperary	€191,258	€187,979	98.29%	€361,355.00	€293,317	81.17%
Waterford	€313,365	€313,365	100.00%	€528,840.00	€491,641	92.97%
Westmeath	€77,096	€77,096	100.00%	€324,867.00	€251,825	77.52%
Wicklow	€33,300	€6,300	18.92%	€130,590	€42,795	32.77%
TOTAL	€5,693,880	€5,419,949	95%	€9,233,780.57	€5,712,765.92	61.87%

CLÁR Programme

Questions (187)

Dara Calleary

Question:

187. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of projects approved under CLÁR measures 1, 2, 3 and 4 since the programme was re-established on an annual basis by county; the number of projects that were not approved by county; the funding allocated for approved projects in each county under the CLÁR programme annually; and the final amount expended on approved projects annually to date in each county under CLÁR in tabular form. [14711/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

As the Deputy will be aware, CLÁR is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and focuses on areas which have suffered the greatest levels of population decline.

The programme was effectively closed for new applications in 2010. However, I re-launched CLÁR in 2016, and, since then, more than 1,200 projects have benefitted from funding of €25 million under the programme. The types of projects which have been funded include safety measures around schools and other community facilities, multi-use play areas, supports for voluntary first-response emergency organisations, targeted community infrastructure needs and funding for vehicles to transport people with mobility issues and to cancer care centres.

The table below summarises the number of projects approved, the number of unsuccessful projects, and the amounts paid out under the programme in each calendar year from 2016 to 2019, on a county basis in the main. It should also be noted that awards of funding under the programme were also made to entities other than Local Authorities that operate across County boundaries, and relevant details relating to these projects are given under the term "National/Regional Organisations".

Details of the funding allocated to all approved projects since 2016 in each county are available on my Department’s website at www.drcd.gov.ie/clar/.

County	No. of projects approved	No. of unsuccessful projects	Amount Paid	Amount Paid	Amount Paid	Amount Paid
	2016-2018	2016-2018	2016	2017	2018	2019
Carlow	33	3	€80,000	€97,864.20	€58,579.89	€132,489.54
Cavan	60	20	€498,184	€295,030.10	€296,353.51	€227,189.15
Clare	52	18	€284,000	€189,070.76	€468,638.17	€101,344.81
Cork	67	71	€562,222	€61,582.31	€555,606.17	€99,168.24
Donegal	106	73	€878,632	€228,864.20	€236,711.00	€0.00
Galway	92	24	€392,000	€609,845.82	€346,621.50	€100,000.00
Kerry	73	116	€744,964	€143,067.93	€384,759.13	€60,529.00
Kilkenny	24	12	€223,000	€107,030.00	€212,465.00	€69,435.00
Laois	43	17	€148,900	€39,208.00	€12,187.00	€417,306.49
Leitrim	53	17	€274,800	€447,600.50	€189,302.54	€78,079.61
Limerick	53	30	€235,000	€179,727.77	€137,660.00	€156,888.85
Longford	44	19	€237,560	€141,896.65	€227,931.00	€49,755.00
Louth	28	17	€173,520	€31,379.00	€188,481.96	€109,051.32
Mayo	87	60	€976,869	€664,832.73	€628,607.36	€4,834.96
Meath	22	7	€127,600	€104,000.00	€81,069.00	€0.00
Monaghan	63	27	€356,440	€303,236.55	€368,862.20	€136,607.24
Offaly	36	21	€123,398	€185,664.80	€259,638.23	€0.00
Roscommon	57	23	€406,497	€260,177.48	€337,711.11	€23,461.20
Sligo	73	21	€598,400	€299,712.60	€173,488.00	€228,931.79
Tipperary	78	19	€371,000	€181,283.71	€357,111.69	€159,682.62
Waterford	48	21	€261,600	€329,518.00	€286,925.00	€204,715.76
Westmeath	37	27	€214,280	€57,549.00	€203,089.30	€96,083.50
Wicklow	15	20	€70,000	€98,586.43	€28,395.00	€20,700.00
National/Regional Organisations	27	16			€295,524.60	€116,939.34
Totals	1,271	699	€8,238,866	€5,056,728.54	€6,861,229.71	€2,593,193.42

Local Improvement Scheme Funding

Questions (188)

Dara Calleary

Question:

188. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to each local authority under the local improvement scheme in 2018; the amount paid to each local authority to date based on the latest information in tabular form; the amount paid out to date as a percentage of the amount allocated to each local authority in each such year based on the latest data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14712/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

As the Deputy will be aware, there was no dedicated funding for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) or a number of years due to constraints on public expenditure. However, I was very conscious of the underlying demand for the scheme in rural areas throughout the country.

I reintroduced the LIS in September 2017 and allocated a total of €17.5 million to Local Authorities for LIS roads in that year.

In 2018, I allocated over €20 million for LIS roads in two phases. To date over €17 million of this allocation has been paid to the Local Authorities.

The table below details the allocations and payments to date in respect of the 2018 LIS. The table also includes the percentage of each Local Authority's allocation that has been paid to date. Final payments are made only on full completion of projects.

LIS 2018

County	LIS 2018 Allocation	2018 Allocation Paid to Date	2018 Allocation Percentage Paid to Date
Carlow	€528,279	€410,597	77.72%
Cavan	€636,680	€500,008	78.53%
Clare	€1,038,844	€1,023,900	98.56%
Cork	€1,700,000	€1,344,107	79.07%
Donegal	€1,792,516	€1,360,232	75.88%
Galway	€1,942,000	€1,542,000	79.40%
Kerry	€1,209,990	€1,011,739	83.62%
Kildare	€329,591	€297,754	90.34%
Kilkenny	€679,683	€533,810	78.54%
Laois	€568,255	€440,352	77.49%
Leitrim	€550,120	€430,072	78.18%
Limerick	€684,349	€575,009	84.02%
Longford	€472,217	€382,350	80.97%
Louth	€250,000	€249,984	99.99%
Mayo	€1,843,235	€1,447,941	78.55%
Meath	€773,404	€607,642	78.57%
Monaghan	€540,841	€540,841	100.00%
Offaly	€644,654	€502,930	78.02%
Roscommon	€820,968	€639,662	77.92%
Sligo	€606,870	€476,922	78.59%
Tipperary	€794,400	€713,368	89.80%
Waterford	€607,047	€477,028	78.58%
Westmeath	€607,224	€477,134	78.58%
Wexford	€511,410	€417,211	81.58%
Wicklow	€668,135	€668,135	100.00%
TOTAL	€20,800,712	€17,070,730	82.07%

Local Improvement Scheme Data

Questions (189)

Dara Calleary

Question:

189. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of rural roads that have received funding under the LIS in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by local authority in tabular form; the projected number of road projects to be completed in 2019; the number of projects approved under the LIS since re-established on an annual basis by county; and the number of projects that were not approved by county. [14713/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Local Improvement Scheme, or LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private or non-public roads in rural areas. The scheme is funded by my Department and is administered through the Local Authorities.

As the Deputy may be aware, there was no dedicated funding for this scheme for a number of years due to constraints on public expenditure. However, I was very conscious of the underlying demand for the scheme in rural areas throughout the country.

I reintroduced the LIS in September 2017 and allocated a total of €17.5 million to Local Authorities for LIS roads in that year. In 2018, I allocated over €20 million for LIS roads in two phases.

Local Authorities themselves determine which roads they wish to prioritise from the funding allocated to them under LIS, and to ensure that all roads meet with the scheme criteria. Approval of LIS projects, or otherwise, is therefore entirely a matter for the relevant Local Authority.

Based on the most up to date information available to my Department, approximately 1,254 roads have been completed under the 2017 and 2018 schemes. Local Authorities have until the 31st of March this year to complete works on more than 350 roads under Phase 2 of the 2018 scheme. The breakdown of these figures on a county-by-county basis is provided on the table below.

On 7th February 2019, I announced a sum of €10 million for LIS 2019. Allocations on a county by county basis can be found on my Department’s website at https://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/local-improvement-scheme/

The Local Authorities have been asked to submit their final lists of roads for 2019 on or before 1st April 2019.

LIS roads 2017 and 2018 by county

County	2017 Roads Completed	2018 LIS Roads Completed	2018 Roads for Completion by 31 March
Carlow	20	14	13
Cavan	10	6	6
Clare	28	30	0
Cork	21	42	15
Donegal	164	56	51
Galway	57	30	39
Kerry	41	36	25
Kildare	0	8	4
Kilkenny	16	8	7
Laois*	21	10	TBC
Leitrim	18	12	10
Limerick	18	10	12
Longford	18	13	12
Louth	8	6	0
Mayo	89	77	62
Meath	22	8	13
Monaghan	21	28	0
Offaly	20	13	18
Roscommon	41	40	36
Sligo	16	10	12
Tipperary*	9	24	TBC
Waterford	17	12	7
Westmeath	23	9	13
Wexford	18	14	3
Wicklow	7	15	0
TOTAL	723	531	358

*Laois and Tipperary Local Authorities have to confirmed their final lists of roads for completion under Phase 2 of the 2018 scheme.

Rural Regeneration and Development Fund

Questions (190)

Dara Calleary

Question:

190. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications between category 1 and 2 projects made under the rural regeneration and development fund by county to date in tabular form; the number of successful and unsuccessful project applications, respectively, by category that applied for funding by county; the successful projects by county that have been approved for funding by category; the value of funding approved for each such project; the number of successful applicants that have received approved funding to date; the value of same; the number of unsuccessful applicants that have not received approved funding to date; the amount allocated for the fund in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14714/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The first call for applications for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund closed at the end of September. €1 billion is committed to the Fund over a 10 year period to support rural economic development and help build strong communities. €315m is allocated to the Fund for 2019-2022.

There was an excellent response from all across the country, with 280 applications received. 126 applications related to Category 1, "shovel ready" projects while 154 related to Category 2 projects - those which needed development funding to become potential Category 1 applications in future calls for applications.

In November 2018, I announced the first set of 18 successful Category 1 projects, providing €24.4m in funding for projects with an overall value of €34.6m. Last month in Castleblayney, I announced another 20 successful Category 1 projects and 46 Category 2 projects which will benefit from support from the Fund of €62m, with a total project value of €83m. Overall, this first call from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will provide €86m in support for projects worth €117m.

A breakdown of the number per county of successful and unsuccessful applications as well as the number of applications received from each county is set out in Table 1.

A list of the successful projects by county and the amount of funding approved for each project is set out in Tables 2 and 3.

My Department is currently finalising milestones and schedules with the successful lead applicants as part of due diligence and contractual arrangements. Payment dates are also being agreed as part of this process.

Table 1. Number of Applications by Category and County.

	Category 1			Category 2
	Number of Successful Applications	Number of Unsuccessful Applications	Category 1 Applications per County	Number of Successful Applications	Number of Unsuccessful Applications	Category 2 Applications per County	Overall Applications per County
Carlow	1	0	1	1	4	5	6
Cavan	1	1	2	2	1	3	5
Clare	4	9	13	2	8	10	23
Cork	2	15	17	5	44	49	66
Donegal	2	6	8	1	3	4	12
Dublin	0	0	0	0	1	1	1
Galway	3	6	9	3	2	5	14
Kerry	1	6	7	4	3	7	14
Kildare	1	3	4	2	7	9	13
Kilkenny	2	2	4	1	4	5	9
Laois	1	3	4	0	1	1	5
Leitrim	0	2	2	1	2	3	5
Limerick	3	10	13	1	4	5	18
Longford	2	0	2	0	1	1	3
Louth	1	1	2	1	1	2	4
Mayo	3	4	7	2	4	6	13
Meath	0	2	2	4	2	6	8
Monaghan	1	4	5	4	0	4	9
Offaly	0	1	1	1	3	4	5
Roscommon	3	1	4	1	0	1	5
Sligo	2	1	3	1	1	2	5
Tipperary	1	2	3	0	3	3	6
Waterford	0	1	1	1	3	4	5
Westmeath	0	1	1	1	1	2	3
Wexford	1	4	5	4	2	6	11
Wicklow	0	1	1	0	2	2	3
Multiple Locations	3	2	5	3	1	4	9
Totals	38	88	126	46	108	154	280

Table 2. List of Successful Category 1 Projects

County	Lead Applicant	Location	Total RRDF Funding
Carlow	Carlow County Council	Borris	€654,820
Cavan	Cavan County Council	Cootehill	€867,174
Clare	Clare County Council	Kilrush	€1,720,000
Clare	Clare County Council	Loop Head Lighthouse	€868,500
Clare	Clare County Council	Lahinch	€2,860,000
Clare	Clare County Council	Ennistymon	€1,023,300
Clare; Donegal; Galway; Kerry; Mayo; Wicklow	Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht	National Parks (multiple)	€3,915,000
Cork	IRD Duhallow CLG	Banteer	€1,128,000
Cork	Cork County Council	Kinsale	€2,175,000
Donegal	Donegal County Council	Swan Park, Buncrana	€1,728,042
Donegal	Údarás na Gaeltachta	Doiri Beaga	€1,500,000
Donegal/Sligo/Mayo/Roscommon	Western Development Commission	Multiple	€644,734
Galway	Galway County Council	Athenry	€3,554,000
Galway	Western Development Commission	Tullycross, Renvyle	€1,728,000
Galway	Údarás na Gaeltachta	An Spidéal	€548,887
Kerry	Kerry County Council	Valentia Island	€1,270,000
Kildare	Kildare County Council	Emily Square, Athy	€2,707,500
Kilkenny	Kilkenny County Council	Thomastown	€2,080,486
Kilkenny	Kilkenny County Council	Callan Town	€561,750
Laois	Office of Public Works	Emo, Emo Court	€1,200,000
Limerick	Limerick City and County Council	Abbeyfeale, Newcastlewest, Rathkeale, Ardagh	€2,724,657
Limerick	Ballyhoura Development CLG	Glenbrohane	€626,369
Limerick	Ballyhoura Development CLG	Murroe	€3,816,450
Limerick, Cork, Sligo, Dublin, Wicklow, Offaly, Laois	Coillte	Ballyhoura, Coolaney, Ticknock/Ballinastoe/Slieve Blooms	€10,262,900
Longford	Longford County Council	Edgeworthstown	€1,269,019
Longford	Longford County Council	Granard	€2,872,434
Louth	Louth County Council	Ardee Castle	€2,147,000
Mayo	Mayo County Council	Ballinrobe	€825,000
Mayo	Sligo LEADER Partnership CLG	Claremorris	€2,100,000
Mayo	Údarás na Gaeltachta	Béal a' Mhuirthead	€795,062
Monaghan	Monaghan County Council	Castleblaney	€2,138,560
Roscommon	Roscommon Integrated Development Company Ltd	Ballaghdarreen	€1,656,750
Roscommon	Roscommon County Council	Boyle Town	€1,705,705
Roscommon	Roscommon County Council	Castlerea	€1,545,000
Sligo	Sligo County Council	Yeats Trail	€500,000
Sligo	Sligo County Council	Strandhill	€615,752
Tipperary	Tipperary County Council	Tipperary Town	€600,000
Wexford	TEAGASC	Johnstown Castle	€658,696 Table 3. List of Successful Category 2 Projects

Table 3. List of Successful Category 2 Projects

County	Lead Applicant	Location	RRDF Funding
Carlow	OPW	Ballon	€450,000
Cavan	Cavan County Council	Ballyjamesduff	€90,000
Cavan	Cavan County Council	Cootehill	€56,000
Clare	Clare County Council	Doolin	€465,571
Clare	Clare County Council	Inis Cealtra	€920,500
Clare/ Kerry	Fáilte Ireland	Multiple	€666,300
Cork	Cork County Council	Cork County	€206,168
Cork	OPW	Annes Grove	€375,000
Cork	Cork County Council	Ballydesmond	€56,250
Cork	Udaras na Gaeltachta	Baile Bhuirne/Colaiste Iosagain	€180,000
Cork	Avondhu Blackwater partnership CLG	Rathormac	€122,025
Donegal	Letterkenny Institute of Technology	Killybegs	€293,436
Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Wicklow	Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht - NPWS	Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Kerry, Wicklow	€1,466,250
Galway	Galway County Council	Kinvara	€124,781
Galway	Galway County Council	Dunmore	€960,909
Galway	Galway County Council	Tuam	€175,000
Kerry	Udaras na Gaeltachta	Baile na Fheirtéaraigh	€292,500
Kerry	Udaras na Gaeltachta	Dingle Workhouse	€415,000
Kerry	Kerry County Council	Kenmare	€275,000
Kerry	Údarás na Gaeltachta	Gaeltacht Uibh Rathaigh/Iveragh Taskforce	€174,352
Kildare	Kildare County Council	Athy	€80,000
Kildare	Kildare County Council	Monasterevin	€78,000
Kilkenny	Kilkenny LEADER Partnership	Kilkenny	€60,000
Leitrim	Leitrim County Council	Mohill	€37,500
Limerick	Limerick City and County Council	Newcastle West	€330,000
Louth	Louth County Council	Ardee	€526,744
Mayo	Mayo County Council	Multi Location	€75,000
Mayo	Mayo County Council	Westport and Cong	€56,000
Mayo, Galway	Geological Survey Ireland	Multi Location	€969,387
Meath	Meath County Council	Kells	€210,000
Meath	Meath County Council	Boyne Navigation and Greenway	€845,250
Meath	Meath County Council	Enfield	€726,000
Meath	OPW	Trim	€262,500
Monaghan	Waterways Ireland	State Agency	€325,000
Monaghan	Monaghan County Council	Clones	€377,250
Monaghan	Monaghan County Council	Ballybay	€410,400
Monaghan	Monaghan County Council	Carrickmacross	€632,000
Offaly	Offaly County Council	Edenderry	€75,000
Roscommon	Roscommon Integrated Development Company Ltd	Ballaghdarreen	€20,250
Sligo	Sligo County Council	Enniscrone	€131,250
Waterford	Waterford Leader Partnership	Blackwater Valley	€128,842
Westmeath	Westmeath County Council	Kinnegad	€600,000
Wexford	Wexford County Council	Gorey	€95,224
Wexford	Wexford County Council	Ferrycarraig and the Hook Peninsuala	€1,087,340
Wexford	Wexford County Council	New Ross	€328,407
Wexford	Wexford County Council	Gorey	€429,145

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Questions (191)

Dara Calleary

Question:

191. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to each local authority under the town and village renewal scheme in 2017 and 2018; the amount paid to each local authority to date based on the latest information for each allocation in question in tabular form; the amount paid as a percentage to date out of the amount allocated to each local authority in each such year based on the latest data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14715/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme forms an important part of the Action Plan for Rural Development and the Government's Project Ireland 2040 Programme for Rural Regeneration. It has the potential to stimulate economic recovery and job creation in towns and villages across rural Ireland.

The tables below detail the funding allocated to each Local Authority under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2017 and 2018 and the amount paid to date to each Local Authority by my Department.

It should be noted that projects under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme can typically take 12 to 18 months to complete. The allocations under the 2018 scheme were announced on 5 October 2018 and are expected to drawn down funding up to March 2020. Payments are only made when Local Authorities meet a certain threshold of expenditure on projects. Final payments are made on full completion of the project.

Table 1 - 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme

County	Funding allocated	2017 allocation paid to date	Amount paid as % of allocation
Carlow	€884,488	€842,668	95%
Cavan	€929,688	€555,062	60%
Clare	€944,000	€540,000	57%
Cork	€1,347,827	€960,466	71%
Donegal	€1,159,000	€399,796	34%
Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown	€80,000	€80,000	100%
Fingal	€252,000	€224,211	89%
Galway	€1,004,231	€948,231	94%
Kerry	€868,472	€375,925	43%
Kildare	€416,403	€287,204	69%
Kilkenny	€873,364	€387,307	44%
Laois	€983,407	€764,182	78%
Leitrim	€1,098,538	€711,639	65%
Limerick	€1,087,943	€850,872	78%
Longford	€637,400	€447,400	70%
Louth	€775,726	€697,154	90%
Mayo	€1,348,178	€920,089	68%
Meath	€901,724	€664,874	74%
Monaghan	€580,000	€420,000	72%
Offaly	€300,000	€200,000	67%
Roscommon	€575,508	€420,300	73%
Sligo	€1,063,968	€830,000	78%
South Dublin	€20,000	€20,000	100%
Tipperary	€857,384	€649,622	76%
Waterford	€625,800	€546,300	87%
Westmeath	€596,000	€356,213	60%
Wexford	€1,157,525	€624,077	54%
Wicklow	€262,828	€118,827	45%
Total	€21,631,402	€14,842,425	69%

Table 2 - 2018 Town and Village Renewal Scheme

County	Funding allocated	2018 allocation paid to date	Amount paid as % of allocation
Carlow	€786,118	0	0%
Cavan	€530,000	0	0%
Clare	€581,000	0	0%
Cork	€1,001,800	0	0%
Donegal	€1,100,000	0	0%
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown	€100,000	0	0%
Fingal	€597,960	0	0%
Galway	€900,000	0	0%
Kerry	€476,000	0	0%
Kildare	€520,000	0	0%
Kilkenny	€652,280	0	0%
Laois	€872,094	0	0%
Leitrim	€737,520	0	0%
Limerick	€963,918	0	0%
Longford	€593,856	0	0%
Louth	€892,157	0	0%
Mayo	€1,183,615	0	0%
Meath	€670,834	0	0%
Monaghan	€868,500	0	0%
Offaly	€1,300,000	0	0%
Roscommon	€880,000	€50,000	6%
Sligo	€1,138,400	0	0%
Tipperary	€913,266	0	0%
Waterford	€756,000	0	0%
Westmeath	€452,000	0	0%
Wexford	€1,334,798	0	0%
Wicklow	€518,004	0	0%
Total	€21,320,121	€50,000.00

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Questions (192)

Dara Calleary

Question:

192. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of projects approved under the town and village renewal scheme since established on an annual basis by county; and the number of projects that were not approved by county in tabular form. [14716/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was introduced in the second half of 2016 and, to date, almost €53 million has been approved under the scheme for more than 670 projects across the country.

The table below details the number of applications approved and the number not approved under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in each of the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, broken down by county.

In 2016, Local Authorities were each allocated a similar amount of funding and were invited to submit up to 8 proposals for approval. All applications received in 2016 were approved for funding.

In 2017, Local Authorities were invited to submit up to 15 applications to my Department for consideration on a competitive basis, and in 2018 up to 12 applications were invited for consideration on a competitive basis.

The reasons why some applications were not approved include the overall level of funding available and the quality of the proposals received.

I intend to launch the 2019 Town and Village Renewal Scheme shortly.

County	T&V 2016 Approved	T&V 2017 Approved	T&V 2017 Not Approved	T&V 2018 Approved	T&V 2018 Not Approved
Carlow	7	11	1	9	3
Cavan	7	13	0	7	5
Clare	4	9	0	4	2
Cork	8	15	0	10	2
Donegal	5	13	2	11	1
Dublin	7	6	3	8	3
Galway	8	13	2	8	4
Kerry	6	13	2	6	6
Kildare	6	5	5	8	0
Kilkenny	4	11	1	5	2
Laois	7	12	1	11	1
Leitrim	8	12	0	9	3
Limerick	8	13	2	9	3
Longford	8	10	2	8	4
Louth	8	12	0	12	0
Mayo	4	14	1	11	1
Meath	8	15	0	8	4
Monaghan	8	10	1	9	2
Offaly	4	3	0	12	0
Roscommon	8	7	0	7	2
Sligo	4	14	1	11	1
Tipperary	5	13	2	8	4
Waterford	6	9	0	9	1
Westmeath	7	10	2	5	7
Wexford	8	14	1	12	0
Wicklow	7	4	3	7	5
Total	170	281	32	224	66

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Questions (193, 194)

Dara Calleary

Question:

193. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications permissible by county and local authority for schemes (details supplied) in 2019 in tabular form. [14717/19]

Dara Calleary

Question:

194. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated by current and capital expenditure in 2019 to schemes (details supplied); and the amount expended in each such scheme to date in tabular form. [14718/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.

The question refers to the 2019 figures for a number of schemes funded by my Department. The information requested on these schemes is provided in the table below:

Scheme/Programme	Number of applications permissible by county and local authority for schemes	Amount allocated by current expenditure in 2019 to schemes	Amount allocated by capital expenditure in 2019 to schemes	Amount expended in each such scheme in 2019.
Town and Village Renewal Scheme	Detail not yet available - 2019 scheme not yet launched.	Nil	€15M	€1.3M
Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme	Detail not yet available - 2019 scheme not yet launched.	Nil	€10M	Nil
Walks Scheme	Walks Scheme is not open to Local Authority applications.	€4M	Nil	€467,625
CLÁR Programme	LA can submit up to 15 applications under Measures 1 & 2 and there is no limit to the number of applications they can submit for Measure 3c.	Nil	€5M	Nil
Local Improvement Scheme	No particular number of roads as long as the Local Authorities work within their funding allocation and within the scheme criteria.	Nil	€10M	Nil
Community Enhancement Programme The RAPID and Communities Facilities Schemes are no longer available; the Community Enhancement Programme replaced these two earlier schemes.	No limit to number of applications.	Nil	€4.5M	Nil

Walks Scheme

Questions (195)

Dara Calleary

Question:

195. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the current and capital funding allocated to the walks scheme in each of the years 2016 to 2018; the allocation for 2019, in tabular form; the amount expended on the scheme in each such year; the number of trails per county covered by the scheme; and the number of participating landowners in each such year of the scheme. [14719/19]

Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

The Walks Scheme is an innovative response to facilitating the development and maintenance of some of Ireland’s key walking trails. The scheme provides modest payments to landowners to maintain these trails, based on agreed individual work programmes.

A current allocation of €2 million per annum was provided for the scheme each year from 2016 to 2018 inclusive to cover these payments.

The Programme for a Partnership Government included a commitment to increase the number of walks covered by the scheme. In line with this commitment, funding for the scheme was doubled in Budget 2019 - from €2 million to €4 million - to allow this expansion to proceed.

My Department has recently advertised for expressions of interest from Local Development Companies and Local Authorities for walks that might be considered for inclusion in the expanded scheme. My Department will consider these Expressions of Interest under a number of criteria, including the strategic importance of the trail, landowner agreement to participate, state of readiness, etc.

In addition to the core €2 million funding, there are other costs associated with the scheme, including salary costs for Rural Recreation Officers who help to implement the scheme at local level, and small capital costs.

Table 1 below outlines the expenditure on the Walks Scheme from 2016 to 2019. Payments to landowners are made twice yearly - mid-year and at the end of the year. Hence, no payments have yet been made in 2019.

Table 2 below outlines the number of walks and the number of participants per county on the Walks Scheme from 2016 to 2018. It should be noted that the Scheme currently operates on 39 walks in total. However, a small number of the walks included in the scheme cut across county and administrative boundaries, and are therefore recorded under all relevant county headings in the table below. There is no duplication in the number of participants covered by the scheme.

Table 1 - Walks Scheme Expenditure 2016- 2019

Year	Current Expenditure	Capital Expenditure	Total Expenditure
2016	€2,305,615	€101,500	€2,407,115
2017	€2,416,501	€150,100	€2,566,601
2018	€2,526,046	€130,100	€2,656,146
2019	€0	€0	€0

Table 2 - No. of walks and participants by county

COUNTY	Scheme Walks per County	Participants 2016	Participants 2017	Participants 2018
CLARE	4	96	87	92
CORK	5	628	629	641
DONEGAL	2	79	79	79
GALWAY	2	52	54	54
KERRY	4	291	292	297
KILKENNY	3	29	29	29
LAOIS	1	13	13	13
LEITRIM	1	3	3	3
LOUTH	1	60	60	60
MAYO	5	229	230	230
OFFALY	1	27	26	26
ROSCOMMON	3	163	162	160
SLIGO	2	67	68	68
TIPPERARY	9	114	115	115
WICKLOW	1	60	58	59
Total	44	1911	1905	1926

Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals

Questions (196)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

196. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on a jobseeker's allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14529/19]

Written answers

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that it is envisaged that a decision will be made by an Appeals Officer in this case within the next week. The person concerned will then be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Carer's Allowance Eligibility

Questions (197)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

197. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for a carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14530/19]

Written answers

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 9 August 2018.

It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have such disability that they require full-time care and attention.

This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continual supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.

The evidence submitted in support of the application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.

The person concerned was notified on 7 November 2018 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.

The person concerned requested a review of this decision on 18 December 2018 and submitted additional evidence in support of his application.

The outcome of the review is that the original decision is confirmed. On 1 March 2019 the person concerned was notified of this outcome and of his right of appeal.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Disability Allowance Applications

Questions (198)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

198. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an application for a disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); when the process is likely to conclude; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14536/19]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

The person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 24 January 2019. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was disallowed on medical grounds as it was not found that this lady was substantially restricted in taking up employment.

The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 20 March 2019 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent social welfare appeals office (SWAO). No request for an appeal or review has been received.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Questions (199)

James Lawless

Question:

199. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied). [14538/19]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.

The Department received a claim for IP for this lady on 23 January 2018. Her claim was disallowed on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified on 05 July 2018 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review or appeal.

She requested a review of this decision on 24 July and submitted further medical evidence in support of her request. Following a review of all the information available it was decided that there was no change to the original decision. She was notified on 22 October 2018 of the outcome of the review and of her right to appeal the decision.

She requested a review and appeal of this decision and submitted further medical evidence on 11 December 2018 in support of her request. Following a review of all the information available it has been decided that there is no change to the original decision and a submission is being prepared by the Department and will be forwarded to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) for determination. She was notified on 25 March 2019 of the outcome of the review.

The SWAO will be in touch with her directly in relation to the progress of her appeal.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

EU Directives

Questions (200)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

200. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the institutions for occupational retirement provision, IORP, II directive regulations will be transposed into law; when they will be enacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14557/19]

Written answers

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

The transposition of the IORP II Directive will result in significant improvements to the regulation and governance of funded occupational pension schemes in Ireland. This Department, supported by the Pensions Authority, is managing the transposition process of the IORP II Directive. The drafting of regulations is at an advanced stage and codes of practice will also be issued by the Pensions Authority following approval of the Minister. The Department is working towards transposing the Directive as early as possible. Primary legislation will not be necessary to transpose the Directive.

To ensure that schemes are informed of their obligations under the Directive, the Pensions Authority will also undertake a communication campaign on the implementation of the Directive. The Authority will engage and consult with industry stakeholders and trustees on implementation of the new regulatory regime and related codes of practice. The emphasis of this engagement will be on providing sufficient support, time and information in order for industry and trustees to plan for and make the changes needed.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Farm Assist Scheme Appeals

Questions (201)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

201. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a farm assist payment for a person (detail supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14578/19]

Written answers

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Previous representations were made in respect of the person concerned for answer on 27/02/2019, rep no. 9928/19. It was advised at that time that the file had been referred to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and I can confirm that a submission by the Deciding Officer was submitted on 11/03/2019 for decision.

Customers are obliged to supply information to allow the inspector to determine projected earnings. In this particular case the person concerned submitted his mother’s accounts as supporting material.

The Deputy has asked if the purchase of animal's pedigree or commercial is allowed for farm assist. I understand that the loan interest on same has been allowed, as per legislation.

Age related payments do not apply to Farm Assist.

The profit and loss accounts are used for the purposes of income tax assessment however the departments assessment is based on average projected earnings. As previously advised, the file has been forwarded to the Appeals Office and this issue will be examined as part of the appeal.

The figures referred to by the Deputy will be considered by the Appeals Office.

I trust that this clarified the matter for the Deputy.

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Questions (202)

Willie Penrose

Question:

202. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an appeal hearing will be held in respect of a person (details supplied); if same will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14628/19]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.

The department received a claim for IP for the lady concerned on 06 September 2018. Her claim was disallowed on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified on 26 November 2018 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review or appeal.

The lady concerned appealed the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) and submitted further medical evidence in support of her appeal. Following a review by a deciding officer of this medical evidence in conjunction with all information available to date, it has been decided that there is no change to the original decision. A submission is being prepared by the Department and will be forwarded to the SWAO for determination as soon as possible.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Carer's Allowance Eligibility

Questions (203)

John McGuinness

Question:

203. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if matters relating to the case of a person (details supplied) will be addressed. [14636/19]

Written answers

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment while Carer's benefit (CARB) is a social insurance payment made to full-time employees who leave the workforce.

The person concerned was in receipt of CA from 28 June 2007 to 18 October 2017 in respect of her daughter at a reduced rate due to an assessment of her means.

However, following a review of her claim in October 2017, her entitlement to CA ceased, as her means were determined to exceed the statutory limit. She was assessed with means of €334.94 which exceeded the statutory limit of €223.90 at the time.

The person concerned re-applied for CA on 7 December 2017. The application for CA was disallowed as her means were assessed as €323.16 which exceeded the statutory limit of €232.61.

The person concerned was notified on 18 April 2018 of this decision the reason for it and her right of review and appeal.

The person concerned applied for CARB on 16 November 2018. There are a number of qualifying conditions for receipt of CARB including a requirement of having paid a certain amount of PRSI.

Through her employment, this condition has been satisfied.

However, there is a further condition which requires that the applicant must have been engaged in remunerative employment as an employee for at least 16 hours per week in 8 weeks out of the 26 week period immediately before the date from which the claim is intended to commence. This application was disallowed because the person concerned failed to show that she satisfied this condition.

The person concerned was notified on 26 February 2019 of this decision, the reason for it and her right of review and appeal.

The request by the Deputy for a review of CARB is ongoing at present and when complete the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.

Should the means of the person concerned reduce in the future it is always open to the person concerned to re-apply for CA and a deciding officer of my Department will examine her entitlement.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.