Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 April 2019
212. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans for the development of the various community support schemes operated by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15629/19]
View answerAs Minister with responsibility for Rural and Community Development, I am leading a Department whose mission it is to help build vibrant, sustainable communities across the country, both in rural and urban areas.
To do this requires a mix of policy initiatives and actions focused on enabling economic growth and development and addressing gaps in meeting the social needs in these areas, thus supporting our communities to become and remain desirable places to live, work and raise families.
Many of these initiatives form part of the Government's published Action Plan for Rural Development and Framework Policy for Local and Community Development which include a range of measures which will contribute significantly to addressing issues in local communities, including financial assistance and other direct and indirect supports.
The current Action Plan for Rural Development, runs to the end of 2019 and consideration is now being given to future rural development policy. A key deliverable for my Department during 2019 will be the design of a rural development policy to follow on from the Action Plan for Rural Development.
The implementation plan for the Framework Policy for Local and Community Development in Ireland, published in 2016, as well as Ireland’s first National Policy on Social Enterprise, are also currently at an advanced stage of development.
My Department delivers a coherent package of supports to strengthen rural and urban communities. These supports enable economic growth and development and also support communities to address gaps in meeting social needs, including those caused by higher levels of deprivation.
My Department will continue to support our communities to become and remain sustainable and desirable places to live, work and raise families and we are committed to reviewing funding priorities on an ongoing basis to ensure supports remain targeted at those most in need.
In 2018, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund was launched as part of Project Ireland 2040 and this fund will provide €1 billion over the next 10 years, while the Town Centre Living Initiative, a pilot programme aimed at testing approaches to the revitalisation of towns and villages, was rolled out in six towns across the country.
The Community Enhancement Programme, born out of a review of the RAPID and Communities Facilities Scheme, was launched in 2018 to address disadvantage in urban and rural communities and allocated €13million to more than 3,000 projects in its first year. The 2019 Scheme was launched last week with an allocation of €4.5million.
In addition, since its establishment, my Department has also relaunched the Local Improvement Scheme for private rural roads and laneways and broadened the measures under which funding can be applied for under the CLÁR Programme, and a new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, worth €190 million over five years to the end of 2022, was commenced.
I have just commenced a review of the Community Services Programme, which provides funding to organisations delivering services in disadvantaged communities. This review will help inform decisions on the future shape and structure of the programme. More than €46 million is available to support community organisations under the programme in 2019.
I am confident that these plans will propose actions that will support rural economic development and the local and community development sectors to continue providing valuable needed services and community supports throughout the country.
