Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 May 2019
142. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the local authorities supported in applications for WiFi4EU funding; the local authorities that have and have not been successful in their applications to date; and the amount of funding to each local authority that has been successfully approved in tabular form. [23063/19]
View answerWiFi4EU is a European initiative aimed at providing free public WiFi throughout Europe by allocating monetary vouchers, worth €15,000 each, through a competitive process. Decisions on the allocation of vouchers are made by the European Commission.
Each Local Authority in Ireland can apply for up to 4 vouchers throughout the lifetime of the scheme which runs to 2020. My Department will provide matched funding for the initiative of up to €15,000 for each voucher successfully secured.
My Department has been assisting all 31 Local Authorities throughout the process of registration for, and application to, the scheme. The first call for applications from the European Commission took place in November 2018. Arising form this call, Ireland secured 62 vouchers, worth €930,000, which placed the country as one of the most successful throughout Europe under that call.
The second call for applications was announced earlier this month and Ireland secured a further 22 vouchers, worth €330,000 in total.
These vouchers will have a significant impact on rural communities throughout Ireland, in terms of providing free access to WiFi for members of the public and improving connectivity and access to mobile services.
The details of the successful Local Authorities and the number of vouchers secured are provided on the following table.
|
Local Authority |
Vouchers secured in 1st Call |
Vouchers secured in 2nd call* |
|
Carlow County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Cavan County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Clare County |
2 (€30,000) |
- |
|
Cork City |
1 (€15,000) |
- |
|
Cork County |
- |
- |
|
Donegal County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Dublin City Council |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Dun Laoghaire County |
- |
- |
|
Fingal County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Galway City |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Galway County |
1 (€15,000) |
3 (€45,000) |
|
Kerry County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Kildare County |
1 (€15,000) |
- |
|
Kilkenny County |
- |
3 (€45,000) |
|
Laois County |
- |
- |
|
Leitrim County |
3 (€45,000) |
1 (€15,000) |
|
Limerick County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Longford County |
1 (€15,000) |
- |
|
Louth County |
- |
- |
|
Mayo County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Meath County |
1 (€15,000) |
3 (€45,000) |
|
Monaghan County |
- |
2 (€30,000) |
|
Offaly County |
2 (€30,000) |
- |
|
Roscommon County |
1 (€15,000) |
3 (€45,000) |
|
Sligo County |
1 (€15,000) |
1 (€15,000) |
|
South Dublin County |
1 (€15,000) |
1 (€15,000) |
|
Tipperary County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Waterford County |
4 (€60,000) |
- |
|
Westmeath County |
- |
4 (€60,000) |
|
Wexford County |
- |
- |
|
Wicklow County |
3 (€45,000) |
1 (€15,000) |
* Second call vouchers are pending until each Grant Agreement is signed by the Local Authority and returned to the EU Commission within the requisite timeframe.
