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Rural Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2021

Thursday, 14 October 2021

Questions (40, 64)

Seán Canney

Question:

40. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she expects to announce the next round of allocations from the rural regeneration development fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49404/21]

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Seán Canney

Question:

64. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department plans to make funding available under the rural regeneration development fund for the installation of municipal waste water treatment plants in towns and villages in which no such services exist and development cannot progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49401/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 64 together.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 164 projects have been approved for funding of €252m for projects costing over €343m.

A guidance document detailing the Fund's objectives is issued before each call for applications. Subject to those objectives, applicants can subject proposals for projects which meet the needs of a particular town, village or area. In that regard, projects allocated funding to date range across sectors, including town and village regeneration, enterprise development, tourism development, digital and co-working initiatives, libraries, arts and cultural facilities and sports and recreation facilities. Projects are often a combination of a number of these elements.

It would be open to a local authority or other State-funded body eligible under the rules of the Fund to make an application in relation to a wastewater treatment project if that were identified as a priority.

The third call for Category 2 applications - relating to funding sought to develop capital projects to full readiness - closed on the 30th July 2021. My Department received 53 applications to this call.

The application process for the Fund is competitive in nature. Applications are currently being assessed by my Department under the oversight of the Project Advisory Board, comprised of representatives from key Government Departments and independent experts. Once that process is complete, my Department will prepare a report setting out recommended projects and my role as Minister will be to consider that report and make final decisions in relation to the allocation of funding. I expect to announce the successful projects before the end of the year.

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