Written Answers Nos. 250-260
254. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent of her Department's support through the public participation network for various groups and communities around the country over the past two years; her future proposals in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50298/21]
View answerA Public Participation Network (PPN) is a structure that brings together volunteer-led groups in each local authority area from the Community and Voluntary, Environment, and Social Inclusion sectors. The PPNs are the main link between these groups and their local authorities, and they enable the groups to make their voices heard within formal local decision-making structures. My Department supports and advances PPNs at a national level and they are accountable to my Department for their use of public monies and the activities they undertake on behalf of their communities.
It is important to note that PPNs are wholly independent entities and decide for themselves what networking and capacity-building supports they wish to provide to their member groups within the overarching objectives for the PPNs.
Over the past 2 years, my Department has provided direct funding of €151,400 to each of the 31 PPNs around the country (€75,700 in each year) as well as providing structural supports, and this will continue into the future. This funding supports the ongoing development of the PPNs. The Department also chairs and provides administrative support to the National PPN Advisory Group.
My Department is currently funding and advancing a number of important national initiatives and key recommendations made by PPN stakeholders in the PPNs' Annual Reports to promote their development (e.g. training, awareness-raising, IT support, visions for community wellbeing).
Two important initiatives supported by my Department in this regard are: the national training course for PPN stakeholders, which is currently ongoing, and a communications and awareness campaign due to be rolled out in 2022. The Department published a PPN Handbook in 2020 to assist and guide the PPNs and stakeholders in their day-to-day work. My Department is also working to set up an advisory service to give PPNs easy access to expert advice on best practice for operational questions related to HR and governance, which will be available to all PPNs starting in early 2022.
Earlier this year, my Department commissioned an independent review of PPN structures, which is considering the internal structures of PPNs themselves as well as the supports available to them. The review report is due in November and is expected to make recommendations on how to further improve PPN structures.
My Department is committed to continuing to support PPNs both financially and structurally so that local communities can continue to have an influence on matters that affect them.
255. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which her Department has supported various communities throughout the country through the Leader programme in the past year; her current engagements and future proposals in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50299/21]
View answerThe LEADER programme is a key intervention implemented by my Department which will help to underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future.
The LEADER programme is delivered through 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland. A feature of the LEADER programme is that it is based on a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.
The programme includes specific funding themes to support Rural Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job Creation; Social Inclusion, and Rural Environment. Community groups and rural-based businesses can apply for funding under these themes. The website of the National Rural Network contains case-studies of how LEADER has benefited local communities and businesses.
Over 4,700 projects have been approved for €198 million under these themes since the current LEADER programme became operational.
In the last year alone, the LAGs, in conjunction with Local Development Companies who act as Implementing Partners in most areas, approved a total of 1,405 projects, to the value of €67.7 million. The type of monetary supports provided include capital for construction projects, biodiversity and renewable energy projects, analysis and development type projects as well as marketing and training projects. These projects bring much needed assistance to small businesses at this time, as well as supporting job retention and new employment opportunities.
In line with a commitment in Our Rural Future, I announced details of a €70 million Transitional LEADER Programme, which came into effect from 1 April 2021 and will run to the end of 2022. As part of this announcement, I also approved an increase in the rate of aid for private enterprises and commercial community projects, from a maximum of 50% to a maximum of 75%. LEADER Food Initiative projects approved on or after the 1st April 2021, which satisfy the conditions, can also be considered for the increased rate of aid by the LAG.
The Transitional Programme will ensure that LEADER will continue to support and revitalise our communities and make them sustainable and desirable places in which to live and work through co-ordinated approaches that build on the economic strengths and infrastructure of rural areas.
Officials from my Department are engaging with stakeholders and are working alongside officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine in developing the Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which LEADER will form part of.
256. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which her Department continues to support the use of digital hubs as a means of replicating the workplace without having to travel to and from work; the extent to which opportunities may arise in the future with particular reference to attract persons living in rural or isolated areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50300/21]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential which remote working presents for regional development. My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting remote working and adding to remote working infrastructure throughout the country.
The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme both support the establishment of new digital hubs. Under this year's schemes, projects that bring vacant properties in town centres back into use as remote working hubs were eligible to apply for funding. Projects that repurpose existing community or publicly owned buildings in town or village centres to facilitate remote working were also eligible.
Earlier this year I also announced funding of €8.8 million in funding through the Connected Hubs stream to add capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and broadband connection points throughout the country.
Officials in my Department will continue to consider options to continue to support the development of remote working hubs over the coming years. Details of calls for applications to relevant funding streams will be announced by my Department in due course.
My Department also continues to support the development of the Connected Hubs Network (connectedhubs.ie). There are approximately 146 hubs using the platform, with this number growing every month. The National Hub Network Working Group (led by the Department of Rural and Community Development) has also identified and mapped some 400 further remote working hubs which will be invited to join the Connected Hubs Network to create shared infrastructure that will deliver real benefits, particularly for rural communities. A connected hubs app has also been developed which will be launched in the coming weeks.
It is anticipated that the following initiatives will be developed through the Network:
A shared Connected Hubs brand identity for all member hubs
A centralised Connected Hubs media and promotional campaign
Access to the ConnectedHubs.ie suite of booking, hub management and e-commerce applications.
Development of a peer-to-peer hub community
Sharing of innovation, experience and best practices within the community
Supporting collaborative projects in the Network to drive economies of scale
Developing a ‘shared voice’ for Hubs
Supporting collective engagement between Connected Hubs and large scale employers
Helping to identify the benefits Connected Hubs deliver for their local communities and the wider economy
Developing a dataset to inform future investment decisions in remote working facilities
257. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which her Department has been in contact with Kildare County Council in respect of local improvement schemes; the number of applications on hand in the county at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50301/21]
View answerAs part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), recognising the important contribution it makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. The Scheme supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by Local Authorities and represent a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities. The Scheme is administered at a local level by the relevant Local Authorities.
I launched the 2021 Scheme on 14th May with funding of €10.5 million. The allocation to each Local Authority was based on the physical area of each county. Kildare was allocated €270,000.
I was very pleased to source additional funding for the Scheme and allocated a second round of funding on 29th July to bring the total level of funding to €21 million this year. This funding was made available on the understanding that it would be fully utilised by each Local Authority before the end of this year.
My officials engaged directly with each Local Authority, including Kildare County Council, to establish the number of upgrades which could be completed by year-end and the associated level of funding required to deliver these projects. Each Local Authority received 70% of funding sought as this second call was oversubscribed.
Kildare County Council secured €225,586 in the second round of funding, bringing the total allocation for 2021 to €495,586. Kildare has now been provided with €1.3 million since the Scheme was reintroduced in 2017.
The administration of the LIS scheme is a matter for each Local Authority and they are best placed to advise on the number of eligible LIS applications on hand at any given point in time.
259. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has given consideration to increasing the capacity of local development companies to tackle inequality and social exclusion across Ireland as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50311/21]
View answerLocal Development Companies (LDCs) across Ireland deliver over €300 million of state-funded programmes each year, acting as community partners for government agencies and Departments, while supporting more than 15,000 communities and community groups and 173,000 individuals.
One of these programmes is my Department’s Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) which aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting communities and individuals using community development approaches, engagement and collaboration.
The programme does vital work in helping individuals and groups, by improving the life chances of those who are marginalised in society, living in poverty or unemployed. Indeed, since 2018, the programme has supported over 80,000 individuals and 6,200 Local Community Groups. In addition, it supports collective community engagement and the development of more sustainable and stronger communities, improving the quality of life of those facing social exclusion and inequality.
I want to acknowledge the importance of this work by LDCs, especially as Ireland emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To support this work my Department is providing SICAP funding in excess of €220 million to LDCs over six years from 2018 to 2023. This year over €39 million was allocated, supporting front line workers in LDCs to deliver SICAP on the ground.
I am delighted to have secured a 10 per cent increase for SICAP for 2022, the largest increase since the programme was launched. This represents a €4 million increase and provides for the creation of a significant number of job places for new community work on the ground in communities across Ireland. It will allow for engagement with groups that are currently under-represented on the programme, including Travellers, Roma, people with a disability and new communities. This will have a positive impact for our communities in 2022 and beyond.
I review the level of funding of all programmes under my remit each year as part of the budgetary process and it is my intention to continue to prioritise funding to LDCs under SICAP.
260. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide a list of buildings either owned or managed by her Department in Blanchardstown village, Dublin 15; and if they are currently being used [50317/21]
View answerMy Department does not own or manage any buildings in Blanchardstown.
