Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 February 2022
4. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has plans, in the context of the CLÁR programme, and having regard to local safety concerns, to allow funding to be used for local investment in CCTV and lighting in local playgrounds. [8935/22]
View answerI ask the Minister of State whether he has plans, in the context of the CLÁR programme, and having regard to local safety concerns, to allow funding to be used for local investment in CCTV and lighting in local playgrounds and communities. Since the pandemic, more and more people want to feel safe in their communities. This can be when they are out on a walking, running or cycling track. During the pandemic, a lot of facilities were available for walking, running and exercise for people but these facilities must be provided in a safe manner.
I thank the Deputy for the question. The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. The level of funding provided for the programme in 2021 was €5.5 million and this was increased to €7 million under budget 2022. The CLÁR programme has invested heavily in playgrounds in recent years, and the focus for the programme this year will be on supporting investment in a wide range of community facilities and community infrastructure. The exact measures to be funded in 2022 are currently under review. I expect that the 2022 CLÁR programme will be launched shortly.
The community enhancement programme also provides grants for improving community facilities, with a particular focus on disadvantaged areas. Our Rural Future, the rural development policy, contains a number of measures focused on community safety in rural areas, including the introduction of a new policing, security and community safety Bill to redefine the functions of An Garda Síochána to include community safety. It was important that safety concerns of rural communities were recognised in the preparation of Our Rural Future and representatives of An Garda Síochána were present at a number of public consultation and engagement events that took place during the development of the policy. I also am aware that the Department of Justice administers a grant aid scheme for groups wishing to establish a community-based CCTV system in their area. Other measures being progressed by the Department of Justice in respect of community safety in rural areas include the establishment of local community safety partnership pilots in counties Waterford and Longford in 2021, a review of community-based alert schemes, and the development of a revised legislative framework to provide clarity to local authorities on how local CCTV schemes can be established, while enhancing community safety and data protection safeguards.
I welcome all the funding provided for rural projects. Another big issue that was highlighted over the pandemic concerns community fields. While there are many GAA grounds and fields in different areas, many communities also have community fields. In respect of the way sports are organised, sometimes camogie clubs cannot access the local GAA fields. The community fields can be used as running tracks, for athletics clubs, camogie and community projects. Can the funding that the Minister of State has referred to be made available for people who want to invest in a community field that can be used for all sports and activities that are taking place within the community? Can organisations apply for funding for the provision of community fields, and not just on the basis that they have to be trying to access one of the GAA fields, which are not usually available?
Depending on the application, it may either sit under one of the schemes I outlined, including CLÁR or the community enhancement programme, but from what the Deputy has outlined, it sounds like such applications might be a better fit with the sports capital grant scheme. That would be a question for the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, ultimately. To give the Deputy some examples from his own constituency on the applicability of the CLÁR programme, specifically regarding the issues the Deputy raised, last year the Coolfree community crèche after-school facility got a grant to install a footpath outside the school, updated road signage, lining of the road and an update of the safety lighting outside the school for €35,000. Moreover Feenagh AFC soccer club received funding of €36,000 to construct a footpath and street lighting for the public along the roadway between the village centre and the club. Obviously, in terms of lighting in public places, the local authority has a responsibility there. No doubt, the Deputy has contacted it about that but there are options available under some of our schemes as well.
I thank the Minister of State. I do not think community fields come under the sports capital grant scheme. I stand to be corrected. I welcome the funding provided in the areas referred to by the Minister of State, including the constructions of a footpath at Feenagh soccer club. However, in smaller communities, such as Granagh-Ballingarry, there are soccer and GAA fields that are being used as community fields. A high number of people are involved in sport and want to go walking and do different activities. In the case of Ballingarry, for example, there is a GAA field and a soccer field but people are looking for facilities such as walking tracks and places where they can do sports other than GAA sports. I am asking under what programme an application for funding for a community field fits. I will take any advice that the Minister of State can give me to point me in the right direction. I am referring to funding for community fields, in particular.
It strikes me that it probably depends on the ownership of the field, for example, whether it is owned by a particular club or a broader community organisation. I suggest that the Deputy writes to me and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, directly, providing more detail on the specific situation, setting out who owns the field, who uses it and so on. We will see where it might fit best in terms of the programmes that we provide.
