Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
117. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide an update on the long-awaited re-establishment and distribution of the Local Agenda 21 (LA 21) Grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36802/23]
View answerThe Community Environment Action Fund (CEAF) replaced the Local Agenda 21 (LA 21) Grants. The most recent call for applications under the CEAF was made in 2019. As a consequence of Covid-19, the completion deadlines for all projects funded under that scheme were extended a number of times at the request of the grantees. Grants under the existing scheme continued to be paid out for 2020 and 2021.
I launched the Community Climate Action Programme (CCAP) in November 2021 supported by resources of €60 million from the Climate Action Fund. This programme is set to run over 3 years. €48 million of this is being provided to Local Authorities to develop partnership projects with local communities to help them build their low carbon communities, with €12 million being allocated to creative projects, climate education, capacity building and learning by doing.
My Department carried out a review of the CEAF in 2022 and sought a return from all Local Authorities on their expenditure. Emerging from this review it was clear that there are now other means of accessing funds to support projects of the kind funded under the CEAF.
As a consequence, my Department decided not to continue to run the CEAF programme as it has now been superseded.
