Holly Cairns
Question:1494. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures his Department is taking to improve recreational facilities and services for young people in Wexford town. [36396/23]
View answerTuesday, 25 July 2023
Questions (1494)
Written answers
I am happy to confirm that under Our Rural Future there are a number of measures and funding streams being progressed my Department to improve recreational facilities and services for all communities, including young people in Wexford town and indeed for young people right across the country.
Measures include the Community Centres Investment Fund, Community Recognition Fund, Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, LEADER Programme, Communities Enhancement Programme, Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme, and Libraries Development Programme.
The local community centre often represents a key space where a wide and varied range of interests, talents and skills that exist locally can be nurtured. To recognise this valuable local resource, I launched a new fund in 2022, the Community Centres Investment Fund. Following competitive assessment, I was pleased to announce significant investment of €45.8 million in 861 projects including the Wexford Arts Centre and St Joseph’s Community Centre, both of which received funding of over €80,000 each and are used by young people.
Under the Community Recognition Fund, my Department approved €50 million to over 880 projects in May this year. This Fund is specifically targeted at projects that are located in communities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants. The Fund will support the development of facilities that will be used by all members of the community. The proposals range in scale of less than €1,000 to €1 million and include large scale multi-purpose sports facilities, upgrades to community facilities, equipment for sports clubs, walks, playgrounds, community buses and equipment for festivals. The new MUGA at Ferndale Park in Wexford Town was approved €100,000 to create a new multi-use games area.
The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) is central to Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the new National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023 - 2027, which is set to shape the future of outdoor recreation over the next five years. ORIS funds new outdoor recreational infrastructure as well as providing for the necessary repair, enhancement or promotion of existing facilities in countryside areas across Ireland. Since the launch of the Scheme, funding in excess of €106 million has been approved to support more than 1,500 projects across Ireland. Whilst ORIS projects tend to be rural in nature my Department has allocated €200,000 for the development of the Three Rocks and Carrigfoyle walking Trails and almost €167,000 for the Forth Mountain Equestrian Trail and Ballybrittas Portal Tomb Walk. Both of these projects are close to Wexford and provide recreational amenities to the people of Wexford Town and beyond.
The LEADER programme has been operating successfully in Ireland for over 30 years, and is based on a community-led approach to rural development. Over that time LEADER has demonstrated a very strong track record in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. The process to select Local Actions Groups to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is under way at present. Full details of the selection process are available at www.gov.ie/DRCD. Recreational facilities and services for young people in Wexford town may be eligible for funding under these themes. In the first instance contact should be made with the Local Action group for the area. LAG details are available on the Department’s website.
The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provides vital supports to community groups in disadvantaged areas across Ireland. Since 2018, the programme has provided €52.9 million in funding, with small grants for the improvement of facilities. The €10 million Community Support Fund (CSF) was established to help small community groups including youth groups with their energy/running costs but also to provide funding for small capital works projects. The CSF is now closed and details of successful groups in Wexford are available at www.gov.ie/DRCD . While there is likely to be a new iteration of the CEP in late 2023, the exact scope is yet to be determined. Groups are encouraged to engage with their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Local Development Companies and Public Participation Networks (PPN) to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is our country’s primary social inclusion intervention. SICAP aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality. It does this through Programme Implementers, agencies and companies, who work with the most disadvantaged and the hardest to reach in their communities. SICAP actions are delivered by Wexford Local Development which provides direct supports to young people aged 15-24 years, supports to children and family activities, and direct supports to Local Community Groups and Social Enterprises. Wexford Local Development has supported 938 young people between 2018-2022. 192 Children and family activities were delivered with over 16,000 young people attending.
Finally, the Libraries Development Programme provides funding to Wexford County Council to enhance library services for young people in Wexford town. Dormant Accounts Funding is also available to support the provision of modern equipment in public libraries that improves accessibility for people with a disability and those with sensory needs, or autism.