Written Answers Nos. 626-639
626. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide details of all the funding schemes currently open to community groups by her Department ; if she will outline other schemes available also and give details of when they will open in 2023/2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41234/23]
View answerThere are a number of funding streams and supports available to community groups, both through schemes supporting implementation of Our Rural Future, and schemes supporting communities throughout the country. Details of schemes, including information on open schemes, can be found on my Departments website. The details requested by the Deputy, regarding funding schemes provided by my Department to community groups are set out below. Where relevant opening dates are provided for schemes. Where schemes have recently closed, the Department will make information on the next funding round available on its website in due course.
• The Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase, by registered community-based organisations, of personal alarms or pendants. This scheme is open to applications at all times.
• The Scheme to Strengthen and Support Volunteering programme has a budget of €6.5 million in 2023. This fund supports the network of 29 Volunteer Centres across the country as well as a number of national volunteer-supporting organisations including Volunteer Ireland, Young Social Innovators and Boardmatch. Funding is allocated to relevant bodies on an annual basis.
• The 2023 Town and Village Renewal Scheme is currently open (the closing date for receipt of applications is 10 November 2023). The Scheme is administered through local authorities on behalf of my Department, who work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact in revitalising rural towns and villages across the country. Local authorities are invited to submit up to 5 applications up to the value of €1.5m per local authority.
• The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, blue ways and bridleways throughout rural Ireland. The 2023 scheme was launched in June with an allocation of €16 million. The deadline for applications under Measures 2 and 3 is 27 October, 2023. Community groups who wish to put forward an expression of interest under these measures should contact their relevant local authority regarding their proposal. Subject to budgetary discussions and available funding, an announcement regarding a future ORIS launch will be forthcoming in 2024.
• In March, I announced funding of €20 million for the 2023 Community Centre Investment Fund . The fund is designed to support communities with ‘shovel-ready’ projects on green or brownfield sites to build new community centres. The deadline for receipt of applications was 3 July. These applications are currently being assessed by the Department and it is expected that successful projects will be announced in Quarter One of 2024. I am committed to ensuring that there is clear support in place for community centres across a range of schemes, and decisions in relation to any further iterations of the Community Centre Investment Fund will be taken in the context of the upcoming annual budgetary process.
• The CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Funding of €7.85 million has been allocated for the 2023 CLÁR programme that opened in March and is now closed for receipt of applications. The next iteration of the programme is expected to be launched in 2024, subject to budgetary availability.
• The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future , which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. €250 million has been made available for the LEADER programme for the period 2021 to 2027. This is comprised of €70 million for the transitional period 2021 to 2022 and an additional €180 million from 2023 to 2027, thus maintaining the level of funding provided for the 2014-2020 programming period. Two successful Local Action Groups (LAGs) have been recently appointed to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER programme, my Department’s focus now is to complete the selection of the remaining LAGs to ensure a timely and smooth transition from the 2014-2020 programme.
• The Community Services Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported, and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager. The call for applications for funding of additional staff posts in existing CSP funded organisations is currently open. The deadline for submissions is 29 September 2023.
• The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) is targeted towards enhancing facilities in disadvantaged communities. It provides grants to community groups. The current iteration of the CEP, i.e., the Community Support Fund, is now closed to applicants. Details of the successful projects are available on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie . While there is likely to be a new iteration of the CEP in late 2023, the exact scope is yet to be determined.
627. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development what funding or resources can be provided from her Department to assist community centres (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when the next open call for applications to the Community Services Programme is; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41240/23]
View answerMy department's Community Service Programme (CSP) supports over 420 community-based organisations, to provide local services through a social enterprise model. CSP provides an annual co-funding contribution towards each full-time equivalent (FTE) position being supported and, where warranted, towards the cost of employing a manager.
Earlier this year, I announced a new Call for Proposals in respect of specific CSP services and interested organisations were requested to submit a concept note as the first step in the application process. Pobal, who manage and administer the programme on behalf of the Department, received a high volume of concept notes and as a result the CSP call was heavily over-subscribed and not all organisations who submitted a concept note were invited to formally submit an application. I understand that a concept note in response to this Call was not submitted by the organisation in question.
There are no further Calls for Proposals anticipated at this time. If the organisation in question require immediate support they should consider contacting their Local Development Company or Local Authority Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) , who may be able to provide some guidance on other supports available at this time.
In relation to the Community Centre Investment Fund 2023 (New Build), applications are currently being assessed by my Department following the July 3rd deadline. It is expected that successful projects will be announced in Quarter One of 2024.
Decisions in relation to any future rounds of the fund will be taken in the context of the upcoming annual budgetary process.
628. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has calculated a multiplier for the knock-on value within the community of the different schemes under which she allocates funds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41309/23]
View answerMy Department has a comprehensive approach to monitoring and assessing our investment. It has not, however, completed work on the calculation of a multiplier for the knock-on value within communities of the schemes operated by the Department. I would note that the Department regularly completes case studies of our investment, which do demonstrate the on-the-ground impact of our projects.
With regard to the work being completed by my Department, both the Revised Estimates Volume and the Public Service Performance Report provide high level metrics on targets and outcomes for our schemes. In addition my Department’s Annual Report provides an overview of the work of the Department each year, including funding commitments and project approvals. It also provides case studies to convey a deeper understanding of the type of work completed.
The Department has also undertaken focused policy assessment work on a range of programme areas including the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, Libraries Investment, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Local Improvement Scheme. These reports are available on my Departments website.
The two largest community development schemes, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and the Community Services Programme (CSP) both have reporting systems in place to collate activity and outcomes under the schemes, with this information utilised to produce both the annual statistics in documents such as the Revised Estimate, and regular detailed reports that inform the design of the programmes as they move from one programme period to the next.
The Department also has a research partnership in place with the ESRI, which is currently focussed on scoping potential high level indicators for rural development in the long term. The Department also regularly engages with the Central Statistics Office (CSO), including with regard to their work on producing statistics which analyse differences across urban and rural settings.
629. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has analysed trends in remote working as the economy has fully reopened again; and if there are areas of initiative to help embed this as a pattern to bring new activity to rural Ireland. [41310/23]
View answerOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically developing a national hub network, adding capacity to Ireland's existing remote working infrastructure and supporting the establishment of new hubs.
Over €150m has been invested by my department in the development of remote working facilities through programmes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, and the Connected Hubs Call. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities with many projects seeing vacant and derelict buildings in rural towns and villages converted into remote working hubs.
In 2021 I launched ConnectedHubs.ie, a shared online booking and payments platform for member hubs and their users. The network includes a diverse range of hubs, services and facilities, thus facilitating companies of different sizes. There are currently 324 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform. An interactive map is available on connectedhubs.ie that shows the location and details of each remote working hub on the network.
To date my focus has been on establishing the Connected Hub Network and on achieving the initial critical mass. Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project, my focus has, for some time, shifted to the next stage of development.
To this end my Department is currently leading on the formulation of a National Hub Strategy to chart the future strategic direction of the hub sector. Key to this approach is close consultation with stakeholders and our partners across government together with crucial survey data. For example, through the provision of up-to-date information on issues such as employee remote working experiences and preferences, employer and organisation responses to hybrid and remote working, and the role of remote working options on career and job choice, Galway ATU’s and the WDC’s annual Remote Work Survey helps enable informed decision with regard to remote working requirements.
I have been clear throughout my tenure as Minister for Rural and Community Development that balanced regional development, sustainable and thriving communities, and indeed the wider national economy will all benefit from workers and employers embracing the remote working revolution.
I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.
630. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 2105 of 11 September 2023, the expected timeline for the completion of the phase 3 development of Caladh Mór on Inis Meáin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41363/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, Galway County Council is the responsible authority for the maintenance and development of pier infrastructure on the Aran Islands, including Inis Meáin.
A steering committee consisting of representatives from my Department and Galway County Council meets regularly to monitor progress on the development of the piers on the Aran Islands including on Inis Meáin. The most recent meeting was held last week.
It is my understanding that Galway County Council are preparing documents to appoint consultants to assist in preparing a Preliminary Business Case which will look at all possible options for providing safe harbour facilities on Inis Meáin.
Key to this will be clear engagement with island representatives and ensuring that there is community input into the process. This follows on from discussions that officials from my Department have had with residents in of Inis Meáin. I can assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to engage with the local authority to ensure the project is progressed as quickly as possible.
631. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she proposes to expand and extend the role of her Department in addressing issues of rural and/or urban isolation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41565/23]
View answerAddressing the issue of individual isolation in communities has become more important than ever before. Many of my Department's policies and funding programmes aim to address social isolation issues in communities, and also deliver benefits by responding to the challenges facing vulnerable individuals.
My Department continues to provide funding to tackle social isolation and support those in our communities in most need of assistance through schemes such as the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme, and the Seniors Alert Scheme, amongst others.
SICAP is Ireland’s primary social inclusion funding intervention, delivered locally by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need access supports to enable participation in communities.
My Department’s Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP focuses on communities where public and private sector services are lacking, either through geographical isolation or social isolation or because demand levels are not sufficient.
My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the Scheme towards the purchase, by a registered community-based organisation, of a personal alarm or pendant.
My Department is also responsible for a number of national policies containing measures to improve the lives of people throughout the country including Our Rural Future , which places an emphasis on building resilience and enhancing participation and inclusion in rural communities including older people and those with disabilities.
The issue of social isolation is one which concerns us all and I am committed to continuing my Department’s response to this issue through continued delivery of relevant programmes and policies.
632. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the degree to which she continues to interact with rural and urban communities with a view to her proposals to address any deficiencies in terms of support or new services as might be determined from her interaction with the communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41566/23]
View answer634. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to adopt rural and community programmes specifically aimed at the particular needs of relevant communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41570/23]
View answer635. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total value of assistance offered to rural and community groups throughout Kildare north and throughout the country in each of the past three years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41571/23]
View answer637. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether she intends to expand the mission statement of her Department to meet particular areas that did not previously qualify for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41573/23]
View answer638. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she proposes to liaise with the community sector throughout the country with a view to identifying and addressing issues as they arise in early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41574/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 632, 634, 635, 637 and 638 together.
My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. As part of this work my Department continues to liaise with stakeholders in communities around the county including through the Local Authorities, Local Community Development Committees, Public Participation Networks and the Local Development Companies to ensure that supports provided are timely and appropriate to the needs of those communities.
While the schemes administered by my Department have a consistent, ongoing focus, they are regularly adapted and supplemented in response to emerging needs. Such examples are the Community Call Initiative, the Covid-19 Stability Scheme, the Accelerated Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme and the recently announced Community Recognition Fund.
The amount approved by my Department in the past three years, across its range of rural and community schemes, is €323 million in 2020, €333 million in 2021, and €475 million in 2022. Kildare was allocated €7.9 million in 2020, €3.9 million in 2021, and €11.6 million in 2022.
This funding ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities throughout the country seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects.
My Department’s new Statement of Strategy for 2023-2025, published in August, will guide the delivery of an ambitious programme of work over the coming years, with the aim of making a significant and lasting difference to rural Ireland and communities throughout the country. My Department will continue to engage with rural and urban stakeholders to identify issues impacting on communities and respond to emerging needs. I am confident that the funding supports and policies provided by my Department will continue to deliver tangible benefits for both urban and rural communities.
633. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her ongoing development of digital hubs throughout the country, with a view to increased and ready access to such facilities in both urban and rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41569/23]
View answerA key focus of Our Rural Future (2021-2025) is optimising digital connectivity to support vibrant, sustainable rural communities. I want to close the digital divide between rural and urban communities and ensure that those living in rural communities are provided with the same opportunities for remote working, online trading and for education as those in larger urban areas. I am working to achieve this ambition by providing significant funding and support through my Department.
Through the Broadband Connection Points (BCP) Initiative my department is establishing 300 digitally-enabled community hubs. These hubs are based in community centres, GAA clubs and tourist sites across the country in rural and isolated areas, including on some of our islands, and are centres of community life. These BCPs will each have different offerings, some with a focus on remote work while others focused on education programmes and digital skills training.
The Broadband Connection Points (BCP) project is progressing well, with 294 of 300 sites now live and in use.
In consultation with BCP community stakeholders, my officials are drafting a development strategy for the BCP Network. This strategy will set out a number of ambitions and opportunities and will guide decisions on future supports, partnerships and the scope to improve and broaden services.
Our Rural Future also recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically developing a national hub network, adding capacity to Ireland's existing remote working infrastructure and supporting the establishment of new hubs.
Over €150m has been invested by my department in the development of remote working facilities through programmes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, and the Connected Hubs Call. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities with many projects seeing vacant and derelict buildings in rural towns and villages converted into remote working hubs.
In 2021 I launched ConnectedHubs.ie, a shared online booking and payments platform for member hubs and their users. The network includes a diverse range of hubs, services and facilities, thus facilitating companies of different sizes. There are currently 324 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the platform.
To date my focus has been on establishing the Connected Hub Network and on achieving the initial critical mass. Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project, my focus has now shifted to the next stage of development.
To this end my Department is currently leading, in consultation with hub managers, local authorities and communities, and with other stakeholders, including colleagues from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, on the formulation of a National Hub Strategy. The Strategy will inform the future strategic direction of the National Hub Network and the connectedhubs.ie platform and ensure the strategic development and sustainability of Ireland’s hub infrastructure.
I have been clear throughout my tenure as Minister for Rural and Community Development that balanced regional development, sustainable and thriving communities, and indeed the wider national economy will all benefit from workers and employers embracing the remote working revolution.
I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.
636. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her intentions for the future of the Leader Programme; whether she intends to introduce any modifications to the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41572/23]
View answerThe LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It is based on a community-led approach to rural development and supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.
The consultative processes that underpinned the development of the new programme identified key themes that provide the framework for the LEADER 2023-2027 programme.
These themes are
• Economic development and job creation
• Rural infrastructure and social inclusion, and
• Sustainable development of the rural environment and climate change mitigation and adaptation
The consultative processes involved were fully open and transparent, and led to the introduction of new modifications in relation to sub regional areas compared to the previous programme. Further modifications have ensured that the needs of our island communities are also fully reflected in the new programme.
The process to select the Local Action Groups (LAGs) to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme in each area is ongoing at present and the Local Development Strategies which were submitted by the applicant LAGs in July are currently being assessed.
I recently announced the approval of the first two LAGs in counties Carlow and Tipperary to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER programme. My Department’s focus now is to complete the selection of the remaining LAGs to ensure a timely and smooth transition from the 2014-2020 programme.
LEADER has been operating very successfully in Ireland for over 30 years now, and I am confident that the new LEADER programme will continue to deliver for rural communities all across the country.
639. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of Bills prepared by her Department in the 33rd Dáil to date; the number and title of those Bills that included a Regulatory Impact Assessment; the title of the RIAs published by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41596/23]
View answerI published the General Scheme of the Charities (Amendment) Bill on 29 April 2022. This General Scheme was subsequently submitted to the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands for Pre-Legislative scrutiny.
This Bill is to provide for a number of amendments to the Charities Act 2009. The aim of the proposed amendments is to improve the ability of the Charities Regulator to conduct its statutory functions, providing greater transparency, clarity and fairness in terms of the regulation of charities, leading to greater public trust and confidence in the sector. It is important that we strike the right balance between necessary regulation and proportionate governance, ensuring that a reasonable and fair approach is at its core.
Further to the publication of the Joint Committee’s Report on the Pre-Legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme in November 2022, my officials are currently working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to finalise the draft Heads of Bill, which will then be presented to Government, along with its Regulatory Impact Assessment, for approval.
I look forward to working with members of both Houses of the Oireachtas to enable the passage and enactment of this Bill as expeditiously as possible.
