Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
6. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the status of the town and village renewal scheme, TVRS, and inform us when successful applicants can expect to be notified about the outcomes of their applications in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49653/23]
View answer37. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the town and village renewal scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49608/23]
View answerThe town and village renewal scheme has played a crucial role in breeding new life into numerous towns and villages nationwide, and this transformation is particularly visible in my constituency of Mayo. In July of this year the Minister introduced the 2023 town and village scheme, which presents a significant opportunity for communities to secure investment in their local towns and villages. It also aligns with the Government's commitment to advancing rural Ireland as outlined in Our Rural Future. Will the Minister provide an update on the expected notification timeline for successful applicants on this scheme?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 37 together.
Our Rural Future sets out the Government's vision for the future of rural Ireland, which recognises the vital role that vibrant and thriving rural towns and villages have to play.
With this in mind, I have put in place a range of capital investment schemes as part of my Department's rural development investment programme which rural communities can avail of. I was delighted to secure an overall rural development allocation of over €205 million as part of the recent budget 2024 process.
One of the key schemes in the rural development investment programme is the town and village renewal scheme. This scheme has proved very popular with communities in recent years and is one of a number of measures designated to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since its launch, over €156 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects supporting towns and villages the length and breadth of the country.
Each year, the priorities and focus of the scheme are reviewed to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and encourage people back to living in our rural towns and villages. This year's scheme has a renewed focus on town centre economic and social vibrancy. This will be achieved through projects focusing on town regeneration, enhancing streetscapes, town parks and recreational spaces, and bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as community multi-purpose spaces through refurbishment and renovation. It also has a specific focus on stimulating economic activity through, for example, providing support for town markets.
The town and village renewal scheme is administered through local authorities, which work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact on rural towns and villages. This link between local authorities and communities is essential in developing projects that deliver on the real needs identified in towns and villages, thus helping us to maximise value for money from the investment of public funds.
The closing date for receipt of applications into my Department under the 2023 scheme was last Friday, 10 November, and the assessment process has now commenced. Funding under the scheme is awarded on a competitive basis, with all applications being assessed for suitability against scheme criteria and objectives. Other factors such as the geographical spread of projects will also be taken into account as part of the assessment process to ensure we can maximise the impact of this important funding. I expect to be in a position to announce the successful projects in quarter 1 of 2024 and I look forward to seeing a range of exciting and innovative projects that are selected this year for funding.
I appreciate the Minister's response and her hard work in securing the €205 million in budget 2024. Mayo County Council has shortlisted several projects of significant importance in the 2023 scheme and I brought one such project to the attention of the Taoiseach last week with regard to the urgent need of the Order of Malta in Castlebar to demolish and rebuild its headquarters. It has submitted a funding request of €500,000. This group has been serving the community in Castlebar for the past 80 years. Securing this funding would enable the order to hold more events, enhance its training facilities, maintain the highest standards possible and ensure its ambulances and critical equipment are available at all times, even during peak times.
Other projects which have been shortlisted include the renovation of Kilmaine's community centre. This very active community is seeking €125,000 to fund the upgrade of these facilities. I understand the Minister cannot make any commitment tonight but I urge her to consider the invaluable contributions of these communities when allocating funding to projects. Her support would be greatly appreciated.
I understand Deputy Griffin is taking Question No. 37 on behalf of Deputy Alan Farrell.
Yes, I am substituting for Deputy Farrell. I thank the Minister for what she has done to date, including on the local improvement schemes. She has somehow found money and pumped it into the town and village renewal scheme, which is very important. I remember that in my time in the House between 2011 and 2016 one could not get a penny for anything like this. There was not even a remote chance of getting the type of funding that is now available.
In the summer, I looked at the broad range of criteria for the 2023 town and village renewal scheme. The Department has shown great initiative with regard to the number of projects and ideas which can be covered by the scheme. I want the Minister to ensure that as many projects as possible go through. Perhaps she can find additional funding to do that. We also need to ensure progress is made as quickly as possible on the schemes that have been announced previously. Some local authorities are better than others at progressing projects once the allocations have been made, while others are somewhat on the tardy side. We need to ensure people on the ground start to see the tangible benefits of this scheme as quickly as possible once the allocations have been made.
The closing date for the town and village renewal scheme was only last Friday. The Deputy is not letting any grass grow under his feet; he is in there already. My Department has received an application from the Order of Malta in Mayo for, I understand, around €475,000 to restore and renovate the order's headquarters in Castlebar. Obviously, those applications will have to be assessed. I expect it will be around March 2024 before decisions are taken because there are many applications to assess, as the Deputy will appreciate. I am generally very supportive of the Order of Malta because it does wonderful work on the ground. In recent years, my Department provided funding of €567,000 to the order nationwide to enable it to purchase vehicles. In Mayo, specifically, it received two grants of €50,000, in 2018 and 2020, respectively, to support it in purchasing two ambulances.
With regard to the Minister's support, last year another €1.1 million was delivered for seven projects under the Mayo town and village renewal scheme. I vividly recall the Minister visiting the old courthouse building in Balla with me during her visit to the Connacht Gaelic Athletic Association centre of excellence in the county where a big dome was delivered under the rural regeneration and development fund. There has been a sprinkle of projects delivered in all parts of Mayo and that has to be appreciated and acknowledged.
The development of the old courthouse is progressing in Balla and there is also an application for some solar panels as part of the refurbishment of the community centre. I believe an allocation of in the region of €100,000 is being sought for that project. The application has been progressed through the town's community resource development committee.
I commend Mayo County Council on its preparation of these applications and its work with the community. I know it is a competitive process and the evaluation will take a number of weeks, but I am hopeful that Mayo will have its fair share in 2024.
I hope there will be a few bob left over for Kerry after Mayo gets sorted out because covering all of those projects could blow the whole budget.
The importance of this scheme cannot overstated given that it would just not be possible otherwise to generate this type of finance in the towns and villages that benefit from it. Some relatively small villages are included and this investment can have a transformative effect in terms of the opportunities it provides in villages and towns. It is very much a catalyst for further development. It changes the mindset in a locality when investment led by the State and Government, both at local and national level, is targeted. It is very important that the Minister make the announcements as early as possible in the new year, in the first quarter if she can, because it will lead to further development and private investment, which will benefit everybody.
I agree that the town and village renewal scheme is excellent.
I sent the Minister Carlow County Council's one last weekend. Six projects went in. I hope she will deliver on the six of them because we are talking about rural areas. Like the previous speakers, I have my list. I gave her the six. I am afraid to single out any one in case one does not get funding. I am looking for the six of them to get the funding. I have sent them to the Minister. They are really important because in little villages like Carlow, it brings back life into certain areas and that is what we need to do.
I ask the Minister about something she mentioned earlier on but I missed it. I know it is within her remit. I refer to Carlow library. I have been onto her about it for the past few months. It is under her remit and she has been down to visit it. We need that new build and I am looking for a commitment from her. I am looking for the funding to come to County Carlow and I would appreciate it.
Competing demands for the Minister.
I will be like the Minister with the loaves and fishes but we will do our best. This town and village renewal scheme really is working well. I remember when it started in 2016, we started by fixing the footpaths but we have really moved on now. We have all that and the public realm piece sorted. Now we are looking at the buildings and at converting old buildings. For example, in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, a former bakery was purchased for €270,000. Under the scheme in 2023, an application of €495,000 for the renovation of the building was received. The building is to comprise of meeting and workshop space for groups such as Active Age for All, faith and community groups, and it is also going to look after a space for the youth. There are loads of things happening. That is only one example. I could give loads of examples across the country. I was in Balla and it got €120,000 under the town and village scheme last year. I know they are doing a lot of work there. County Mayo will get its fair share, County Carlow will get its fair share, and so will County Kerry. They will all get their fair share.
County Kildare as well.
If they do not get it under that scheme, there is another, which only opened last Friday, and that is the rural regeneration development fund. Deputy Murnane O'Connor that she should consider that fund for a new library because I opened a beautiful library in Castleblaney last Friday. It would do your heart good to see it because there was an old building there. There was ivy and trees growing out of it and it was in the middle of the town. Deputies should see it now. It is absolutely transformed. That is what we are about. It is about repurposing old buildings in the centre of towns.
Imagine, I gave the Minister nearly a minute extra and she did not mention Waterford at all.
I was down in Waterford with the Acting Chair too.
