Written Answers Nos. 625-639
628. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his attention has been drawn to the case of apprentices (details supplied); whether he will take steps to ensure off-the-job training will be arranged in SETU Carlow as soon as possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53857/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for raising this matter with me, given the strong focus I have consistently placed on promoting apprenticeships as valuable employment and training opportunities. I am happy to confirm that the following arrangements have been made for this programme:
- two classes of phase 4 training are scheduled to start in January 2024 in SETU Carlow catering for 32 apprentices.
- four classes of phase 6 training are provisionally scheduled for April 2024, also to take place in SETU Carlow, catering for 48 apprentices.
Furthermore, once these apprentices have completed their phase 6 training, they will eligible to be fast-tracked to the completion of their programme.
629. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of apprenticeship programmes operating in the State; the number that have experienced delays in arranging off-the-job training in education centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53858/23]
View answerThere are currently 73 apprenticeship programmes in Ireland: 25 craft 48 consortia-led.I am aware that many craft apprentices are experiencing delays accessing their first period of off-the-job training (Phase 2). These waiting times reflect the strong growth in registrations for craft apprenticeship in a demand-led system, where employers in a buoyant construction sector in particular are continuing to recruit strongly to meet their skills needs.
Work is underway to right-size system capacity to better match this demand. In addition, an accelerated on-the-job process to reduce time gaps between training phases and to assist with progression is being implemented. It is a priority to further grow capacity to ensure apprentices are trained within their minimum time period.
This is reflected in the prioritisation of apprenticeship in the recent Estimates 2024 process within my Department, which secured an additional €67 million in funding for the system, and on the dedicated response being implemented to address the craft training backlogs. To oversee this response, my officials chair an Apprenticeship Capacity Oversight Group. Membership also includes the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO), SOLAS and ETB and staff representatives.
SOLAS and the NAO are leading on the measures which will be/are being delivered to reduce the backlogs. The overall aim is to increase capacity within the system to efficiently respond to the demand for skills across the economy, and most especially those skills which address the priority housing and climate action areas.
The following deliverables for 2024 will reduce the backlogs:
• increase the capacity of the ETBs to provide a significant increase in places across training centres
• a temporary delivery of extra phase 2 places through higher education institutions
• a temporary delivery of extra phase 2 places through two colleges in Northern Ireland.
• partnership with employers who have in-house training facilities which will be utilised on a temporary basis
Delivery of these options will be driven by new forecasting and monitoring arrangements being put in place and supported by the Oversight Group.
630. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed to ascertain whether assistance will be provided to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53898/23]
View answerMy Department does not have any remit for TUSLA.
However, officials from my Department have contacted the administrators of the HEAR scheme for clarification on the criteria and I am advised that the only way to qualify as a person in care, is if you have a letter from TUSLA.
I would, however, suggest that the student in question should contact the Access office of the college they wish to attend to discuss all the options that may be available to apply for the HEAR scheme. Details are available on the accesscollege.ie website, Participating Colleges - Access College. For example if this student were to apply under the income from their Guardian there may be allowances to disregard certain payments and this may be something that the student can also explore.
631. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the successful CLÁR measure 1 applicants will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53181/23]
View answerThe CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported over 2,250 projects with funding of over €65.7 million. This funding is making a real difference in many of our smaller and more remote communities.
I launched the 2023 programme in March this year. Measure 1 of the programme will support the development of community facilities and amenities including sports facilities, youth clubs, playgrounds, sensory gardens and walking tracks. For the first time, the programme this year offers funding to carry out improvements to spectator stands at local GAA and other sports clubs.
I was pleased earlier this year to announce the approval of funding of over €2 million for 37 projects under measure 2 of the CLÁR programme.
Last week I announced funding of over €4.7 million for the first tranche of 113 projects under measure 1 of CLÁR, focussing on sports infrastructure initiatives. I plan to announce additional approvals under measure 1 and under measure 3 “Our Islands” in the coming days.
632. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will set out the supports and grant aid her Department can provide in respect of establishing and-or reinstating market spaces in counties that do not have a town with city status. [53192/23]
View answerThe Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was launched in 2016 and since then over €156 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects. The 2023 Scheme, launched on 21 July 2023 with an overall fund of €15 million, places particular emphasis on projects that bring economic and social vibrancy to town centres and which will encourage more people to return to town and village centres to work, shop and socialise. As committed under Our Rural Future, Ireland's rural development policy, and in line with the Town Centre First Policy, TVRS priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and to encourage people back to living in our rural towns and villages. The 2023 scheme included a focus on town or village centre markets such as farmers markets, open-air markets, local trader markets, artisan markets or similar. Applications for grant funding for the provision of infrastructure to support the facilitation of these outdoor markets including public realm works, service provisions and canopies were welcomed. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is administered through local authorities, who work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact on rural towns and villages. The closing date for receipt of applications was 10th November 2023. All applications received by the Department are assessed as part of a competitive process and I will announce the successful applicants under the scheme in 2024.
633. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the current progress and eventual timeline for the provision of an extension for Carlow Library (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53194/23]
View answerThe provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Accordingly, the provision of an extension to Carlow County Library is a matter for Carlow County Council.
However, I am aware that the refurbishment of the Presentation Building is classified as Priority Level 1 in the Carlow County Council Multi Annual Capital Programme 2023 – 2025, subject to funding.
The project is currently being progressed through my Department’s Four Stage Capital Management Process to ensure that it complies with the Public Library Standards and Benchmarks which guide the development of the public library service. My Department issued Stage 3 Approval for this project on the 17th August 2022 which permits Carlow County Council to proceed to publish a tender for the works in accordance with the Capital Works Management Framework. I am advised by Carlow County Council that the tender will issue once funding is secured for the project.
In April of this year, my Department invited all Local Authorities to submit proposals for the development of public library infrastructure, facilities and mobile library vehicles under the Libraries Capital Programme 2023-2027. Carlow County Council submitted a proposal for a project that included refurbishment and conservation works on the Presentation Building and also the addition of a modern extension.
My Department is currently assessing and scoring proposals received, and I look forward to announcing details of the projects that have been approved for funding under the Libraries Capital Programme in early 2024.
634. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of a project (details supplied); if the formal review has been completed as part of the CLÁR programme appeals procedure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53198/23]
View answerThe 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 project referred to by the Deputy was approved funding of €20,000 under the 2019 CLÁR Programme. A claim for payment in respect of this project was subject to pre-payment inspection. As part of that process and following engagement with the local authority, a letter of findings was issued to the local authority in January 2022. This included a determination of ineligible funding of over €18,000 for works completed that were not part of the approved application. My Department was not notified of any changes to the project prior to the inspection. The local authority appealed the decision on the ineligible funding. However, the Inspector's decision was upheld by the appeals board. A letter was sent to Mayo County Council in March 2022 informing them of the appeal decision.
An amount of €1,436.69 was drawn down on this project in 2022.
635. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the plans for the provision of a community hub in Carlow on the Tullow Road (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53205/23]
View answerUnder the 2022 Community Centre Investment Fund, over €45.8 million has been committed to the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres across Ireland through this fund. Following on from this, I wanted to assist community groups striving to build their own community centre to service local needs, so this year the focus of the Community Centres Investment Fund has moved to new builds. In March, I announced a €20 million Fund to support communities with ‘shovel-ready’ projects on green or brownfield sites to build new community centres. This Fund will target areas which do not have an appropriate facility to meet the needs of their area. The deadline for receipt of applications was 3rd July and the assessment process is ongoing. I can confirm that Carlow County Council has submitted an application in relation to the Tullow Road project referred to by the Deputy, with €4,135,178 being sought from the fund. All of the applications are currently being assessed by my Department and it is expected that the successful projects will be announced in quarter one 2024.
636. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if community facilities can still apply for inclusion on the “Wifi4EU” scheme; and, if so, if a group (details supplied) can make an application. [53246/23]
View answerWiFi4EU is an initiative funded by the European Commission and co-funded in Ireland by my Department. The initiative aims to support the development of wireless broadband by providing a high-quality internet service, free of charge, in public spaces such as main streets, public parks, libraries, museums, and other public areas of high footfall.
Under the WiFi4EU scheme, local authorities applied through a competitive process to secure vouchers worth €15,000 each to install Wi-Fi hotspots within their municipalities.
Ireland’s local authorities could apply for up to 4 vouchers each throughout the lifetime of the initiative. Local authorities must install a minimum of 10 access points per voucher. Depending on the location chosen, one or more access point may be required in that location.
Our local authorities have secured 114 vouchers out of a maximum of 124 vouchers available, which makes Ireland one of the most successful countries to take part in the scheme. 30 of the 31 local authorities secured vouchers under the scheme.
My Department provided co-funding of up to €15,000 for each voucher secured by the local authorities, effectively doubling the value of the investment.
To date, my Department has provided total funding of €1,259,411 to support this initiative.
The Wifi4EU voucher was a payment to cover the infrastructure and installation costs of Wi-Fi hotspots meeting the requirements defined in the EU call text and the Grant Agreement signed with the selected municipalities. The EU Commission granted an extension to implementation deadline for some local authorities until February 2023, but the application period has now closed. The EU Commission has not announced a new tranche of the programme.
637. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when a 2022 community and voluntary sector energy support scheme grant will issue to a community group in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53335/23]
View answerMy Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country, and in doing so to deliver on a wide range of strategic interventions, funding programmes and policies to support urban and rural communities. In 2019, my Department published Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities - A five year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector in Ireland 2019-2024. The strategy reaffirms the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector. The Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS), administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, provided one-off energy supports to organisations within the community and voluntary sector which fell outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by Government.
Pobal's records indicate that the organisation in question was awarded €528 under the fund, with payment issuing on 1st March 2023. The organisation may contact the relevant section in Pobal at the following email address, if they wish to verify the payment details: energyscheme@pobal.ie
638. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide details of the amount of funding available in the Ireland for Ukraine fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53437/23]
View answerThe charity fundraising campaign called ‘Ireland for Ukraine’ was established by a coalition of media outlets including RTÉ, Virgin Media Television, TG4, Sky and many others, as a collective effort to raise funds to support the humanitarian response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Community Foundation for Ireland is the charity partner for the fundraising appeal and it is a stand-alone, ring fenced fund.
The campaign raised over €7m in support of Irish emergency aid agencies, local charities and organisations providing assistance to arrivals from Ukraine.
My Department allocated €5 million to the Ireland for Ukraine Fund in June 2022. Grants were provided to four international partners working on the ground in Ukraine and elsewhere in eastern Europe - the Irish Red Cross, Trócaire, UNICEF and Concern. An open-call grant round of funding was also allocated to over 100 community organisations and charities based in Ireland who are responding to the arrival of people from Ukraine. The closing date for applications for this funding was 30 June 2022, with payments made to successful applicants in September and October 2022.
639. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to give consideration to an issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53438/23]
View answerWhile I cannot comment specifically on Community Childcare Centres, I am aware more generally of the challenges faced by community and voluntary groups and organisations around recruiting and retaining volunteers.
In publishing the National Volunteering Strategy 2021-2025, Government has acknowledged the importance of volunteering to the well-being of the nation, and has set out a plan for the delivery of an agreed and ambitious vision. The Strategy, which I launched in December 2020, is a whole-of-government framework to support the voluntary sector, the purpose of which is to recognise, support and promote the unique value and contribution of volunteers to Irish society.
It is a five-year strategy comprising a suite of policy and strategic initiatives, led by my Department, to support volunteers, their representative groups and a range of not-for-profit organisations in community development, local development, social enterprise, and community and voluntary sectors. The five strategic objectives in the Strategy, and their 56 associated actions, were developed based on extensive consultation and collaboration with stakeholders. My Department is continuing to work to ensure that co-operation with our stakeholders will carry on throughout its lifetime.
The actions set out in the Strategy are focused on the need to invest in volunteering and to work towards addressing the significant challenges around recruitment, training and supporting those who want to volunteer, to ensure that our communities continue to derive the significant benefits from volunteering activities. As part of our progress in implementing the Strategy, my Department is investing in initiatives aimed at encouraging further diversity, innovation and creativity in how and where people volunteer. The Strategy aims to ensure that anyone who wants to volunteer can do so and that we create the supporting environment for this to happen.
