Written Answers Nos. 602-609
603. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to indicate her intentions for the current year in respect of the LEADER programme; whether she intends to introduce any modifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4290/24]
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 2023-2027 LEADER Programme is broadly in line with the 2014-2022 Programme that is coming to a close at present. The emphasis of the 2023-2027 Programme will be the continued development of the rural economy including an increased focus on supporting female entrepreneurs in rural communities. In addition, there will be a strong focus on building the capacity of marginalised and new communities particularly in areas that have not benefited from LEADER financial support in the past. Support in the area of climate mitigation and adaptation measures will also be key areas to be addressed by the Local Action Groups.
The process to select the Local Action Groups to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER Programme is ongoing at present, with the selection complete in 18 sub-regional areas to date. Applicant groups will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in their sub-regional area once it is completed. Once a Local Action Group is approved it can commence the delivery of the programme in their area. The Kildare Local Community Development Committee has been selected to deliver the 2023-2027 Programme in partnership with County Kildare LEADER Partnership and Kildare County Council in the Kildare sub-regional area.
Strategies in the sub-regional areas where the process is not yet finalised are being considered by the Independent Selection Committee (ISC) with a view to completing the selection of the remaining LAGs in a timely manner. While the process to select the LAGs is ongoing at the moment it should be noted that those bodies engaged in delivering the 2014-2020 LEADER programme will continue to do so in 2024 until the completion of that 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.
604. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline her ambitions for the community enhancement programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4291/24]
View answerLast December, I was delighted to launch the 2024 Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) which replaces my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme, with capital funding of €6 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. A key feature of the Local Enhancement Programme is that it is targeted to the specific challenges facing local community groups and delivers immediate, tangible supports where they are needed most.
In general, support under the Local Enhancement Programme is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s and Women’s Sheds. The Local Enhancement Programme will provide capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas.
There will be a particular focus on small capital works/improvements, and the purchase of equipment for community use. The funding may be used, but is not limited to; improved access for persons with a disability; enhancing community participation for disadvantaged and marginalised groups, and improving energy efficiency of community facilities to reduce ongoing costs.
The Local Enhancement Programme is administered on behalf of my Department locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. The relevant LCDC receive and appraise applications, making determinations on how the funding can best support their communities. Details of successful projects under the 2024 Local Enhancement Programme will be published on my Department’s website www.gov.ie/drcd in quarter 2 of 2024.
Since 2018, my Department has allocated €58.9 million in funding under the Community Enhancement Programme and its iterations, and I have seen first-hand how these small grants make a big difference for local community groups. The feedback from community groups and from the LCDCs is very positive, and as these grants deliver immediate, targeted funding support that can be used against a range of costs, they are making a real impact on the ground in communities across the country.
I look forward to continuing to deliver meaningful supports like the Local Enhancement Programme to local communities as we support them to respond to the challenges they face.
606. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline her ambitions to support the rural road network under the LIS schemes throughout County Kildare and the country in the current year and in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4293/24]
View answerThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. The scheme makes an important contribution to connectivity in rural Ireland. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the scheme is funded into the future.
The scheme was re-introduced in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. Between 2017 and 2023, my Department has allocated almost €130 million towards improvement works on over 4,000 non-public roads and lanes. These works have benefitted over 20,000 landowners and residents in rural Ireland.
In 2023 alone, almost €30 million in funding was allocated to local authorities across the country - a record investment in this scheme. This demonstrates my commitment to ensuring LIS is funded into the future.
A total of €304,736 was provided to Kildare County Council in 2023. Kildare County Council did not avail of a second round of funding announced in July 2023.
A total of €13.55 million has been allocated to LIS in 2024, an increase of €1 million on the initial funding in 2023. I hope to announce the details of the scheme shortly. My officials will be in contact with local authorities regarding the 2024 scheme as soon as it is announced.
607. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the extent to which she hopes to continue to support recreational walk schemes throughout the country and in County Kildare over the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4294/24]
View answerThe Walks Scheme, which is funded by my Department, contracts landholders to undertake maintenance work on National Waymarked Ways and other priority trails that traverse their lands. The landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken in line with agreed work plans. In addition, my Department’s Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of amenities such as walking trails.
There is already approval in principle in place for 80 trails to be part of the Walks Scheme. Currently 69 of these trails are formally on the scheme. Work is ongoing by the Local Development Companies, who deliver the Walks Scheme locally, to bring the remaining trails onto the scheme as soon as possible.
A key action in Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027 is to expand the Walks Scheme from 80 trails to 150. In response to this action, in February 2023, I announced a call for expressions of interest for new trails to join the Scheme. The closing date for receipt of applications was 20 October 2023 . Under this call 63 expressions of interest were received. However, no expression of interest was received in respect of trails in County Kildare. All applications have been considered and I expect to be in a position to announce details of the new trails that will join the scheme shortly.
Trails that are eligible for inclusion in the Walks Scheme are those that are registered on Sport Ireland’s trail register. All trails for Co. Kildare currently registered with Sport Ireland are managed by Coillte or Waterways Ireland, and are therefore not eligible under the Walks Scheme as it is aimed at private landholders.
There may be other walking trails in Co. Kildare which run through private lands that are not included on Sport Ireland’s trail register. In order to be considered under the Walks Scheme, the Community Trail Management Organisation or Local Development Company should engage with Sport Ireland Outdoors to register a trail. Further information can be found on the Sport Ireland website.
608. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to encourage the build-up of state-of-the-art technology hubs at convenient locations throughout the country to enable many enterprises to have the benefits of an office setting without the necessity of travel to more distant locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4295/24]
View answerOur Rural Future recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing an integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. There are already 342 hubs on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform. This number continues to grow and is on track to meet our commitment.
The initial focus of the Connected Hubs initiative was on establishing the network of hubs, achieving an initial critical mass and on raising awareness to relevant stakeholders, including SMEs/business owners,. This was underpinned by significant levels of investment by my Department through the range of schemes included in the Rural Development Investment Programme.
I am now focused on the next stage of development of the network. To this end my Department is currently leading, with colleagues from the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment and in consultation with hub managers, local authorities and communities, and with other stakeholders, on the formulation of a National Hub Strategy which I intend to bring to Government this year.
The Strategy will inform the future strategic direction of the National Hub Network and ensure the strategic development and sustainability of Ireland’s Hub Infrastructure.
I have always been clear 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. Hubs, whether enterprise or community focused, draw employers and employees to areas of innovation and opportunity.
I am pleased to say that the Connected Hubs team have, for some time, been developing a corporate service to engage with and support enterprises interested in using our nationwide Network to accommodate their employees, but also to gain access to the vast pool of talent that Ireland has to offer, whether those talented people live in our cities, towns, villages or rural parishes. I believe that this work represents significant opportunities for employers of all sizes to leverage the National Hub Network directly.
I am a firm believer that remote working has been a game changer for rural Ireland, bringing new vitality and economic activity to our towns and villages. I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network initiative 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.
