Vol. 1048 No. 6
73. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development how much financial support has been provided by her Department to community and voluntary groups and sporting organisations in Cork in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4013/24]
Will the Minister of State set out in detail a breakdown of moneys provided by the Department to community and voluntary groups and sporting organisations in Cork in 2023?
During 2023 more than €16.5 million was allocated to Cork city and county through the schemes administered by my Department, such as the rural regeneration and development fund; the LEADER Programme; the town and village renewal scheme; the community centre investment fund; the community services programme; and the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, programme. Since 2020, more than €110 million has been allocated to Cork by the Department, across the range of schemes it operates.
Community groups can apply for funding across many of the programmes in place, with the LEADER Programme, the town and village renewal scheme and the community centre investment fund being of particular relevance. I would also note that the community services programme is an important support for many such organisations, both in Cork and nationally.
For sporting organisations, while the main source of funding is through Sport Ireland and its parent Department, the Department provides important supports through the CLÁR programme and the community enhancement programme.
Through CLÁR in 2023, Cork received funding for three projects totalling almost €110,000 under the measure for sports clubs announced in December. A further 11 projects, totalling more than €455,000, were successful under the measure in CLÁR 2023 for community projects, which the Minister announced earlier this month. This included support for community sport and recreation facilities.
We also announced €6 million in funding for the local enhancement programme at the end of last year, and that scheme is currently open for calls though the local authority. Together, Cork city and county were allocated €270,000, with almost €80,000 of that ring-fenced to support women's groups.
In addition, under the community recognition fund in 2023, €1.16 million was allocated to Cork City Council and €2.3 million to Cork County Council. Budget 2024 provides the Department with a gross allocation of €431 million. This significant level of funding will ensure investment throughout the country, including in County Cork, will continue this year.
I very much welcome all of the grants that were announced last year. I hope the same will be provided again this year. In fairness, when moneys are provided to community organisations, they use the funding very effectively and deliver very good services. One of the areas that needs some focus is new communities where there is a huge growth in housing. We are not doing enough forward planning when developments go through the planning process to put facilities in place and to identify a suitable location. Could there be far more co-ordination between Departments and local authorities on forward planning for community facilities? I have two such areas in my constituency. Even though I have a big rural area, I also have a big urban area – Glanmire and Blarney. They are two areas where there is a real need for the development of sporting and community facilities. Without these facilities, we cannot provide the space for young people and older people in particular. I ask that there would be co-ordination in that whole area.
I want to ask about the many new developments being built around the country. There are a lot of houses going up but there is very little forward planning with regard to resources such as community facilities and playing fields. It is very expensive for clubs to purchase land. Perhaps it is something the Minister of State would have a look at and consider with his Government colleagues.
This issue has come up before. I am not passing the buck, but when a local authority approves a housing development, it needs to, and it is now within the guidelines and part of good practice that it should, facilitate space and infrastructure for a community hall and playing facilities and pitches. That is not always easy to do, but that is where it starts and that is where the line of responsibility begins. Through a variety of schemes, including the community centre investment fund, the local enhancement project, the RRDF and the URDF in another Department, and sports capital grants in another Department, central government is assisting in situations like that. When starting a development from scratch, it needs to be planned properly. Central government can help with that, but the initial plan for the housing development needs to be up to scratch and cognisant of the fact the needs of a community are wider than simply housing.
I very much welcome the Minister of State's response. It is not a criticism of the Department; it is just about the need for joined-up thinking. In that regard, I have a situation in Glanmire, for instance, where a total of 30 acres has been lying idle for ten years because it is owned by one organisation, which has not commenced any development yet it is not prepared to hand it back, whereas other organisations do not have the space. There needs to be engagement to make sure the land is made available because of the number of young people in the area – well over 1,500 young people in a secondary school alone, and at least another 1,500 if not 1,800 young people in primary schools. We have land that has the capacity to be developed but it has been idle for the past ten years with no proposals for its development. I have already been dealing with the Taoiseach on this matter, and the county council and the organisation itself. It is important that all relevant Departments are involved. It is time we had co-ordination between all of the organisations.
I will again mention the local authorities. If good proposals are brought to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and me for the development of projects that will help communities, we will certainly look at them. They will be rigorously analysed, assessed and evaluated. Big projects on substantial areas of land, as mentioned by the Deputy, need the backing of the local authority as well. We work well with local authorities to get projects like that off the ground and completed. We welcome good applications under the variety of schemes we run.
74. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the community centres investment fund; and if there is any scope to extend the scheme in the future. [4041/24]
78. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the 2023 community centre investment fund, particularly in relation to the application from the Ballymote community centre and regional hub. [1666/24]
98. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the community centres investment fund will reopen for applications in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4017/24]
101. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for an update on the community centres investment fund and if there is any scope to extend the scheme in the future. [3991/24]
This is something I raised again recently. I know Deputies are continually raising it. The previous funding scheme was welcome but many community organisations perhaps did not have things lined up in time or were not in a position to make the application, between land, funding and other issues. I regularly receive questions about when there will be another call and what it will look like.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 78, 98 and 101 together.
I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages throughout the country. This Government recognises the important role these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events. As the Deputies are no doubt aware, I have prioritised the development and enhancement of community centres to improve access and provide suitable places for social gatherings in communities.
With this in mind, my Department has developed an extensive range of funding streams that are available to support communities and community facilities. This integrated programme of supports for the development and refurbishment of community centres across schemes includes the CLÁR programme, the LEADER programme, the town and village renewal scheme and, of course, the new community centres investment fund.
Under the 2022 community centre investment fund in particular, more than €45.8 million was committed for the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres. There was a huge uptake of this funding and more than 860 different projects are seeing improvements to the fabric of their community centres as a result of this Government initiative.
I understand that in excess of 140 of these projects are now complete and great progress is being made on the remaining approvals. In November I had the pleasure of attending one of the recipients of funding under the 2022 refurbishment allocation when I officially launched the first ever Irish Sign Language café and community inclusion atrium space in Cabra. While this project delivered structural improvements and enhancements to the building itself, the benefits go well beyond that. This project aims to support better employment opportunities for the local community. It is upskilling the community in Irish Sign Language and breaking down the barriers between the deaf and hearing communities. It was a very worthwhile investment of €100,000.
In recent years, we have all come to appreciate our community facilities even more. I look forward to seeing many more of these very worthy projects opening their doors to the wider community in the coming months and witnessing at first hand the difference that can be made from a social inclusion perspective by making greater use of our community centres.
Following on from this investment, I wanted to assist community groups that are striving to build their own community centre to service their local needs. That is why, in 2023, the focus of the community centres investment fund moved to new builds. Last year, I announced a €20 million fund to support communities with shovel-ready projects on greenfield or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. These shovel-ready projects have all the necessary planning and consents secured so they are already at an advanced stage and ready to commence following a tender process. This fund targets areas without an appropriate facility to meet their community's needs.
The scheme for new builds was open to applicants in both urban and rural communities. The minimum grant available was €1 million, with the maximum being €6 million. As the grant funding is substantial, and for the purposes of compliance with public financial procedures, the lead party to an application must be a State-funded body, for example, a local authority, a local development company, or a State agency.
The deadline for receipt of applications for the new-build measures has now passed. I was very pleased with the response to this initiative. In total, 22 applications for new-build community centres were received by my Department, including one in respect of Ballymote, as referenced by Deputy Harkin. The assessment of these applications is almost complete. I expect to announce the successful projects shortly. I was very impressed with the quality of many of the applications submitted. I know that this announcement is eagerly anticipated in these communities and the successful projects will no doubt make a big impact in their respective areas. With regard to extending the scheme further this year, I would like to see the current round of funding finalised and the majority of the projects completed and in use by their communities. I will, of course, give consideration to the need for further rounds of funding and any conditions that might be attached to any further iterations of the scheme in the context of available funding.
My Department is committed to building vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities. The moneys provided under the community centre investment fund will serve the communities involved for many years to come. I encourage people to make full use of their community centres. They are a wonderful asset and should be fully utilised.
That is all very good news. I am sure lots of organisations will be anxiously awaiting the outcome of that process. What the Minister said is very positive but it is slightly different from the information I sought. Perhaps what she said answered other Deputies' questions. When resources are limited, it makes sense to prioritise shovel-ready projects. For organisations that are not ready, it takes time, effort and money to get ready. To get to that point, they want to have confidence that if they spend the money and make the necessary preparations, there will be a fund. None of these organisations expects anything overnight or miracles. They would like a sense of when another round might be forthcoming. When can the organisations that were not ready to go but that are looking to get to that point and have planning and funding lined up expect that the latter might happen? Will it happen in the lifetime of this Government or in the future?
As the Minister said, this is a substantial investment for shovel-ready projects. Ballymote was delighted that it was ready to go, as it were. The Minister knows from correspondence between our offices that I have been pushing for this, as I know some of my colleagues have as well. The committee is ambitious and the project, as I said, is shovel-ready. It has done huge work to get to where it is today. This project is a no-brainer, not just for Ballymote but also for the entire south Sligo area. As the Minister is aware, Ballymote has no suitable community centre despite a huge increase in population. Between 2002 and 2016, Ballymote had population growth of 60%, with 30% of its residents under the age of 18. It is the third-largest town in County Sligo, yet it has no proper community investment infrastructure.
I listened to the Minister's answer regarding funding that has already been approved, which is fantastic. I know the Minister was out in Hartstown. I will give an example of why it is important that we look at the next stream of funding now. The work in Hartstown is only starting now. It has taken two or three years to get to the stage where work will actually start. In the context of new communities, Tyrrelstown in my constituency has a community centre but the population will probably grow by at least 40% or 50% in the next few years. There is a huge population around Phoenix Park, Ongar has a massive community and the Hansfield strategic development zone does not have a community facility at all. When we start planning, it is important that people that know a new funding stream will come along because this will mean that they can have the confidence to carry out preparatory work.
I, too, welcome this. It is important for communities. I have spoken to the Minister several times about Carlow County Council's submission of an application regarding the Tullow Road community hub. The cost is estimated at €4.1 million, which has been requested. The project is shovel-ready. The Tullow Road in Carlow has a lot of housing but there are not many facilities there. This community hub would play a huge role for the people who live there. I ask that we be one of the successful candidates. I know the Minister will give us the good news shortly. I hope we will be one of the projects chosen. Anything to do with community and the work that goes on is great. These community hubs are great for the areas in which they are located. I hope Carlow will be lucky.
I would say the Deputy has her shovel ready.
Carlow is shovel-ready.
I recognise that these programmes are visionary and have made a massive difference to the communities in which they are located. Are there plans to carry out an audit of communities that have nothing, neither old community centres that can be renovated nor shovel-ready projects? They start, as I think colleagues said, from a low place when they have no place at all. I am aware of a number in my area that have no community centre or building that could be renovated. Will the Minister consider carrying out an audit to give these people the leg up they need to get started?
I will try to answer as many questions as I can. The Department has already allocated €45.8 million and another €20 million to new community centres. In total, that is €65.8 million, a considerable amount. This is a completely new fund. We did not have it before. I have been very passionate about supporting our communities and community centres. Deputies will be aware of the sports capital programme, which is very popular and successful. When I was appointed Minister in 2020, it was a priority of mine, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, to put a similar fund in place for community centres. The €45 million has supported 300 community centres. Grants ranging from €25,000 to €300,000 help communities to upgrade centres, put in new roofs and mainly put in new heating to make the centres more efficient and cheaper to run. They were aimed at existing community centres. Now, the new community centres are coming. I heard Deputy Harkin speak about Ballymote, which is in the mix along with Tullow Road, as mentioned by Deputy Murnane O'Connor. They are all good projects. I have not received a report from the officials who are assessing them at the moment. It is popular. I will make the case for more money at budget time for more community centres. I know how important they are.
Deputy Stanton asked about an audit. This has to be from the bottom up. Local communities who have nothing should engage with their local authorities and bringing it forward. That is the best way to do it. Sometimes, audits do not get the right information.
I agree. This is a good initiative. It is important, and it is for bigger projects that are shovel-ready. Like Deputy Murnane O'Connor in the context of Tullow Road, I speak strongly in favour of Ballymote. A great thing is that it is supported by many community groups such as Ballymote Community Parks, Ballymote Community Council, Sligo LEADER, Ballymote parks project and Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education and Training Board. As the Minister said, the local authority is, of course, the lead partner. The Ballymote Family Resource Centre needs additional space. It does great work. It has promised to be the lead tenant if funding is received.
I heard the Minister speak about communities that do not have community investment and Ballymote is one of those places. Therefore, I ask, in the strongest possible way, for her very best support on this.
76. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration is being given to providing an enhanced or additional LIS package for areas, particularly in north Louth, that have been badly affected by recent flooding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4007/24]
I ask the Minister if consideration is being given to providing an enhanced or additional local improvement scheme package for areas, particularly in north Louth, that have been affected by recent flooding, and if she will make a statement on the matter. The Minister has visited the area and is aware of some of the issues. We will probably have time later to deal with some of that but the LIS will be needed to deal with some of the damage that is being done to those local lanes and whatever, and it is worse than the usual set of circumstances.
I thank Deputy Ó Murchú. The local improvement scheme 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 local improvement 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 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 areas. In 2023 alone, a record investment of almost €30 million was allocated to local authorities across the country. Some €422,764 was allocated to Louth County Council to complete works on its list of priority roads. I am glad to confirm that the allocation for the local improvement scheme in 2024 is €13.55 million, which is an increase of €1 million on the initial funding allocated in 2023. In the interests of giving local authorities the maximum amount of time to carry out works on eligible roads, I intend to announce the 2024 scheme imminently. My officials will be in contact with local authorities regarding the detail of the scheme as soon as it is announced.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I do not think anybody will complain about any moneys for the local improvement scheme; obviously the more the merrier. We are all aware of the necessary works that have been done and while local authorities will, in normal times, be able to prioritise, the problem with this is that the huge level of damage done by the recent flooding has impacted on a huge number of lanes that even the people who live on them may not have considered until now. As I say, in some instances we are talking about cases where there is nearly no road and no short-term mitigation or whatever is going to deal with that. We have already seen roads that at times were probably dealt with by the CIS where the local authority had no choice but to deal with those. Therefore, there is a particular anomaly here and we need to look at funding for those roads that are damaged by such freak scenarios as the recent flooding we had in north Louth.
I thank the Deputy. In fairness, Louth is one of those counties that does not have a big backlog on its LIS but I accept that the county certainly has an issue with storm damage. I have been up in County Louth myself, as the Deputy knows, out on the Cooley Peninsula, and I saw the scale of the damage that was done there. It is unbelievable when you see the water. It just came down the mountains and ripped up everything. It was terrible. I will be meeting with my officials shortly around LIS allocations for the year ahead and I know there is cross-party support on this because Senators McGahon and McGreehan have also raised this particular issue with me. I will certainly look at this and consider what we can do. If there is any flexibility we can provide, depending on the road in question, the local authority and indeed the Department of Transport may be able to assist as well. However, I do not think I have been found wanting in terms of the LIS. Anytime I had surplus money I have topped up the schemes because there are some counties with very long lists.
I appreciate that and welcome any flexibility there can be that would benefit Louth and particularly the Cooley Peninsula and the huge damage done. Louth County Council has done some short-term mitigation works. It has an application in at this point for €260,000. As regards the Department of Transport, there is an ask in of €1.6 million because of the huge damage that was done to the local road infrastructure and there are wider works that need to be done in mitigation and drainage, and that is before we even talk about the works that need to be done by Uisce Éireann and others in fixing the drainage system in Dundalk. The list needs to be looked at from the point of view of roads that are in a really bad state or, as I say, lanes for which people might not necessarily have looked for it otherwise. I am sure the Minister has heard as well that farmers in north County Louth are also looking for some sort of funding scheme for the damage they have to deal with-----
Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta. We are way over time.
-----and the moneys they may already have spent at this point. It is something I have brought up with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, a number of times.
I welcome the Minister's commitment to local areas that were badly damaged by the flooding, especially due to Storm Babet, and my own area of Midleton in east Cork which suffered more than most. In County Cork alone, the damage to the roads is over €60 million, including those to which the Minister refers. Therefore, any help at all that can be made available will be most welcome.
When it comes to the LIS, there are a lot of hungry mouths and unfortunately I have a limited pot of money available. The need for more money is regularly raised with me in this House. We have invested €100 million since 2017 and it has made a big impact. My Department is continuing to engage with my colleague, the Minister for Transport, regarding his Department contributing to a jointly-funded LIS so that we can further address the very high demand under the local improvement scheme, but I understand the difficulties people encounter whenever there is severe flooding like there was in Midleton and of course out there on the Cooley Peninsula where I was as well.
Regarding the farmers, that is something that has been raised and it relates to the Department of Agriculture. My Department has the humanitarian aid scheme from the Department of Social Protection that helps the household owners and then there is the business scheme from the Department of business. Again, I know some farmers were left in a difficult position.
77. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development what steps her Department is taking to tackle dereliction and vacancy in rural towns and villages. [3978/24]
The issues of dereliction is a blight upon many towns across the country and the moment. There are many cases where buildings are dangerous and are falling apart. There are other cases where those buildings are centres of antisocial behaviour, drug-taking and potentially fires as well. There are also cases where businesses are significantly devalued as a result of being next to vacant buildings destroying their towns.
How much money has been drawn down and spent by the Minister's Department in making sure that vacancy is transformed into use?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 79, 92 and 93 together.
The town centre first policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland that is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development.
A key aim of both town centre first and the Our Rural Future policy is addressing vacancy and dereliction and ensuring that the policies and schemes in place directly address and tackle these issues in our rural towns and villages. This complements other national policies such as Housing for All and the national planning framework, which also aim to tackle vacancy, achieve balanced regional development and support local communities. Central to the town centre first approach is the range of support funding in place, including my Department’s rural regeneration and development fund and the town and village renewal scheme.
I announced the fifth RRDF category 1 call for applications last November, with a focus on revitalising our rural towns and villages through planned and sustainable regeneration that will drive greater economic activity and footfall, address vacancy and dereliction and ensure the reuse of heritage and other existing buildings. The closing date for applications is Thursday, 8 February 2024. Applications must be submitted to my Department through local authorities.
The town and village renewal scheme was introduced in 2016 and is one of several measures in my Department designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of scheme, over €156 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects across Ireland and has supported towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. The 2023 scheme, which I launched on 21 July 2023 with an overall fund of €15 million, will support projects that address the issue of vacancy and dereliction. This will be achieved by supporting projects that focus on town centre regeneration, enhancing our streetscapes and bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as community multipurpose spaces through refurbishment and renovation. This scheme closed for applications on 10 November 2023 and the competitive assessment process is currently under way. I expect to be in a position to announce the successful projects by the end of quarter 1 of 2024. I look forward to seeing a range of high-quality proposals emerging from both of these schemes.
Additionally, under the town and village renewal scheme my Department has developed the building acquisition measure, supporting rural communities to transform run-down, derelict and vacant buildings and turn them into useful community facilities that will benefit generations to come. This measure directly supports local authorities to purchase vacant and derelict buildings for future development for community purposes.
Two weeks ago, I announced funding of over €4.5 million for the 2023 building acquisition measure that supported the purchase of 24 vacant and derelict buildings across the country. Supported projects include the purchase of former Garda stations, schools, post offices, restaurants, parish halls and vacant sites to be redeveloped into 21st-century use. I look forward to seeing these buildings being developed for community use in the coming months.
My Department also supports broader practical efforts to regenerate Irish towns. Together with the Department of housing, my Department has established a national town centre first office, hosted by the Local Government Management Association to drive forward town centre first, working closely with local authorities and central government. A national oversight and advisory group, which met most recently last Friday, steers the work of the national office. Furthermore, I am funding town regeneration officers in all eligible local authorities. Their job is to lead the implementation of town centre first in their area, working closely with vacant homes officers, animating communities to develop local visions for rural towns and supporting them to leverage funding from right across government.
My Department remains absolutely committed to addressing the issues of vacancy and dereliction in our rural towns and to the success of the town centre first policy to deliver on the goal of revitalising our rural towns and villages, making them better places in which to live, work, visit and invest.
I welcome these funds and schemes but they are tackling the symptoms of the problems. The problems themselves are not being tackled. Why are so many towns and villages in this country trending towards vacancy? Why is that the case? At the heart of that is an economic model that is basically making commuter and dormitory towns of these places, where they have become hollow husks and empty towns during the daytime, where people simply sleep at night. That is happening right across the country.
The State is pulling services out of these towns. The Minister closed a social welfare office in Castlepollard, for example, which obviously reduces the footfall in the town and reduces opportunities for businesses. Fine Gael opened a constituency office in the town. If the town got a swap of a social welfare office for a Fine Gael constituency office, I know what they would prefer. That is a particular issue there.
The Government itself also owns vast tracts of vacant properties. The HSE has a portfolio of 214 vacant properties. The OPW has a portfolio of 82 vacant properties. We need to get back to how we get enterprise and business developing in these towns in the first place so we do not have to treat the symptoms.
I thank the Minister for her response, which is commendable. Certainly, the recent investment of over €4.5 million nationally to tackle dereliction and vacancy in rural Ireland, including three projects in Mayo, is a testament to this commitment. The projects in Charlestown, Bellacorick and Louisburgh, which involved the repurposing of old and derelict buildings for community use, will certainly breathe fresh air into these rural towns and villages. The diversity of buildings being revitalised - we had a former Garda station, a post office and a parish hall - leads to that.
The recruitment of town regeneration officers and vacant homes officers is crucial to activating the funding across the rural regeneration development fund, the building acquisition measure and the town and village renewal scheme, for the better local authorities and those that are in some way behind the curve. In Mayo County Council, we have one of the highest dereliction and vacancy rates across the country. These officers are crucial. I ask that they are made compulsory in the local authorities and supported. I would like to see the benefits of how we are repopulating our rural areas that may have struggled in recent years. Certainly in towns and villages I have visited, such as-----
We are way over time, Deputy.
-----Balla with the creation of an economic hub and a remote working hub, these initiatives are certainly adding to re-energising rural Ireland.
I thank the Deputies. There is a lot of work being done right across government to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use. In the Department of Rural and Community Development, my focus is on utilising those buildings that are not really suitable for housing but can be converted for community use. Under the building acquisition measure, which was a new measure I introduced last year, we gave the funding to the local authorities to purchase the buildings that they identified with local groups so that they could convert them into community use. As I said, there are some buildings used as remote working hubs and enterprise spaces.
It is important to say that we live in a changing world. This idea that we are going to have high street shops in every town is changing. If there are young teenagers in one's house, or young people, one only has to look at the number of calls the DPD van or An Post makes with regard to online shopping.
We have to take cognisance of the fact things are changing. I want to bring more people back into communities through remote working and enterprise hubs. That in itself increases the footfall. We are working with the local authorities and the Town Centre First officers to achieve that.
Deputy Dillon proved my point in thanking the Government for giving refurbishment grants for a post office and a Garda station it closed. The point is the Government is closing key public services in these types of towns. Those buildings are becoming derelict and now the Government is coming back with a few bob to do up the windows and the roof a little bit. This is why so many of these towns are being emptied out. Yes, it is a changing world. The point is that the Government is a catalyst for the closure of a lot of the services in these towns in the first place.
Another point, and this is key, is that the Government is creating funds but making the criteria so challenging that drawdown is really difficult. The Minister for housing told me he created a grant for vacant properties to be refurbished. Over two and a half years, only €250,000 a year has been drawn down and 70 houses in total have been refurbished. Given there are 130,000 vacant homes in the country, it will take 3,300 years to refurbish them at that pace. There is no urgency in solving the problems with vacancy. The Minister's reply is simply a press statement announcing the allocation of a few million quid in order for the Government to be able to say on radio and television that it is doing its bit for rural Ireland. It is not enough by half.
From Deputy Tóibín's response, it seems he has no solutions and is just concerned with having a talking shop. The answers the Minister is providing are revitalising towns, making them more vibrant and building community spirit. The conversion of existing structures back into use is a welcome initiative and the evidence of it certainly can be seen on the ground. We have more people now living and working in rural Ireland than ever before. That is helping to create the more sustainable regional balance we require whereby people are able to live, raise a family and grow old in their communities. We have established connected working hubs, economic centres and community facilities right across rural communities. The synergy between initiatives and policies like remote working and economic hubs is commendable and really important. Investment in these schemes certainly is money well spent.
There has been massive investment right across the country. Deputy Dillon referred to projects in County Mayo. They include an allocation of €245,000 for Ballycastle and, in Balla, which I visited with him, €120,000 was given for upgrading the courthouse.
Deputy Tóibín should go around and see what is happening in his constituency. In Enfield, the fine community and enterprise hub received funding of €727,000. I have visited it.
I worked on its reopening.
Only a couple of weeks ago, also in Enfield, the old parish hall was purchased for €250,000 for the use of the community.
I worked on that too.
These allocations are making a huge difference. If the Deputy goes to Trim, he will see a fine library and cultural centre, which has had €4.47 million allocated to it.
I campaigned for that.
Deputy English was very busy making sure those projects advanced. He supported me in that but Deputy Tóibín votes against everything I try to do.
I campaigned for all three of those projects.
Deputy English supported me in trying to get the funding but Deputy Tóibín criticises me. All he comes in here to do is give out.
We are over time.
The Deputy is talking through his hat most of the time.
We will try to avoid personal comments. It is time to move on.
79. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her policy initiatives, if any, that strive to identify communities with no local community representative structure; the way she is supporting such communities to have a voice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3989/24]
I welcome the Government policy to reach down into the grassroots of communities and ask people their views when projects are being envisaged and moneys being spent. That is hugely important. When I spoke earlier about community centres, the Minister of State said they should engage with the local authorities, which is correct. Sometimes, there is no land available, it is difficult and people get frustrated. They might need a bit of help in those situations. Will the Minister of State comment on what is being done for areas where there are no community organisations at all? How can we encourage and support communities to develop a structure in order that what he is talking about can happen?
I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department’s mission is to promote rural and community development and support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. The underlying basis for all funding delivered through my Department's community development programmes is to enable communities to identify and address their own needs in this context. In effect, the objective is to empower communities to represent themselves and get involved in addressing the challenges they face.
The social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, is the Government's foremost social inclusion initiative. It is a national programme overseen by my Department that aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. Delivered in both rural and urban areas by local development companies, LDCs, the supports provided are based on needs identified at a local level.
As the Deputy will know, the new iteration of SICAP covering the period 2024 to 2028 has commenced. A key policy initiative of the new programme is to strengthen the role of SICAP in regard to pre-development work with communities. In contrast to SICAP 2018 to 2023, there is now a dedicated core area of work called community animation, which focuses on building capacity in community representative structures, establishing new community groups and social enterprises, and empowering communities to lead out on identifying their own needs.
In addition to SICAP, my Department also supports two other programmes that engage with particularly disadvantaged communities, that is, the community development programme and the empowering communities programme. In particular, the latter aims to enhance community access to key services and empower local communities to craft their own response to area-based poverty and the resulting consequences with the support of their local community development committees, LCDCs. My Department has overall responsibility for both the LCDCs and the public participation networks, PPNs. These are important structures at a local level with a range of responsibilities, including supporting the engagement of community organisations in decision-making.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am delighted with his portrayal of community animation, which is very visionary and forward-looking. How much funding is ring-fenced for community animation nationally? At a later stage, he might be able to give me a breakdown of how much is made available per county for community animation and local development companies. Community animation is a great idea but I would like more detail on it.
Will the Minister of State consider supporting organisations like community councils and Muintir na Tíre organisations around the country with grant aid to help them to deal with expenses they might have, including secretarial, legal and others? Many community councils are struggling to survive because of extra costs. The Minister of State might consider assisting them.
Decisions on particular allocations for the community animation aspect of SICAP are rolled out to the local development companies. Based on the need presenting to them, they will decide what level of worker should be involved. It is the individual community worker who is engaged under SICAP. The programme is responsive in that sense. There is no set, defined allocation by central government as to what sum goes to community animation. All the local development companies have their particular allocations for the length of the programme and, within that, they respond and make decisions based on local needs.
On expenses for groups like community councils and so on, we generally have an annual process for allocations. Last year, it was done through the local enhancement programme, previously called the community enhancement programme. Again, allocations are given to the local authorities and the latter - in this case, the LCDCs - make the decisions about who gets the small grants. This is the most direct way for us to support small groups like that with their operating costs.
When does the Minister of State expect to receive a report on the effectiveness of community animation from the local development companies he mentioned? Is there a template at Department level as to how the local development companies should carry out community animation? Will he take a personal interest in this and personally drive it forward across the State in order that areas in which there are no community organisation and leadership can be identified and be provided with the help and support he mentioned?
It is important to mention the PPNs in this regard. In many respects, they are the most comprehensive network of community and voluntary organisations around the country.
We fund their support workers as well to build their own capacity. I do not want to leave the PPNs out of this discussion because they are playing a key role. I also do not want to leave out the empowering communities programme either. It is a smaller programme, which contains 14 projects at the moment. We hope to expand it a little bit this year. It is specifically based on those small areas around the country that are literally the poorest. We have used the Pobal deprivation index to identify them.
There will be other communities, particularly new ones where new estates have started up where there may not necessarily be a representative community council. However, those that are not the poorest tend to be able to self organise more quickly, in my experience.
Our SICAP, PPNs and ECP programmes are particularly focused on those communities that are more deprived in terms of the Pobal deprivation index. We get an annual report on SICAP performance is another answer to the question.
81. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce successful projects under the outdoor recreation infrastructure fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2749/24]
This question relates to the successful projects under the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme. We know how important these projects are to local communities. When does the Minister expect to make an announcement on these?
The outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, ORIS, is funded by my Department under the document, Our Rural Future. The scheme provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways and other amenities at our rivers, beaches, lakes and forests.
Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, funding of almost €109 million has supported more than 1,550 projects across the country. County Mayo has been allocated funding in excess of €6.3 million since 2016, which is supporting more than 75 projects.
Last year, I launched the 2023 ORIS with an allocation of €16 million, a €1 million increase on 2022. Applications were invited under four measures. The first three measures provide funding for the delivery of projects of varying scale from €30,000 up to €0.5 million. A total of 277 project applications were submitted by local development companies, local authorities and State bodies under the first three measures. These applications are currently being assessed and I hope to announce the successful projects in the first quarter of this year.
In addition, the 2023 scheme also includes a project development measure that provides funding of up to €50,000 for development costs for strategic large-scale projects. Last November I approved funding of almost €2.3 million for 50 projects. This funding will support preparatory work required to bring these large-scale outdoor recreation projects to a shovel-ready stage and ensure a strong pipeline of outdoor amenity projects right across the country in the coming years. Details of successful projects announced to date under ORIS can be viewed on my Department's website. Deputy Dillon was in touch with me about a number of them. I was delighted to be able to announce the funding, because I know the difference this type of support makes to local communities.
I thank the Minister for her response. Many Deputies will agree that outdoor recreation facilities and infrastructure are vital to the future-proofing of local communities. Certainly the value placed on outdoor amenities and the contribution they make to both physical and mental well-being has never been more apparent, especially in post-pandemic times. We can see how it enhances the quality of life, promotes health and fosters community spirit. I know how effectively the Minister has worked in relation to this in publishing the first ever national outdoor recreation strategy. That was really important and it also delivers major economic and health benefits. It is good to hear that Mayo has featured heavily in the last number of years, with more than €6 million being allocated to the county, supporting 75 projects. I look forward to further announcements under the future measures. Perhaps the Minister can provide some additional detail on the large-scale projects, on what they are specifically targeting and on when she expects to make an announcement on these.
I thank the Deputy. As I said, this fund was announced last November. There was a number of successful projects I know the Deputy was very interested in, such as the Killala Bay ships reef project, which received €50,000 and is ongoing. The Cong to Lisloughrey pier recreational trail got another €50,000. These are small schemes by any measure. There is one particularly good one in Deputy Dillon's constituency. In 2020, the Department approved funding of €480,000 to Mayo County Council to deliver the sustainable access and habitat restoration project on Croagh Patrick. This was delivered in collaboration with Croagh Patrick stakeholders. The aim of the project is to provide sustainable access to Croagh Patrick by addressing the substantial erosion and scarring of the mountain and the significant damage to the path. It is going very well and I believe it is expected to be finished in March 2024. I look forward to going down to open that.
I thank the Minister. She should bring her hiking boots whenever she visits because it has made a substantial difference. There are multisport events and adventure races up and down the reek. It has made an enormous difference to the ecosystem around Westport and west Mayo. I appreciate the Minister's input in relation to securing that funding and also the funding for around Cong and Lisloughrey. Thankfully, Cong is now back in the Mayo constituency. In one sense, they were a bit excluded. I am not saying the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, Deputy Connolly, did not do her part, but they are happy to be back in Mayo. I think this project is really important, with Cong being a really important tourism hub in south Mayo. I thank the Minister for all she does in the Department. I look forward to future announcements in relation to the ORIS.
I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me the time. I welcome and commend the ORIS fund. Since its commencement in 2016 it has been really brilliant all over the country. In my home county of Kerry, it has been really transformative for many areas. I commend the Minister on the work she does and the increase in the budget.
I ask that as much funding as possible would come to Kerry under the next rounds. In particular, there are a number of strand 1 and strand 2 applications in there. There is one in strand 3, that is, the Kilderry to Milltown amenity walk in County Kerry. I can literally look out my kitchen window across the main valley at that every day of the week. It would be a fantastic addition to what is a growing town in the mid-Kerry area. The population of Milltown has grown enormously in recent years. It is one that would be a fantastic investment for local people and for visitors to the area.
On the negative side of things, in November 2021, €50,000 was announced for the Inch beach masterplan. We still have seen the masterplan. It is not the Minister's fault; she did her part and provided the funding. However, the local authorities need to speed up the implementation and the spending of the money.
I thank the Deputy. I was down at Inch beach and I announced that project. I do not know what is keeping them. They need to move on with it because if they do not spend, the money goes somewhere else. It is an absolutely amazing beach. I heard what was said about Kilderry to Milltown amenity walk.
To go back to Deputy Dillon's question, I have secured an allocation of €16 million for this ORIS as part of budget 2024. This will be a welcome investment across the country. I look forward to reviewing the scheme in anticipation of the launch of another iteration of the scheme later this year. To date, funding in excess of €6.3 million has been approved for 77 projects in Mayo. The point is that we provide some small money for small repairs. Measure 2 is up to €200,000 and measure 3 provides funding up to a maximum of €0.5 million. These are not huge projects in the overall scheme of things.
The Department of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, funds the very big greenways and such. We look at the smaller aspects and what helps communities. An upgraded pathway around the lake can make a huge difference. It is great to see the people out using and enjoying it. It is a good scheme.
83. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on funding for Carlow library. [3921/24]
I would like an update on the funding for Carlow library.
I thank the Deputy for her question. Public libraries have a key role to play in our cities and towns as hubs for information, recreation and inspiration. They provide welcoming spaces for all as well as access to a wide range of online resources and modern technology. While the 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, my Department provides support for the development of libraries under the libraries capital programme and under the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF.
Supporting libraries has been a key priority of mine as Minister. In July last year, I launched an ambitious new five-year strategy, The Library is the Place, which was designed to support and strengthen our public library network. This coincided with the opening of the new Portlaoise library. The new strategy contains 66 separate actions which will ensure our public libraries become multipurpose social and educational spaces for all members of the community to enjoy.
My Department has provided significant capital funding to support public libraries, with €29 million provided to local authorities under the previous libraries capital programme from 2016 to 2022 and a further €33.1 million in the capital envelope for public libraries for the 2023 to 2027 period. In April 2023, 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. I can advise the Deputy that Carlow County Council submitted a proposal and the review of it and all other applications received will be completed shortly. I hope to be in a position to announce the successful infrastructure projects very soon.
I thank the Minister. She came to Carlow not long ago and visited our library. We have a beautiful library, but as the Minister knows, we need to expand it. I know Carlow County Council is promoting it and working within the community. The library is in what we know as the cultural quarter of Carlow town. The town has seen expansion, and according to the most recent census, Carlow has grown by 9%. We are one of the fastest growing counties in the country. As I said to the Minister when we met, Carlow is now a university town and we have many students coming in. As the Minister said, a library is an absolutely fabulous building to have. My own grandchild goes into the library every Saturday morning. There are classes and book reading. It is a beautiful place. It is a real place for families, children and students. It is absolutely brilliant. I know Carlow County Council has also been talking to the Minister on the topic.
I thank the Deputy and absolutely agree with her. I am a big fan of the libraries just like she is. Her story about bringing her grandchild to the library is great to hear because the library is for everybody. It does not matter if you are young or old, there is something in the library for you. Libraries had the image years ago as slightly boring places, but that is long gone because they are hives of activity in our communities. It would do your heart good to go into one because there is something for everybody. There might be access to learning computer skills, high-speed Internet, computers and photocopying. There are loads of things in libraries, including book clubs. They also host heritage events. They have become important parts of our communities and I am very much about supporting them. A good deal of funding has been provided through the rural regeneration fund to upgrade old libraries and repurpose them for modern, 21st century use. I will continue to support our libraries across the country.
I thank the Minister. As she said, the library is the place. I have seen Portlaoise library and it is absolutely outstanding. It is fabulous. Carlow really deserves this funding. We are a growing town. Would you believe that Carlow town is now bigger than Kilkenny city? Our town has a population of almost 27,500 while Kilkenny's population is approximately 27,000. We have grown so much. The library will be a huge asset to us. As I said, Carlow County Council has been in talks with the Minister's Department and I believe this will be a game-changer for us. I again thank the Minister for coming to visit us. She is welcome to Carlow anytime.
I must say I had a good day with the Deputy in Carlow. We travelled around and it was lovely to go to that library. It is an old building that needs to be upgraded. As I say, applications are being assessed and I hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly. I hope Carlow is successful. I have not had sight of what has come through, to be honest, because applications are independently assessed. A lot of things happen in the library and it is bringing new life into the centre of our towns, which is important. As we discussed earlier, shops are leaving. We no longer have the high street shops we used to have because people's habits are changing. The library, however, brings everybody together, particularly when it is in the centre of the town. There is one in Portlaoise and, as the Deputy said, the library in Carlow is in the cultural quarter. I look forward to returning to the town.
85. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the applications received from County Carlow to the town and village renewal scheme. [3922/24]
This is great; I am getting to ask the Minister all my questions. This question is about the applications received from Carlow County Council for the town and village renewal scheme.
I thank the Deputy. Nobody will be in any doubt where the Deputy comes from; she is definitely from Carlow.
The town and village renewal scheme was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme, more than €156 million has been allocated to in excess of 1,700 projects throughout Ireland. In total, Carlow County Council has been allocated funding of €6,282,465 for a total of 63 projects under the various iterations of the scheme.
Scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and to respond to changing needs and opportunities. I also listen to the feedback I get from Deputies because if we can improve the scheme and make it better, we are always happy to do so. The 2023 scheme has a renewed focus on town centre economic and social vibrancy. This will be achieved through projects focusing on town centre regeneration, enhancing our streetscapes and bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as community multipurpose spaces through refurbishment and renovation.
The 2023 scheme is now closed and the competitive assessment process is ongoing. I expect to be in a position to announce the successful projects before the end of quarter 1 of 2024. However, I emphasise that the town and village renewal scheme is heavily subscribed and funding will be allocated based on suitability against scheme criteria, the geographical spread of projects, the quality of the proposed projects and the available budget.
I thank the Minister. I highlight that the scheme we are speaking about is excellent and plays an enormous role. Perhaps the Minister would look at the applications she has received from Carlow County Council.
I will certainly look at the applications, which I expect to come across my desk shortly. I cannot anticipate the outcome but good applications always get money.
