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Gnáthamharc

Community Development.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2004

Tuesday, 9 November 2004

Ceisteanna (35, 36, 37, 38)

Seán Crowe

Ceist:

92 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has proposals for putting measures in place to adequately resource community and voluntary organisations in order that they can provide services, retain staff and attract the required expertise. [28001/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Martin Ferris

Ceist:

96 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he will allocate adequate funding to the community and voluntary sector to provide adequate training and capacity building. [28004/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Arthur Morgan

Ceist:

105 Mr. Morgan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has plans to address the problem of ad hoc funding in the community and voluntary sector by allocating the sufficient core funding to these groups. [28002/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 96 and 105 together.

My Department provides a broad range of measures to support the voluntary sector, including schemes that provide once-off grant support and others which offer multi-annual funding, normally over a three-year period. My Department will provide in excess of €31 million in grants to community development projects, CDPs, and supports to community groups this year. This amount includes allocations as part of multi-annual funding to CDPs. In addition, my Department is providing €42.1 million in support of local development. The bulk of this amount is also payable in the context of multi-annual funding to area based partnerships and community partnerships, based on three-year renewable contracts. Funding for LEADER groups is also provided on a multi-annual basis.

I announced the successful applicants for two funding initiatives arising from the White Paper in September 2003 — the funding scheme to support the role of federations, networks and umbrella bodies in the community and voluntary sector and the funding scheme for training and supports in the community and voluntary sector. Both schemes operate on a multi-annual basis with successful applicants receiving total funding of €5.48 million in respect of the federations and networks scheme and €1.83 million in respect of the training and supports scheme over a three-year period.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

93 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if, having regard to his previously expressed concerns on rural depopulation and difficulties in regard to one off housing development in rural Ireland, he has satisfied himself that current building regulations adequately address the issues involved; if he plans further initiatives in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27944/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

My Department is committed to maintaining the maximum number of people in rural areas and to strengthening rural communities economically, socially and culturally. The national spatial strategy addresses many of my concerns on issues such as rural housing. The rural settlement policy framework contained in the NSS, which represents overall Government policy on rural housing, aims to sustain and renew established rural communities while strengthening the structure of villages and smaller settlements to support local economies. In this way it seeks to ensure key assets in rural areas are protected to support quality of life and that rural settlement policies are responsive to the differing local circumstances in different areas.

My colleague, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government, agrees it is vitally important that there should be certainty and consistency in the implementation by planning authorities of Government policy on rural housing through their own development plans and in the operation of the development control system under planning legislation. On 4 March, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, published the consultation draft of guidelines for planning authorities on sustainable rural housing. These draft guidelines are vitally important so that there is clarity and consistency in the implementation by planning authorities of Government policy in on rural housing. They provide a more detailed framework for planners, based on what the national spatial strategy has to say on rural housing policy.

The guidelines reflect what I have been saying for the past number of years. As I said in my statement at the time welcoming the publication of the draft guidelines, rural housing within the confines of good planning practice is needed. The consultation process has been concluded and that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government expects to publish the definitive guidelines later in the year.

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