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Community Development.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2004

Tuesday, 9 November 2004

Ceisteanna (69)

David Stanton

Ceist:

123 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the initiatives he has taken to support rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27996/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I have undertaken a wide range of initiatives in support of rural communities. These include establishment and expansion of the CLÁR programme; establishment of the rural social scheme; small food producers forum and co-ordinator; Comhairle na Tuaithe; and a review of enterprise supporting rural areas. In addition, my Department continues to oversee the delivery of programmes which support rural communities. These comprise the Leader programme; rural development fund; PEACE II programme; rural initiative measure of INTERREG; farm relief services; local development and social inclusion programme; community development programme; and Gaeltacht and island development.

Details on each of the foregoing are set out in the following appendix:

Appendix

I introduced the CLÁR programme in October 2001 to address depopulation as well as the decline and lack of services in rural areas. Areas in 18 counties, amounting to a total population of 361,000, are included in the programme. CLÁR funds, or co-funds, with other Departments, State agencies and local authorities, investment in selected priority developments. These investments are made through a series of more than 20 measures that support physical, economic and social infrastructure such as electricity conversion, roads, water and sewerage, village, housing and schools enhancement, health, broadband and sports and community projects. The measures reflect the priorities identified by the communities in the selected areas whom I consulted at the start of the programme and were agreed with and are operated in tandem with the lead Departments, State agencies or public utilities, as appropriate.

Expenditure amounted to €14.14 million in 2002 and €8.613 million in 2003 which, it is estimated, secured a further €21 million in related public and private expenditure in these areas which otherwise would have been bottom of the list for infrastructure investment. To date in 2004, more than €19 million has been allocated to the counties in CLÁR under the various programme measures.

I launched the rural social scheme in May of this year. The aims of the scheme are to provide services of benefit to rural communities by harnessing the skills and talents available among low income farmers and fishermen and income support to low income farmers and fishermen who are in receipt of specified, primarily long-term, social welfare payments. I hosted a small food producers forum in Maynooth in November 2003 to support small food producers and those working with them. A number of topics were raised at this forum, including co-ordination between small food producers and statutory agencies, training bodies etc.; training and technical support; access to markets; food safety issues and testing, assessment and waste disposal; the regulatory environment; access to information; and product promotion, branding and accreditation. The European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr. David Byrne, spoke at the forum.

My Department is financially supporting the appointment of a small food producers co-ordinator, working with Comhar Leader na hÉireann, who will endeavour to tackle the barriers inhibiting small food producers, ranging from the scale of the enterprise, access to funding and distribution, marketing and promotion as well as the provision of skills training and the regulatory environment.

I established Comhairle na Tuaithe in February 2004. It includes representatives of farmer, recreational users, tourism marketing bodies and other interested groups. Comhairle na Tuaithe is working on conflict resolution on access to the countryside, the development of a countryside code and a countryside recreation strategy. A national conference organised by Comhairle na Tuaithe will take place on 19 November.

I have initiated a review of enterprise support in rural areas in conjunction with the Ministers for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Arts, Sport and Tourism.

My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Leader programmes, the rural social scheme, the rural development aspects of the cross-Border programmes, PEACE and INTERREG and the farm relief services measure of the national development plan. The rural measures under these programmes promote the development of rural areas and strengthen the rural communities within them.

Leader is the European Union initiative for rural development, which provides approved local action groups with public funding — EU and domestic — to implement multisectoral business plans for the development of their own areas. In accordance with the bottom-up philosophy of rural development, the local Leader group is the decision-making authority in relation to approving actions falling within its business plan. The approval of grants by groups is made within detailed operating rules drawn up by the Department and approved by the European Commission. Leader is being delivered in two ways during the current Structural Fund period 2000 to 2006: the EU Initiative, Leader +, and the area based rural development programme — Leader— funded under the Border, midland and west and southern and eastern regional operational programmes. Public co-funding of theses programmes, amounting to €150 million, has been allocated to the new Leader programmes over the period.

I am also supporting a number of pilot projects from my Department's rural development fund to regenerate particularly disadvantaged rural areas through a variety of community initiatives. Payments totalling €266,000 have been paid to these projects to date in 2004.

The cross-Border rural development measures of the PEACE II programme aim to promote agriculture and rural development co-operation in the Border area. The rural initiative measure of the INTERREG Ireland-Northern Ireland programme is aimed at encouraging rural businesses and communities to engage in the development of their area. Financial support is also provided to rural communities under the INTERREG Ireland-Wales programme for rural development and diversification activities within the programme's eligible area.

My Department also provides funding to the farm relief services measure of the national development plan. The funding is primarily aimed at training of farm relief operatives and staff with smaller elements for infrastructure and research and development. Funding of €42.144 million is available for the local development and social inclusion programme in 2004. This programme operates in both rural and urban areas and aims to counter disadvantage and promote equality and social and economic inclusion through the provision of funding and support to local partnerships and community groups.

My Department also supports, on a multiannual basis, 47 locally-based projects, which are involved in anti-poverty and social inclusion initiatives in rural communities. This support is provided by way of core funding through the community development programme. Projects funded under the programme provide support to disadvantaged communities geared towards improving their capacity to benefit from economic and social development.

The Department will spend up to €10.5 million in 2004 on the development of capital infrastructure on the islands. In addition, a total of €2.5 million will be spent on providing essential transport services between the islands and the mainland. In addition to current funding of €10.193 million, capital funding of €22 million has been made available to Údarás na Gaeltachta in 2004 to enable it to achieve its objectives of developing the economy of the Gaeltacht and encouraging the preservation and extension of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht. An tÚdarás also promotes and supports community development and pursues a range of language and cultural activities involving individuals, community groups and industries throughout the Gaeltacht.

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