Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 February 2018
198. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which he expects to be in a position to offer grant aid to rural communities involved in various projects to enhance rural life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8968/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has been established to deliver on the Government’s commitment to bring a greater degree of coordination and cohesion to all of the work of Government in so far as it impacts on rural Ireland and on communities.
The Action Plan for Rural Development was published in January 2017. The Plan contains 276 actions for delivery across a range of Government Departments, State agencies and other organisations to support the economic and social progress of rural Ireland. The 2017 Action Plan allocated funding of €40.4 million to 40 measures put forward by Government Departments and agencies.
The Action Plan includes a range of measures to support rural communities, enhance local services and make rural Ireland a better place to live and work. In addition to the programmes run by my Department set out below, these actions contain a range of schemes to be delivered by other Departments and agencies which will empower local communities to develop their areas and improve their quality of life, such as the built heritage investment scheme, the GLAS Traditional Farm Buildings grant scheme, the Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund, the Better Energy Homes Scheme, the Better Energy Communities Scheme, community crime prevention schemes and the Sports Capital Programme.
In Budget 2018, my Department secured in excess of €220 million giving us the foundation we need to drive both the rural and community agenda and to deliver initiatives that can foster growth right across the country.
My Department delivers a variety of schemes that provide support for the sustainable development of rural communities in line with commitments in the Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development. These schemes and programmes include flagship programmes such as the LEADER and the Social Inclusion and Community Activation (SICAP) Programmes, the Community Services Programme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, the CLÁR Programme, the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), the Seniors Alert Scheme and the Communities Facilities Scheme.
My Department is also responsible for the overall administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund. The legislation governing Dormant Accounts provides the framework for the disbursement of funds to measures targeted at socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged people and people with a disability. Depending on their focus, these measures would be implemented in urban and rural areas all across the country.
All schemes are open to applications from relevant parties during the application timeframes set for each scheme or programme.
My Department will continue to work with key stakeholders including local authorities, community and voluntary groups, and dedicated agencies to support job creation, attract tourism investment and to contribute to sustainable economic development in rural Ireland. The Department will ensure that maximum use is obtained from the resources allocated and that value for money is delivered in respect of the 2018 schemes.
Further information on schemes and programmes, including the Action Plan for Rural Development, can be found on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie
The recent launch of the National Development Plan further highlights Government commitment to rural communities with the announcement of the new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund to be established under my Department’s remit. The new fund will support my Department's key aims and objectives in providing additional resources to promote rural renewal in order to enable towns, villages and outlying rural areas to grow sustainably and to support delivery of the strategic objectives of the National Planning Framework
