Written Answers Nos. 30-45
30. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans for the development of rural recreation in 2018; his plans to revamp Comhairle na Tuaithe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19102/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department delivers a number of programmes that support the development of recreational facilities in rural areas and I will continue to deliver on these initiatives in 2018.
For example, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme supports the development, maintenance, enhancement and promotion of recreational infrastructure, including walking trails, greenways, and blueways in rural Ireland. This scheme plays an important role in enhancing tourism potential and creating job opportunities in rural areas. Over €20 million has been allocated to 370 projects under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme since it was launched in the second half of 2016 and I plan to launch a further round of the scheme in the coming weeks.
Since the establishment of Comhairle na Tuaithe in 2004 and the publication of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy in 2006, there has been significant growth in the number of people engaging in outdoor pursuits across a wider range of activities than ever before.
In this context, an independent review of Comhairle and the Countryside Recreation Strategy was carried out in 2016 to assess, amongst other issues, the suitability and success of the body in an evolving outdoor recreation sector.
I met the members of Comhairle on 13th February last to hear directly from them their views on the recommendations of the independent review, the future direction of Comhairle, and the development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland generally. The meeting was very constructive in helping me to formulate proposals for the future development of the sector.
I am currently finalising my policy proposals in the context of a wider focus on the development of the rural recreation sector and I have asked my officials to meet with the members of Comhairle in the coming weeks to outline these proposals.
32. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the new Dormant Account Fund plan will be published; his plans to increase spending in the coming years under the plan in view of the accumulated funding in the Dormant Account Fund, excluding the reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19103/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department commenced the process of preparing the 2018 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan in February. In order to initiate the process, I wrote to Ministers in February requesting that their Departments identify potential projects or programmes which might be included in the Action Plan.
Following the receipt of initial proposals from other Departments and agencies, my Department has undertaken a series of bilateral meetings to discuss the potential measures for inclusion in the Action Plan.
I can report that the preparation of the 2018 Dormant Accounts Action Plan is nearing completion and, following submission to Government, I hope to be in a position to publish the Plan in the coming weeks.
Without pre-empting the process of finalising the 2018 Action Plan, I would envisage that the Plan will allocate in the region of €40 million to fund measures aimed at tackling disadvantage. This will be similar to the amount approved in 2017, and a significant increase on the amounts approved in 2014 and 2016, which stood at €26.3 million and €28.5 million respectively. It is important that the level of funding to schemes, programmes and projects is sustainable, so that the fund can continue to support measures in a stable manner over the coming years.
Any measures put forward by Departments must, in the first instance, be provided for in the Vote of the Department or budget of the agency concerned. The expenditure incurred in implementing an approved measure is then reimbursed from the Dormant Accounts Fund. Each Department remains accountable for the administration of the programmes and schemes run under their remit using Dormant Accounts funding.
The forthcoming Action Plan will, as in previous years, set out the details of all new measures which have been allocated Dormant Accounts funding. However, as part of the ongoing review of the general administration of the Dormant Accounts Fund, the Action Plan will also include details of all measures previously approved for funding which are currently underway or which will commence shortly. This will provide for greater certainty and transparency in relation to the outstanding liabilities on the Fund. It will also potentially allow for increased use of the Fund in the future, including, for example, through the reallocation of decommitted funding to new measures.
33. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason the newly announced local improvement scheme has had a funding reduction of €7 million from the 2017 allocation in view of the fact weather events in 2018 have had a detrimental effect on rural infrastructure. [19077/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI reintroduced dedicated funding for the Local Improvement Scheme in September 2017 after a gap of 8 years. This scheme is a lifeline for people living in rural areas because it directly improves their access to and from their homes and farms, and has made a huge difference for rural communities around the country.
In September 2017, I approved €10 million in funding for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS). As there had been no dedicated funding for LIS for a number of years, there was a very significant level of pent-up demand for the scheme. Based on the Local Authorities' capacity to deliver further road improvements before the end of the year, I allocated an additional €7.4 million to the scheme from savings elsewhere in my Department's Vote at the end of November 2017.
I launched the 2018 Local Improvement Scheme in February of this year, with an indicative allocation of €10.8 million. This is higher than the initial allocation in 2017. I have now published the details of over 400 roads selected by County Councils for improvement works this year on the basis of their 2018 allocations. Details of the roads in question are available on my Department's website at http://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/local-improvement-scheme/.
This brings to over 1,100 the number of roads which will have been supported by my Department under the LIS scheme since September 2017.
As part of the 2018 scheme, I also requested each County Council to compile a secondary list of suitable LIS road projects that they would have the capacity to complete should additional funding become available through my Department later in the year. I will be monitoring the situation in the context of my Department's overall expenditure performance over the coming months.
34. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the CLÁR Programme 2018; the way in which it will benefit rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19013/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCLÁR is a targeted capital investment programme for rural areas which have experienced significant levels of depopulation. The programme was originally launched in October 2001 but was closed for applications in 2010. I re-opened the programme in 2016 and, since then, 900 projects have been approved for funding under CLÁR.
I launched the 2018 CLÁR programme on 15th March, with an indicative allocation of €5 million for qualifying projects under the following measures:
Measure 1: Support for Schools/Community Safety Measures
Measure 2: Play Areas/ MUGAs
Measure 3: First Response Support Measure
The closing date for receipt of applications was 30th April. My officials will now assess all applications received against the criteria for the programme, and I hope to be in a position to announce the successful 2018 CLÁR projects in the coming weeks.
The CLÁR programme is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development. It makes a significant contribution to the rural communities it serves. A modest investment under the CLÁR programme, such as for the provision of a play area, can have a significant impact on a community, for example by providing a central location for children to play and for their parents to meet.
The CLÁR programme is also helping to make rural schools safer for our children by funding footpaths and traffic calming measures in their vicinity. These simple measures make a huge difference to the quality of life of parents and children in rural communities.
I was delighted to announce again, this year, that the CLÁR programme will support our voluntary first-response organisations who provide an excellent and vital service in many rural areas, often under very difficult circumstances.
A total of €20 million has now been invested in CLÁR areas since I re-launched the scheme in 2016.
35. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to review the CLÁR areas based on the 2016 census returns; the timeline for the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18965/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd-Riachtanais) programme is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and makes a huge contribution to supporting some of the most depopulated areas in rural Ireland. The programme provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in disadvantaged rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.
CLÁR was originally launched in October 2001 to provide for targeted investment in disadvantaged rural areas. The areas originally selected for inclusion in the programme were those which suffered the greatest population decline from 1926 to 1996, with the exception of the Cooley Peninsula which was included on the basis of the serious difficulties caused in that area by Foot and Mouth disease. The average population loss in the original CLÁR regions over the period 1926 to 1996 was 50%.
In 2006, an analysis of the 2002 Census data was carried out by the National Institute for Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) at Maynooth University and the programme was extended to include areas with an average population loss of 35% between 1926 and 2002. The areas included since the reopening of the CLÁR programme in 2016 are based on the work carried out by NIRSA in 2006.
I intend to carry out a full review of CLÁR areas later this year on the basis of the 2016 Census of Population data. The level of depopulation will continue to be a primary factor in the designation of any area as a CLÁR area. The review will involve a detailed examination of all areas of the country, as well as stakeholder consultation. I plan to begin the review process in the coming months with the aim of having a full and comprehensive review completed before the end of this year.
The findings of the review will inform the future operation of the scheme, post-2018.
36. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he has discussed with Pobal its charitable status since becoming Minister; his views on whether its status as a charity may be in breach of the Charities Act 2009; his views on the need for a statutory body to identify as a charity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19105/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraPobal was established by Government in 1992 as Area Development Management Ltd. (ADM). The company has grown significantly and they now manage and administer programmes on behalf of a number of Government Departments. In 2005, ADM was re-named Pobal.
Pobal is a not for profit company limited by guarantee. Charitable status was granted to the company by the Revenue Commissioners on the 20th November 1996. In accordance with Section 40 of the Charities Act, 2009, Pobal was entered onto the Register of Charitable Organisations automatically on 16 October 2014.
The basis for Pobal having charitable status is tied to the objects for which the company was founded which are specified in its Memorandum and Articles of Association. I am satisfied that Pobal is fully compliant with the relevant legislative requirements including those of the Charities Act, 2009.
Notwithstanding this, Pobal has informed my Department that it has commenced a review of its charitable status. The Charities Regulator has been informed of the process. It is expected that the review will take 3-4 months. The board of Pobal will communicate the outcome of the review to my Department through our existing corporate governance and oversight arrangements.
37. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of jobs created under the Action Plan for Rural Development by constituency in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19064/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Action Plan for Rural Development was launched in January 2017. The Plan contains 277 actions aimed at supporting the economic and social progress of rural Ireland. These actions are for delivery across Government, State agencies and other bodies, over the period 2017-2019.
One of the objectives of the Action Plan is to support enterprise growth and job creation in rural areas. The Government has set a target of supporting the creation of 135,000 extra jobs outside of Dublin by 2020. Specific measures to achieve this target are set out in the Action Plan.
The latest Labour Force Survey published by the Central Statistics Office shows that employment increased in almost all regions of the country year-on-year in Quarter 4 2017. Employment outside of the Dublin region increased by 56,200, or 84% of the overall national increase in 2017. The Labour Force Survey does not provide data at the level sought by the Deputy.
I can report that two-thirds of the 19,332 new jobs created by Enterprise Ireland companies in 2017 were outside of Dublin, while all regions saw an increase in employment in IDA client companies in 2017, with over 50% of the 19,851 new jobs created last year located outside of Dublin.
These figures show that the Government’s efforts to support job creation in the regions are working, but we must continue to build on the progress made to date and create more job opportunities for people who live in rural Ireland.
My own Department contributes directly to job creation in rural areas through programmes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Rural Recreation Scheme and LEADER. LEADER is a multi-annual programme which has a budget of €250 million over the period to 2020 and has a job creation target of 3,100 over the lifetime of the programme.
38. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided to a movement (details supplied) in 2017; and the funding that will be provided in 2018. [18904/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe organisation referred to by the Deputy is a member-based network with associated member bodies throughout the country. My Department provided funding to the central organisation and its individual member bodies under a number of different funding streams in 2017.
I provided funding of €14,900 on a once off basis, to the central organisation to purchase IT equipment to ensure better communication systems within the network.
Under the RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) programme, my Department funded eight individual network member bodies for a total of €38,400 to upgrade facilities and expand their activities.
Under my Department's Communities Facilities Scheme, I provided funding to 73 individual member bodies in 2017 to a value of €93,320.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), which commenced in most parts of the country on 1 January 2018, also provides support to individual member bodies around the country. 15 SICAP Programme Implementers have recorded activity to support 38 such bodies under the new programme to date.
SICAP Programme Implementers have given 112 support interventions in areas such as community planning, social inclusion and equality issues, capacity building. However, no grants have been recorded to date to the network under SICAP 2018-2022.
39. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the engagement his Department has had with the Department of Finance in respect of the public banking investigation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18909/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to investigate a new model of community banking for Ireland, including an investigation of the German Sparkassen model for the development of local public banks that operate within well-defined regions.
A project team comprising officials from my Department and the Department of Finance was established last year to progress this commitment. The project team carried out detailed research into the concept of a public banking model, with a particular focus on the Sparkassen model.
In addition, a public consultation process, seeking views on the concept of a community banking model, ran for four weeks. Members of the Oireachtas were also advised of the consultation process. A total of 16 submissions were received arising from the consultation process.
The Departmental officials have finalised their report and have submitted their findings to the Minister for Finance and myself. The report will be brought to Government for approval in the coming weeks.
40. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to increase the number of rural recreation officers employed by his Department by appointing one in each county. [19079/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers the Walks Scheme which facilitates the development and maintenance of many of Ireland’s walking trails. The scheme involves landholders as key participants in the provision of high quality walking trails, by contracting them to undertake maintenance work on sections of National Way Marked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. Participating landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken, in line with agreed work plans.
The Walks Scheme is currently operating on 39 trails supported by 1,905 landowners who receive total payments in the region of €1.8m for their work on the Scheme. The Scheme is largely implemented on the Department's behalf by 12 Rural Recreation Officers in counties Clare, Donegal, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Kerry, Sligo, Mayo, Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Laois and Roscommon.
These Officers are employed by Local Development Companies who administer the Walks Scheme, together with a host of ancillary initiatives under Service Level Agreements with my Department. They also assist in the implementation of the objectives of the National Countryside Recreation Strategy. In addition, four Local Development companies - IRD Duhallow, Comhar Na nOileán Teo, Louth and Leitrim - also implement the Walks Scheme in their areas.
The Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development include a commitment to increase the number of trails covered by the Walks Scheme and my officials are working towards this objective. I intend to initiate a comprehensive review of the scheme’s operation this year in order to determine how best to expand the scheme and maximise the impact of the resources available to me. This review will inform any decisions to be made regarding bringing any new walks or Rural Recreation Officers into the operation of the scheme.
41. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the progress of the actions under his Department’s remit for the mobile phone and broadband task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18900/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce was established in July 2016 to identify solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and to investigate how better services could be provided to consumers prior to full roll-out of National Broadband Plan. The Taskforce published its final report in December 2016, which set out 40 actions aimed at addressing the issues it identified.
An Implementation Group was established in early 2017 to oversee the timely implementation of all the actions of the Taskforce’s report. On 21 February 2018, this Group published a review of progress made during 2017. The 2017 Review also contains the 2018 Work Programme for the Implementation Group. In total, there are 34 actions for delivery in 2018. Progress updates are published on my Department's website on a quarterly basis. All progress reports, along with the 2017 review, are available at: http://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural-development/mobile-phone-and-broadband-taskforce/.
In terms of the actions directly under my Department's remit, the appointment of Broadband Officers in each Local Authority, which my Department co-finances, is impacting positively on increased levels of communications with the telecoms industry and in identifying and addressing barriers to the roll-out of telecoms infrastructure.
A mobile phone blackspots "mapping exercise" is bringing together local authorities and mobile phone operators to identify practical solutions to improve mobile phone coverage and quality throughout the country. In addition, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE) has established a Blackspots Focus Group that will identify specific categories of locations where high quality mobile coverage should be available. This will inform future policy to address critical blackspot locations.
My Department, in cooperation with DCCAE, are exploring the feasibility of developing a standardised policy for accessing and utilising State assets for the deployment of telecoms infrastructure. The Departments have met with a number of stakeholders and plan to establish a Working Group in the coming months.
The development of Local Digital Strategies across the 31 Local Authorities is actively being supported by my Department with the assistance of Indecon consultants. Digital readiness assessments, which will form the baseline for the strategies, are being finalised for each Local Authority and the next steps will see a series of workshops being held with Local Authorities to explain the findings and provide guidance for the development of the 31 local digital strategies.
A National Stakeholder Forum, held in October 2017, brought together key stakeholders to openly discuss issues impacting on the roll-out of telecommunications infrastructure, and to suggest new recommendations for the Taskforce Implementation Group to adopt in order to accelerate the provision of improved services to consumers. A similar Stakeholder Forum is in planning for Quarter 3 2018.
42. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the required review of the disadvantaged youth employment initiative has been carried out; if so, if he will provide a copy of same; the allocation of funding and the amount of underspend in relation to the scheme in 2016 and 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19007/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disadvantaged Youth Employment Initiative was included in the 2016 and 2017 Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plans. Funding allocated in respect of the measure included in the 2016 Action Plan was €1.25m, however no expenditure was incurred. No funding was allocated in respect of the measure included in the 2017 Action Plan. These initiatives were not rolled out as planned as it was considered necessary to review the original proposals in the context of both the new Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and existing Youth Employment Initiatives.
My Department is currently represented on a Working Group chaired by the Youth Affairs Unit of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs which is examining the development and design of a Youth Employment Initiative to be administered by that Department.
I understand that the work of this Group will focus on identifying gaps in provision; identifying existing initiatives; identifying potential areas for duplication of effort and identifying the particular added value that a Youth Sector led initiative can bring to bear. I have been advised that the work of the group will take account of the report of the Centre for Effective Services on the Department of Children and Youth Affairs Youth Employment initiative 2016.
In the circumstances, my Department does not propose to introduce a similar programme at this point in time. The Dormant Accounts Action Plan for 2018 which is currently in preparation, will include a range of new funding proposals, including proposals for youth programmes.
43. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the next request for applications under the community facilities fund will be made; if eligibility for the fund is limited to certain areas; the fund available in 2018 in his Department's estimates for the development of community facilities under the fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19100/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Communities Facilities Scheme (CFS) was launched in 2017 with a budget for that year of €2 million. An allocation of €2 million has again been made available in 2018. The scheme supports community participation and involvement nationwide by helping grassroots community projects get underway or take the next step towards completion.
Under the scheme, community and voluntary groups across the country can apply for grants towards capital projects which benefit their local communities.
My Department is currently developing proposals for an enhanced Programme which will replace both the RAPID and the CFS schemes. I hope to make an announcement in this regard in the coming weeks.
44. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the rural walks scheme will be reopened; the progress that has been made towards reopening the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19063/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department administers the Walks Scheme which facilitates the development and maintenance of many of Ireland’s walking trails. The scheme involves landholders as key participants in the provision of high quality walking trails, by contracting them to undertake maintenance work on sections of National Way Marked Ways and other priority walks that traverse their lands. Participating landholders receive modest payments for maintenance work undertaken, in line with agreed work plans.
The scheme currently covers 39 trails, with payments made to approximately 1,900 landholders to maintain those trails.
The Programme for Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development include a commitment to increase the number of trails covered by the Walks Scheme and my officials are working towards this objective. I intend to initiate a comprehensive review of the scheme’s operation this year in order to determine how best to expand the scheme and maximise the impact of the resources available to me. I anticipate that this review will be completed before the end of the year and that it will help identify priority walks that can be included in the expansion of the scheme.
45. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding provided to counties Carlow and Kilkenny under the local improvement scheme in 2017; his plans to announce a new local improvement scheme in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19107/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is a programme for improvement works on small private/non-public roads. The scheme is currently funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities.
In 2017, I allocated a total of €17.4 million to County Councils around the country under the LIS scheme under two tranches. The following table sets out the funding provided to counties Carlow and Kilkenny under the scheme in 2017:
|
County |
LIS 2017 round 1 Allocations |
LIS 2017 round 2 Allocation |
Total allocation 1 and 2 |
|
Carlow |
€250,000 |
€190,460 |
€440,460 |
|
Kilkenny |
€315,000 |
€290,565 |
€605,565 |
Following on from the successful re-launch of the scheme in 2017, I announced details of the 2018 Local Improvement Scheme on 27th February this year, with an indicative allocation of €10.8 million for the programme.
County Carlow was allocated €250,000 under the 2018 scheme, while Co. Kilkenny was allocated €315,000.
Detailed information regarding the 2018 projects selected by Carlow and Kilkenny County Councils for LIS improvement works can be found on my Department's website at http://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/local-improvement-scheme/. In the case of Co. Carlow, the total cost of improvements on their selected roads is slightly lower than the amount allocated, at €243,630. Any variances such as this are a matter for the Local Authorities in the first instance.
