Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
100. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total capital and current allocation to her Department for 2021; the amount spent to date in 2021; the main areas of underspend broken down between capital and current; the steps being taken to ensure a full spend of the allocation by the end of 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60215/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor 2021 my Department was provided with a total allocation of €351 million, of which €182m is for current expenditure and €169 million is for capital expenditure. The Department also had a deferred surrender of €13.2 million in 2020, to be utilized in 2021. Total expenditure to date, including expenditure of the deferred surrender, stands at €329 million. Current expenditure to date amounts to €176 million, with no significant areas of underspend. Capital expenditure to date amounts to €153 million, with very good expenditure achieved in the context of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The capital underspend in 2021 mainly relates to the Rural Regeneration and Development area, for which €87 million was provided in 2021 to fund the range of schemes in that area, namely the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme. In addition, €11.8 million of the deferred surrender from 2020 was provided for this area. Capital spend to date for this area amounts to just over €54 million, although I expect the final outturn to be closer to be over €57 million.
The closure of construction sites for most of the first half of the year has inevitably impacted on our capital projects, in particular the larger projects which take more time to plan and deliver. However, I have proactively dealt with this throughout the year. LEADER will utilise at least €10 million in savings elsewhere, funding for the Local Improvement Scheme doubled to €21 million and, most recently, I provided an additional €3.5 million in capital funding for the Community Enhancement Programme. The very successful Connected Hubs scheme and Streetscapes scheme, which form part of Town and Village Renewal, will see a combined spend in 2021 of around €15 million, ensuring those resources are utilised this year and provide real benefit for people and rural communities in terms of our social and economic response to the pandemic.
My officials and I have worked closely with local authorities in particular to ensure good progress once the construction sector re-opened, and this has resulted in a very positive spend outcome for 2021. I plan to utilise a deferred surrender this year and, along with the proactive management of capital funding, I expect this to ensure that our resources will be fully utilized to support rural areas and our communities.
