Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
91. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the support provided by her Department to help maintain existing community centres and help communities establish new centres particularly in communities without a centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60158/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has a number of supports that communities can avail of to support the upkeep, enhancement or the establishment of community centres.
For example, grants which are relevant to community centres are provided through the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) which provides small capital grants to community groups to enhance facilities. Typical projects funded include the renovation of community centres, community amenities, disability access projects, common areas and spaces. The 2021 programme provided funding of €4.5m.
The Community Activities Fund is a recently launched €9m fund to support community and voluntary groups impacted by Covid-19. This once-off funding is allocated under the Department’s Community Enhancement Programme in order to ensure there is sufficient flexibility to allow funding to be targeted to where it is needed in each Local Authority area. The Community Activities Fund will support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running costs such as utility (Electricity, Heating charges) or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities.
Funding may also be available through the Transitional LEADER Programme. The programme is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) in each of the 28 LEADER sub-regional areas around the country. Interested applicants should contact the relevant LAG to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available. Contact details for LAGs are available on the Gov.ie website.
In addition, the €49 million Community Services Programme supports over 420 community organisations, including community centres, to provide local social, economic and environmental services through a social enterprise model. Funding is provided as a contribution towards the cost of employing staff in these organisations.
The 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme is also relevant to community centres, as it supports the re-purposing of existing community buildings in town centres to facilitate remote working and other projects to bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use. The closing date for applications was July 2021.
Finally, a new capital fund for the upgrade of Community Centres was referenced in the National Development Plan and funding of €5m has been secured for this under Budget 2022. The details of this capital scheme are currently being developed within my Department. It will be launched in early 2022 and further details will be announced in due course.
