Written Answers Nos. 101-111
103. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration will be given to encouraging the use of digital hubs for arts purposes when they are not being used for remote working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55100/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOur Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, recognises the potential of digital hubs as key economic assets for our rural towns and villages as well as the clear benefits to individuals and families in terms of quality of life indicators. My Department operates a number of funding schemes that focus on projects supporting the development of digital hubs and Broadband Connection Points (BCPs). .
In May of this year, I launched the National Connected Hubs network together with the connectedhubs.ie platform. This platform offers a suite of booking and hub management applications to members of the Network. The Network will also facilitate the sharing of innovation, experience and best practices across the community. The National Hub Working Group, led by my Department, will explore all opportunities for further development of the Connected Hubs Network to ensure member hubs provide maximum benefit to local communities.
In July I awarded almost €9 million in funding through the Connected Hubs stream to add capacity to existing digital hubs and broadband connection points throughout the country. Part of the requirements for successful applicants was to provide an additional benefit-in-kind contribution to the community. This could be through the use of discounted access to artists, students or community groups - one hub in the Network regularly provides their facilities for free to local artists for exhibitions.
Details of calls for applications to 2022 funding streams/development initiatives will be announced by my Department in due course, although I can confirm that funding to support the ongoing development of Hubs and BCPs as long-term, digitally-enabled community assets will continue next year.
As part of the development of the BCP Initiative my officials have been working with a number of organisations to implement pilot projects under various categories, one of which is arts and culture. Some of the pilot initiatives facilitated via the BCP ‘Connected Communities’ network include:
- The Ark delivered an online creative workshop for children;
- The Wexford Art Centre delivered online painting classes;
- The Irish Museum of Modern Art delivered the ‘Talking Art Online’ programme, a discussion based activity for older people, exploring art works guided by the museum’s team of experts;
- Access Cinema is supporting communities on our islands to develop film clubs;
- Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU, the Society of Irish Pipers) is delivering free Uillean Pipes tuition;
- Meath County Council is organising a musical event which will be streamed via the BCP network;
- And the Irish Film Institute is working on a specially curated ‘BCP Film Festival’, which will take place in BCPs next year.
A report on the pilot project findings will be prepared with a view to a wider rollout of successful initiatives.
104. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of a Rural Regeneration and Development Fund application in respect of Killorglin, County Kerry; her views on the importance that this funding would mean for the town and the mid-Kerry area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60152/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, €255million has been approved to date for 164 projects worth a total of €347 million.
Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1 and Category 2. Category 1 relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place and which are ready to proceed. Category 2 provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications
The third call for Category 2 applications to the Fund closed on 30th July 2021. My Department received 53 applications to this call and I understand that an application was received for the project referred to by the Deputy.
The application process for the Fund is competitive in nature. The assessment of applications has now been completed, a process undertaken by my Department under the oversight of the Project Advisory Board. A report has been forwarded to me setting out recommended projects and my role as Minister will be to consider that report and make final decisions in relation to the allocation of funding. I expect to announce the successful projects over the coming days.
105. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the measures that are in place to support the refurbishment of vacant properties in rural communities; the way ease of access for persons is ensured within funding streams such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and the town and village renewal schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60147/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe revitalisation of vacant and derelict properties is being addressed by a number of initiatives delivered by my Department in line with the commitments contained in Our Rural Future and as part of the Government's Housing for All.
In April, I announced investment of €81 million for 25 landmark projects under Category 1 of the RRDF These projects will combat dereliction, increase the vibrancy of rural towns and villages, and regenerate town centre buildings. In the terms of access to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), the lead party to an application must be a State-funded body and typically projects tend to be larger scale projects.
I have also announced funding of €15 million that is available under the 2021 Town & Village Renewal Scheme. A key focus of this year’s scheme is to renovate derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres, including for residential living. I have increased the maximum grant available under the Scheme to €500,000 to permit projects of additional scale to be funded. I expect to announce the successful projects shortly.
In relation to access to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, local authorities invite expressions of interest from local community groups in the first instance. Projects are assessed locally and then selected projects are submitted to my Department for competitive evaluation.
106. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of funding provided to community and voluntary organisations, not-for-profit and charitable organisations by her Department to help with the impact of Covid-19 and related measures on the finances of the organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60045/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra712. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding provided to community and voluntary organisations by her Department to assist with the impact of Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic. [60009/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 712 together.
The Government are aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and are committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. To that end, Government and my Department introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health.
In 2020, a €50 million support package for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Charities and Social Enterprises was launched by Government and administered by my Department. This funding was made available from the Dormant Accounts Fund and consisted of the COVID-19 Stability Fund and the Innovate Together Fund.
Through the COVID-19 Stability Fund my Department supported close to 600 organisations to continue to deliver vital services to the most vulnerable in our communities. A further allocation of €10m was provided to the Stability Fund for 2021 as part of the revised Resilience and Recovery Plan announced on Tuesday 23rd February by the Taoiseach.
The COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 was similarly targeted at organisations which deliver critical services to vulnerable people within their community but which faced closure or a loss of service due to the impact of the pandemic. 244 organisations were supported under the 2021 Stability Fund. All allocations are published on the Gov.ie website, available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/3957e-covid-19-stability-fund-successful-applicants/. The Fund is now closed.
The Innovate Together Fund was launched in May 2020 and was administered by Rethink Ireland and consisted of a €5 million commitment from my Department's Dormant Accounts Funds and €0.6 from philanthropic donations. The purpose of the fund was to assist organisations working with vulnerable people and communities by fostering innovative and adaptive solutions to both existing and emerging social challenges presented by the current pandemic. 71 projects received cash grants of between €20,000 and €200,000 as well as non-financial business supports including physical and mental health supports, online education, community outreach, sustainability, food security and reskilling the workforce.
My Department currently supports over 420 community organisations under the Community Services Programme (CSP) to provide local services through a social enterprise model. My Department recently announced a further extension of €1m to the CSP Support Fund to cover the period up to December 2021, bringing the total funding allocated to the CSP Support Fund to €8.95m for 2020-2021. This funding was provided to CSP supported organisations who required additional assistance to continue to retain their CSP supported employees on their payroll, provided assistance for the Employers PRSI contribution and supported organisations considered by my Department to be most in need to cover overhead costs such as insurance, light, heat and Audit fees.
Most recently, on Thursday, 11th November 2021, I was pleased to launch the new Community Activities Fund . This €9m fund is being provided by the Government to support community and voluntary groups impacted by COVID-19. This once-off funding will be allocated under the Department’s Community Enhancement Programme and in order to ensure there is sufficient flexibility to allow funding to be targeted to where it is needed in each Local Authority area, it will be administered locally by the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs).
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. Groups will also be able to use the funding to carry out necessary repairs and to purchase equipment such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and training equipment.
In general, I would encourage all organisations to continue to engage with their Local Authority and Local Development Company, and to check on the Gov.ie website in order to be aware of funding opportunities as they become available.
107. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the definition of rural area will be the same for the forthcoming Leader programme as it was for the previous programme that ran to 2020; the criteria that will be used to allocate funding to local area groups under the new programme; the scoring given to rurality in these criteria and if it is intended to strengthen this scoring in the forthcoming Leader programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60216/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland has a much higher percentage of its territory and population living in rural areas than the EU27 average. Our Rural Future 2021-2025, Ireland’s rural development policy is cognisant of this and highlights the need for a flexible approach to address the needs of different rural areas in a meaningful way. The policy recognises the reality that many medium and large towns are intrinsic to sustaining viable rural communities while also having an interdependence with their rural hinterlands.
The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) defined rural Ireland as ‘all areas located beyond the administrative boundaries of the five largest cities’ and so encompassed open countryside, as well as small, medium and large towns. This definition is consistent with Our Rural Future’s requirement to adopt a holistic and place-based approach to rural development. This is the definition which has been included in the draft programme outline for LEADER in the draft CAP Strategic Plan 2023 -2027. This is the the same definition as used in the curent Rural Development Programme.
Preparations for the design and delivery of the next LEADER programme from 2023-2027 are well underway. My Department has commissioned an independent review of the delivery structures for the current programme, which is nearing completion. This review will draw on the experience of all stakeholders in the 2014 to 2020 LEADER programme and help to underpin effective scheme design for the new LEADER programme.
Decisions relating to the distribution of funding to the Local Action Groups will form part of the programme design, which is currently ongoing. The draft outline of the new CAP Strategic Plan is currently the subject of a public consultation. This consultation process is being administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and closes on 8 December. Ongoing stakeholder consultation will, however, form part of the LEADER design process in the coming months.
108. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the development of a rural-proofing mechanism to support the Our Rural Future Strategy considering examples of rural-proofing legislation in the North and mechanisms in Sweden and New Zealand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60146/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra‘Our Rural Future’ is the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in Ireland for decades.
The policy contains 152 measures for delivery across the whole-of-Government, with the underlying theme of economic, environmental and societal sustainability. The policy has a vision of ensuring vibrant and thriving rural towns and villages, with a key objective to maximise opportunities for individuals, communities and businesses in rural areas. It recognises that rural areas play an integral role in the economic, social and cultural recovery and wellbeing of the country.
The policy commits to developing an effective rural proofing model. This will ensure that all departments fully consider the effects of new proposals on rural communities, the need to better target the particular challenges and opportunities facing rural areas, and to highlight any impacts that may arise.
The 2021 Our Rural Future Work Plan which I published earlier this year, sets out that a scoping exercise will be carried out to progress this issue. In this regard, my Department has now engaged independent consultants to fully examine the issue of rural proofing in Ireland. Their work will include consideration of rural proofing initiatives internationally, including Northern Ireland and other jurisdictions as noted by the Deputy. The ensuing report will present a series of recommendations on approaches to rural proofing and is anticipated for completion in early 2022.
110. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will report on the Programme for Government commitment to expand the Dublin north east inner city model to other comparative areas experiencing disadvantage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60223/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the NEIC Initiative, my Department is providing €6.5m towards the regeneration of the Dublin North East Inner City area in 2021, to help ensure that the recommendations of the Mulvey Report and the actions contained in the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020 - 2022 are implemented. Funding of €7.5m will be provided in 2021.
It is also worth noting that the Dublin North East Inner City area and other disadvantaged areas across Ireland also receive other supports from my Department. For example, my Department funds the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme, or SICAP, a six year national programme with funding of over €200m, delivered locally, to help those in the greatest need. SICAP provides vital support to those community groups and individuals and its budget for 2022 has increased by 10% to approximately €44m.
In addition, under the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) my Department provides funding so that community groups can avail of small grants to improve facilities in their areas.
For both SICAP and the CEP, the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) in each area manages the programme at a local level to ensure the funding is used to address disadvantage.
Local Community Development Committees play a key role in tackling issues in disadvantaged areas, bringing a more coordinated, whole-of-Government approach to local and community development. The LCDC structure provides a useful mechanism to ensure that local knowledge is used to target funding to where it is needed most in a particular area. They are best placed to ensure that state funding is channelled to those areas and communities most in need.
I am conscious of the Programme for Government commitment to expand the Dublin North East Inner City Model and my officials are currently working to consider how this can best be achieved, while considering the important role that LCDCs can play in this regard.
The Government has a clear commitment to ensuring that we learn from the North East Inner City Initiative. We want to build upon our work there and ensure that we apply that learning appropriately in the context of other communities facing social and economic challenges.
111. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding allocated by her Department in 2021 to local authorities for the local improvement scheme; the funding that will be provided in 2022; when allocations will be made to local authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60200/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of 'Our Rural Future', the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. The Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities and represents a vital piece of infrastructure for rural communities.
The scheme has been funded by my Department since 2017 and is administered by Local Authorities. Prior to 2017, the scheme was not funded for a number of years.
I launched the 2021 Scheme on 14th May with a budget of €10.5 million. I was very pleased to source additional funding for the Scheme during the year and to allocate a further round of funding on 29th July to bring the total level of funding to €21 million this year.
I was also pleased to be in a position to again announce an increase in the funding for LIS from €10.5 million to €11 million as part of Budget 2022.
I have set out in the table below the allocations to individual authorities under the 2021 Scheme. Payments by my Department under the Scheme have now been processed for 2021 following the completion of works by the Local Authorities.
|
County |
LIS 2021 Allocation |
|
Carlow |
€463,931 |
|
Cavan |
€1,119,389 |
|
Clare |
€828,528 |
|
Cork |
€1,412,738 |
|
Donegal |
€1,188,403 |
|
Galway |
€1,580,871 |
|
Kerry |
€1,187,099 |
|
Kildare |
€495,586 |
|
Kilkenny |
€778,682 |
|
Laois |
€554,259 |
|
Leitrim |
€503,830 |
|
Limerick |
€1,504,659 |
|
Longford |
€393,041 |
|
Louth |
€417,821 |
|
Mayo |
€1,361,625 |
|
Meath |
€803,937 |
|
Monaghan |
€1,326,223 |
|
Offaly |
€545,240 |
|
Roscommon |
€445,495 |
|
Sligo |
€470,542 |
|
Tipperary |
€721,531 |
|
Waterford |
€872,759 |
|
Westmeath |
€628,389 |
|
Wexford |
€653,786 |
|
Wicklow |
€741,635 |
