Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
91. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps that have been taken by her Department to ensure there is cross-departmental collaboration, so that new community-led projects can work efficiently to achieve the ambition of communities, particularly in coastal and island communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18046/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhole-of-government collaboration requires us all to work together across our organisations to develop better co-ordinated public services and policy which enables delivery of the Programme for Government. This is a key element not just of national policies, such as the National Planning Framework, but also in the achievement of sectoral strategies, for example the rural development policy, Our Rural Future and Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities, a five-year strategy to support the community and voluntary sector.
Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) have been established in all local authority areas to bring about a more integrated approach to local and community development including on our islands and in our coastal areas. They provide a local forum where strategic, multi-agency approaches are implemented. LCDCs bring together representatives from the community, local government, State agencies and local development bodies to develop and agree coordinated responses to locally agreed priorities. Local Economic and Community Plans are used by LCDCs to facilitate a more joined-up approach. These plans are being implemented across the country with local authorities and LCDCs now positioned as key drivers of local economic and community development.
It is important that we continue to support the LCDC structures as the primary vehicle for collaboration between all national public service providers at local level. For example, LCDCs and the Local Economic and Community Plans (LECP) provide a governance, planning and evidence based framework for the co-ordination and management of local funding including EU supported community-led local development funding to 2027. The Public Participation Network (PPN) also augments the LCDC and Local Authority supports for community led projects around the country.
In relation to energy generation projects, the Climate Action Plan 2021 sets a clear goal of having at least 500 MW renewables delivered through local community-based projects. These projects will be delivered through the dedicated Community category in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) as well as through the forthcoming Microgeneration & Small-Scale Generation schemes. My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, through the SEAI, has provided initial seed funding of €200k to support the establishment of the Community Enabling Framework under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). A further €2m in capital funding has been allocated to support the development of Community projects in 2022. The funding allocation this year will allow SEAI to rollout a trusted advisory service and enabling grants that are vital supports to enable the growth of the nascent community renewable electricity generation sector.
In addition to these measures, through Ireland’s participation in the Clean Energy for EU Islands initiative, our rural island communities can be part of the clean energy transition of the more than 2,200 inhabited European islands. We also currently have 12 of Ireland’s offshore islands as member communities across the Sustainable Energy Communities Network.
