Gary Gannon
Ceist:58. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the work of the north-east inner city task force. [60867/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartmental Bodies
Ceisteanna (58)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government has provided over €38.2 million to date in funding for the North East Inner City Initiative (NEIC) via my Department to help ensure that the recommendations of the Mulvey Report and the actions contained in the NEIC Strategic Plan 2020-2022 are implemented.
In 2022 the NEIC Programme Implementation Board took the decision to extend the Strategic Plan by a further year in light of the difficulties experienced during the pandemic. The Government has committed a further €7.5 million for 2023. It remains committed to supporting and investing in the North East Inner City Initiative, ensuring that the Chairperson and the Board have the necessary resources to achieve their targets and fulfil the ambition to help make the area a better place in which to live and work.
On 5th December, the Taoiseach joined the Chairperson and members of the Programme Implementation Board to launch the NEIC Initiative’s 2022 Progress Report which highlights all of the work progressed throughout the year. This Report, along with all of the Progress Reports since 2017, is available on the NEIC website www.neic.ie.
Question No. 59 answered with Question No. 46.
Departmental Strategies
Ceisteanna (60)
Thomas Gould
Ceist:60. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the role that her Department is playing in the national drugs strategy. [62692/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My officials have regular engagement with the Department of Health regarding the National Drugs Strategy. My Department is represented on the Strategic Implementation Group (4) of Reducing Harm and Supporting Recovery. This group comprises sectoral, agency and Departmental officials.
The strategy is relevant to my Department's work in the community and voluntary sectors as it is vital in ensuring the collective input of the statutory, community and voluntary sectors, to provide a coordinated response to drug and alcohol use in Irish society.
The strategy also involves mobilising communities and building their resilience to respond to the drug problem, particularly in marginalised communities. This links well with my Department’s Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme (SICAP 2018 - 2023), which supports those hardest to reach, and those who are most at risk of marginalisation.
My Department has two main goals within the strategy, which relate to providing community supports in collaboration with schools and other youth programmes, and improving the life chances of those that are marginalised in society. My Department will continue to assist with the important work of the National Drugs Strategy into the future.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (61)
Seán Sherlock
Ceist:61. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the fund for tidy towns will increase to reflect the lower number of outdoor staff in local authority areas. [62548/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique community movement which has a huge impact on our communities throughout Ireland. It is an extremely effective and important sustainability initiative in Ireland, both from an environmental and community perspective. It encourages communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit. The competition has evolved in recent years, widening its focus to supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
TidyTowns groups contribute to making places great locations to live, work or indeed visit. They do this with the support of local businesses, voluntary groups, schools and indeed the entire community.
At the national awards ceremony in the RDS in October, I was delighted to announce Trim, Co Meath as Ireland's Tidiest Town for 2022. At the event I also announced a funding package of €1.4 million to support TidyTowns groups in their initiatives for the 2023 competition. This funding brings the total allocation by my Department since 2017 to €8.1 million in direct funding to over 1,000 TidyTowns groups.
The voluntary effort and dedication of each TidyTown group is also typically supported by the local authority in which a given group operates. However, my Department has no role in relation to the employment of outdoor staff in local authorities.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (62)
Seán Sherlock
Ceist:62. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the next round of the Community Centre Investment fund will open. [62545/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and I was delighted to secure €20 million in funding under Budget 2023 to continue the Community Centres Investment Fund.
This builds on the €15 million which was announced under the fund in 2022. The huge interest in this fund shows how important community centres are for communities throughout Ireland. This Government is committed to providing funding to improve and upgrade these centres which will allow them to continue to provide services for communities to come together.
On October 12th, I announced over €12.5 million in funding for almost 580 successful Category 1 applicants. On December 8th, I was delighted to announce a further €33 million in funding for 278 successful Category 2 and 3 applicants. Details of the successful applicants are available on my Department’s website.
It is intended that the 2023 fund will be targeted for new build community centres as well as upgrades and improvements to existing centres. The details of this scheme are currently being developed by officials within my Department and I hope to announce further details in quarter 1 of 2023.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (63)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:63. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications that have been made for grants under the Community Support Fund. [61829/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Community Support Fund, launched on 18 November, is a new Fund designed to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s and Women’s Sheds. The fund will deliver small grants to help groups with running costs and rising energy bills. Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade works and to purchase equipment to support their activities such as laptops and printers, lawn mowers, training equipment, etc.
The funding is administered on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. Applications for funding can be made to the relevant LCDC. The fund is at launch/opening stage at present so information in relation to applications is not yet available.
Question No. 64 answered with Question No. 45.
Energy Prices
Ceisteanna (65)
Joe Flaherty
Ceist:65. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports that are available to community centres facing rising energy bills. [62482/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I was delighted to launch the Community Support Fund with funding of €10m on 18th November this year. This is a new fund under the Community Enhancement Programme designed to assist community groups across the country. Support is available to, for example, Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, Senior Citizen Groups and Men’s and Women’s Sheds.
The fund will deliver grants to help groups with rising energy and operational costs such as electricity bills, insurance costs etc. Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade or refurbishment works and for the purchase of equipment which supports their activities such as laptops and printers, training equipment, tables, chairs etc.
The Community Support Fund is being administered on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. Groups should contact their local LCDC for further details on the application process.
Separately, the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS), administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department, will provide once-off energy supports to organisations within the community and voluntary sector which fall outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by Government.
CVESS will support incorporated C&V sector organisations (i.e. those incorporated as CLGs or Co-Operatives) and/or registered charities only. While applications for Phase 1 closed on 2nd December, I can confirm that my department has streamlined the process for multi-site applicants in a further round of the scheme, which is now open. In addition, eligible organisations who missed the deadline for Phase One may also apply under Phase Two, with applications remaining open until 20th January 2023.
I was pleased to announce the first tranche of successful applicants under Phase One earlier this week, with further announcements to follow.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (66)
Alan Farrell
Ceist:66. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the supports that are available for an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62070/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department has provided a range of supports which both Men's and Women’s Sheds have availed of, depending on the works being completed.
For example, in 2018 the Community Enhancement Programme provided capital funding for community groups which included €0.5m that was ring-fenced for Men's Sheds and again in 2019, €0.5m was ring-fenced under the programme for both Men's and Women's Sheds.
In 2020, the Community Enhancement Programme received total funding of €7.2m, including €5m under the Government's July stimulus package for repairs and upgrades to community centres and community buildings. Under this programme, 124 men’s sheds projects benefited and received funding to the value of €207,836.
In 2021, the Community Enhancement Programme provided funding of €4.5m for small capital grants to community groups to enhance their facilities and towards the re-opening of facilities. Men's sheds along with other community groups could apply to this funding programme. 68 men’s sheds received funding to the value of €126,804 from this programme.
In November 2021, the €9m Community Activities Fund, under the Community Enhancement Programme was launched to support community groups impacted by COVID-19. This fund provided funding to support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running/operating costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities. Men’s Sheds were eligible to apply for this funding via their LCDCs.
The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) has provided supports to over 200 Men’s Sheds since 2018, with small grants totalling over €98,000 awarded to 116 Men’s Sheds. This support is still is available from SICAP.
My Department also funded the Irish Men’s Sheds Association under the COVID-19 Stability Funding in 2020. They distributed €70,424 equally among their member sheds to support the organisation to continue to deliver services despite the challenges brought by COVID-19.
The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary organisations. The current iteration commenced on 1 July 2022 and will cease on 30 June 2025. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association has been allocated total funding of €243,158 over the three year period of the scheme.
I recently awarded €800,000 in funding to Men's Sheds, meaning each Shed in the Country could get a grant of up to €2,000 by applying to their parent organisation.
And finally, Men's Sheds can apply to the recently launched Community Support Fund which provides supports to small groups who are struggling with running costs. Sheds should contact their local LCDC for details of this fund.
Rural Schemes
Ceisteanna (67)
Richard Bruton
Ceist:67. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has an early indication of the uptake of connected hubs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62744/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Our Rural Future, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy was launched in early 2021. The policy recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing a comprehensive and integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025.
In furtherance of this commitment, my Department’s focus to date has been on strategically developing the National Hub Network and the Network's shared online booking platform connectedhubs.ie, adding capacity to Ireland's existing remote working infrastructure, and supporting the establishment of new hubs.
There are currently 298 remote and co-working facilities across the country on-boarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform. This number is growing all the time, meaning we are well on track to meet our target of 400 remote working hubs nationwide by 2025. The attached table provides a breakdown of the 298 hubs by county (including hubs that have been mapped and identified to join the network).
To date, approximately €150m has been invested by my Department towards the establishment and development of remote working facilities through programmes such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. Successful projects are developed in collaboration with local authorities and communities, with many projects seeing vacant and derelict buildings in rural towns and villages converted into remote working hubs.
This investment includes €14 million to almost 200 projects via the Connected Hubs fund between 2021 and 2022, enabling successful applicants to add additional capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and Broadband Connection Points throughout the country.
The Deputy will appreciate that following the launch of Our Rural Future, the immediate priority has been on establishing the National Hub Network, putting the necessary infrastructure in place and achieving this initial critical mass.
Following strong progress on the establishment phase of the project our focus has shifted to the next stage of development. In June, I launched the Connected Hubs Voucher Scheme, designed to encourage those who have never used a hub to do so. The Scheme also supports those that are considering spending more time each week using a hub, rather than working from home. Since the launch of the Voucher Scheme, customers registered with connectedhubs.ie has risen to more than 10,000, an increase of more than 450%.
I am also pleased to say that the connectedhubs.ie team have for some time been developing a corporate service to engage with and support corporate clients interested in using our nationwide network to accommodate their employees, but also to gain access to the vast pool of talent that Ireland has to offer, whether those talented people live in our cities, towns, villages or rural parishes. I believe that this work represents a significant opportunity for employers of all sizes to leverage the National Hub Network directly.
I am committed to ensuring that the National Hub Network will continue to make a central contribution to the achievement of the Government's vision for rural Ireland, as set out in Our Rural Future.
TABLE 1 – Connectedhubs.ie - Remote Working Hubs by County (as of the 12th of December 2022)
|
- |
Live on the connectedhubs.ie platform |
Mapped to be invited to join the connectedhubs.ie platform |
Total |
|
Carlow |
5 |
8 |
13 |
|
Cavan |
7 |
7 |
14 |
|
Clare |
13 |
10 |
23 |
|
Cork |
30 |
16 |
46 |
|
Donegal |
15 |
18 |
33 |
|
Dublin |
46 |
35 |
81 |
|
Galway |
24 |
31 |
54 |
|
Kerry |
19 |
9 |
28 |
|
Kildare |
8 |
6 |
14 |
|
Kilkenny |
3 |
7 |
10 |
|
Laois |
4 |
7 |
11 |
|
Leitrim |
9 |
17 |
26 |
|
Limerick |
13 |
13 |
26 |
|
Longford |
4 |
6 |
10 |
|
Louth |
8 |
9 |
17 |
|
Mayo |
22 |
18 |
40 |
|
Meath |
6 |
17 |
23 |
|
Monaghan |
6 |
9 |
15 |
|
Offaly |
6 |
11 |
17 |
|
Roscommon |
8 |
14 |
22 |
|
Sligo |
6 |
8 |
14 |
|
Tipperary |
10 |
21 |
31 |
|
Waterford |
8 |
10 |
18 |
|
Westmeath |
3 |
10 |
13 |
|
Wexford |
7 |
10 |
17 |
|
Wicklow |
8 |
3 |
11 |
|
Total |
298 |
332 |
630 |