Thomas Gould
Ceist:117. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development what support is available to volunteers looking to access the community centres investment fund – new builds measure. [3988/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 30 January 2024
Ceisteanna (117)
Freagraí scríofa
Community Centres are the cornerstone of community life in many towns, villages and urban areas around the country. I know the important role they play in community life in Ireland and I have provided funding for such facilities through a range of different funding instruments delivered by my Department.
In 2023, I announced a €20 million Fund to support communities with ‘shovel-ready’ projects on green or brownfield sites to build new community centres. The 2023 Community Centre Investment Fund targets areas which do not have an appropriate facility to meet the needs of their area.
Twenty-two applications under the Community Centre Investment Fund 2023 are currently being assessed by my Department and it is expected that successful projects will be announced in the coming weeks.
The new builds measure is currently closed for applications. Once the current round of funding has been finalised, I will then give consideration to the need for, and conditions that might be attached to, any further iterations of the scheme in the context of the available funding.
As the level of funding for individual new build centres is quite large (up to €6 million), applicants to the fund must be a state-funded body such as a local authority or local development company. However, it would be expected that any application would be submitted in collaboration with the community groups and volunteers in the locations where the centre is to be provided. I would advise any volunteer group to explore their options for funding with the local authority and local development company in their area.
My Department also supports and funds Public Participation Networks across the country. Public Participation Networks, or PPNs, provide representation for the community sector in Local Authority policymaking structures, giving local volunteers a greater say in local government decisions which affect their own communities. There is a PPN in each Local Authority area across the country, representing over 18,000 community and voluntary groups nationwide. The focus of the PPN is to empower and assist volunteer-led community representative groups to participate in local authority policymaking and decision-making.