Dáil debates
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Rural Schemes
9:40 pm
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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46. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development how her Department will work with local authorities to encourage them to apply for new funding for the town and village renewal scheme; if there will be a minimum submission requirement for each local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41426/23]
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Paul Donnelly, as Deputy Ó Laoghaire's representative, to introduce the first question.
Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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How will the Department work with local authorities to encourage them to apply for new funding for the town and village renewal scheme? Will there be a minimum submission requirement for each local authority? I ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter.
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for asking this question. Introduced in 2016, the town and village renewal scheme is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since its launch, over €156 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects supporting towns and villages the length and breadth of the country.
As committed to in Our Rural Future, Ireland's rural development policy, the town and village renewal scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities. This year's scheme has a renewed focus on town centre economic and social vibrancy.
This will be achieved through projects focusing on town regeneration, enhancing streetscapes and bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as community multi-purpose spaces through refurbishment and renovation.
The town and village renewal scheme is administered through local authorities, which work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact on rural towns and villages. Under the 2023 town and village renewal scheme, there is no minimum submission requirement. However, local authorities are invited to submit up to five applications up to the value of €1.5 million per local authority. For areas with inhabited offshore islands, six applications are permitted up to a maximum of €1.75 million. The town and village renewal scheme team in my Department engages systematically with local authorities and assists with any queries that may arise during the process of advertising, preparing and submitting applications to ensure the scheme has the maximum impact. Applications under this year's scheme must be received by my Department by close of business on 10 November 2023.
9:50 pm
Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the fact that it is now open. In the previous discussion that Deputy Ó Laoghaire may have had, it might not have been officially launched. If I am correct, I think it was launched in July. It is a really good idea. I notice the ring-fenced projects for the offshore island communities. As the Minister knows, we had an historic moment last Friday when we were on Árainn Mhór for the first committee meeting on the islands, which was broadcast live. It was extremely warmly welcomed by the islanders themselves. Something that really caught me in the couple of days I spent on Árainn Mhór was the need for investment, especially relating to dereliction. There seems to be a lot of dereliction on that island. There is not on others. There is a brilliant, vibrant community there who use their own resources and skills to build brilliant community initiatives. I noticed the plaza they had on the beach. It was absolutely fantastic. It is a huge addition to the community.
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am delighted the Deputy was on Árainn Mhór because I was there earlier in the year when we launched the islands policy. That lovely plaza on the beach was funded through my Department. It is a wonderful asset to the community. There is also a fantastic remote working hub on the island as well. I was delighted, when I was watching culture night, that one of the shows came live from Árainn Mhór, on the plaza on the beach. It would do your heart good just to see it. There is a really vibrant community in Árainn Mhór. I have visited the island three times. If one wants an example of how the town and village renewal scheme and other supports from my Department are working, it is a very good one. I was delighted to work with Donegal County Council to fund the local improvement scheme, which is a scheme in which we put a special allocation aside for the islands. I do not know whether the Deputy got the chance to go out to see the lighthouse.
Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I did.
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There is a wonderful road out to the lighthouse. It was in a bit of a mess, to say the least. That has all been funded. That is a good news story. We need to build on that. The town and village renewal scheme was set up way back in 2016 when I was in the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. I introduced the scheme. It is a bottom-up approach. That means that communities know what they want and I think it is a good scheme.
Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I met Jerry Early, who brought the Minister around the island on the day and probably brought her on that bumpy road to ensure that the funding came through. I would like to ask one question. The press release at the launch also had a statement on refurbishment of existing community centres. Is that in addition to the existing community centres fund? Can someone apply for both or is it separate?
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We have increased the maximum grant under the town and village renewal scheme to €500,000. Last year, there was €27 million under the scheme. As I said, it is a ground-up approach. We put a focus on improving streetscape. There have been grants for businesses to do up their premises, put on the traditional shopfront, paint the building and put in some outdoor dining spaces. That is making a real difference. We have a larger project where local groups can use town and village renewal scheme funding to buy an old building and convert it for community use. If they want to use that as a community hall, that is fine. There are examples of old schools, bank buildings, courthouses and even old railway stations that are being converted into community centres and remote working hubs. In answer to the Deputy's question, yes, they can do that. It is about local need. In some places, parts of the building could be turned into a home for the men's shed, which is very popular, because for some men's sheds, it is hard to get the right properties.