Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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663. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to liaise with various community groups in Kildare north and throughout the country with a view to assisting them with their requirements under the appropriate headings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19581/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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666. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to engage with rural and community groups with a view to identifying the most pertinent needs of the respective communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19584/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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667. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to adopt rural and community programmes specifically aimed at the particular needs of relevant communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19585/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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668. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her proposals if any to expand eligibility and the number of schemes aimed at assisting communities in urban or rural settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19586/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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671. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she intends to expand the mission statement of her Department to meet particular areas that did not previously qualify for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19589/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 666 to 668, inclusive, and 671 together.

My Department's mission remains to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland.

My Department continues to liaise with stakeholders in communities around the county including through the Local Authorities, Local Community Development Committees, Public Participation Networks and the Local Development Companies to ensure that supports provided are timely and appropriate to the needs of those communities.

While the schemes administered by my Department have a consistent, ongoing focus, they are regularly adapted and supplemented in response to emerging needs identified through the aforementioned stakeholder engagement. Such examples are the Community Call Initiative, the Covid-19 Stability Scheme, the Accelerated Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme and the recently announced Community Recognition Fund.

My Department is currently preparing a new Statement of Strategy for 2023-2025 which will guide the delivery of an ambitious programme of work over the coming years, with the aim of making a significant and lasting difference to rural Ireland and communities throughout the country.

My Department will continue to engage with rural and urban stakeholders to identify issues impacting on communities and respond to emerging needs. I am confident that the funding supports and policies provided by my Department will continue to deliver tangible benefits for both urban and rural communities.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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664. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she and her Department have assisted various community groups throughout the country and north Kildare over the past three years, her intentions to continue in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19582/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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665. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total value of assistance offered to rural and community groups throughout Kildare north and throughout the country in each of the past three years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19583/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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669. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of unsuccessful applications by communities for inclusion by schemes operated by her Department in each of the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19587/23]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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670. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of successful applications by communities for inclusion by schemes operated by her Department in each of the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19588/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 664, 665, 669 and 670 together.

A vital part of my Department's mission is to support vibrant and sustainable communities across this country. My Department provides targeted investment and supports in both rural and urban communities, which enables rural regeneration, facilitates new working opportunities and fosters regional enterprise growth.

The amount allocated by my Department in the past three years is €323 million in 2020, €333 million in 2021, and €475 million in 2022. Kildare was allocated €7.9 million in 2020, €3.9 million in 2021, and €11.6 million in 2022.

This funding ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities throughout the country seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects.

We will continue to invest in and support communities across the country through our wide range of schemes such as the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER Programme, Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, Town and Village Renewal Scheme, Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme, Local Improvement Scheme, CLÁR Programme, Islands Capital Programme, Community Enhancement Programme, the Community Centre Investment Fund, Connected Hubs initiative, Libraries Investment Capital funding, PEACE IV Programme and the PEACE PLUS Programme.

All funding schemes operated by my Department are open to applications from eligible groups during the application timeframes set for each scheme or programme. Further information on all schemes and programmes, including details of successful applications can be found on my Department's website www.drcd.gov.ie.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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672. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her intentions for the current year in respect of the Leader Programme, whether she intends to introduce any modifications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19590/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched in 2021, which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. The programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level.

The process to select Local Actions Groups to deliver the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is under way at present. Applicants groups are due to submit completed their Local Development Strategy (LDS) for consideration by 14^thJuly 2023.

Full details of the selection process is available on my Department’s website.

The closure of the 2014-2020 and Transitional programmes is proceeding in parallel with the commencement of the new LEADER programme.

My officials are currently reviewing learnings from the 2014-2020 and Transitional LEADER programmes which will be incorporated into the new programme where feasible and in particular are examining ways of streamlining the process for lower value community based projects.

The 2023-2027 LEADER programme will be operational in Quarter 3 of this year and I look forward to its implementation and to ensuring that LEADER can continue to deliver real benefits to rural communities across Ireland.