Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The gardens have proved very popular with local visitors and tourists alike and it is expected that the additional tourism generated by the opening of the house and the interpretative exhibition will greatly benefit the local and regional economies and job creation.

The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I are happy to take any questions on what we have said. Building on the remarks of the Minister, I would like to bring the following to the attention of the committee in respect of my role in this area. The recently announced outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme will provide funding for the development of outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the necessary maintenance, enhancement and promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas throughout Ireland. The 2017 scheme will be implemented over a period of up to 15 months to allow for the effective implementation of larger strategic projects. Applications to the value of €11 million will be approved this year. The facilities and amenities funded through this scheme will create better experiences for visitors to rural areas and will also enhance the quality of life for people who live in or close to the supported areas. Recreational tourism is a significant growth area, and the natural resources available to us here in Ireland offer great potential to avail of the economic benefits this type of tourism can offer.

The funding forms part of the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development, launched at the beginning of the year, and reinforces the ongoing commitment to support rural Ireland. The CLÁR programme is very important for communities in remote parts of rural Ireland, providing funding for small-scale capital projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation. I was pleased to be able to reopen the scheme last year, and an allocation of €5 million is being made available for CLÁR this year.

Following on from the success of the scheme, which was launched under the programme last year, funding is again available in 2017 for safety measures near schools and other community facilities, as well as funding for play areas. A new initiative under CLÁR for 2017 is support for voluntary first response organisations, which provide an excellent service in rural areas, often under very difficult circumstances. This funding will enable them to purchase or upgrade equipment that is fit for purpose in assisting them in their life-saving activities.

A sum of €1.75 million in funding is being made available in 2017 from the dormant accounts fund to assist social enterprises which support disadvantaged and marginalised communities and play a very important role in addressing social exclusion and unemployment and providing services that are often not offered on a commercial basis.

My Department has established the Atlantic economic corridor task force which includes senior representatives from the business community, public bodies, Departments, third level institutions and the wider community. I am very pleased to chair this task force. There is great potential in the area covered by the proposed corridor and it is vital that public, private and community sectors work together to maximise this potential in terms of natural resources, tourism and infrastructure.

The Tidy Towns competition, now in its 59th year, which is organised by my Department and sponsored by SuperValu, continues to be a well-recognised and successful way of encouraging community participation and volunteerism. It helps bring neighbours with shared values and shared interests together to improve their surroundings and make our villages, towns and cities better and more attractive places in which to live, work and do business. My Department also supports the related competitions: the Best Kept competition, which is a North-South collaboration; the EU-wide Entente Florale competition; and the Communities in Bloom competition.

The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I will take any questions in respect of any of these issues.