Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Jordan for his opening statement. One of the frustrating things we have seen relates to the delivery of projects under the rural regeneration scheme and the urban regeneration scheme. The Department focus is very much on the rural regeneration scheme. The way this has been structured is in such a manner that it is done through the local authorities or some other sponsoring body. The objective behind this is to streamline the application process so that we are not reliant on communities to do this and to address the matched funding issue.

As the Department knows, some local authorities have been very proactive on this. We had evidence early this year from Roscommon County Council that was ahead of the curve. Town teams had already been put in place in County Roscommon. The physical social infrastructure to try to develop urban and rural projects was already in place. Roscommon County Council also used the additional income it was getting from the property tax, as it had gone to the maximum level it could, to raise a capital loan of €10 million to facilitate the matching funding for this.

Some local authorities have been very good at accessing funding and drawing it down. We have seen the transformational impact this has had in town throughout the country. Other local authorities have been very much behind the curve on this for various reasons. The impact of the fund in these counties has been significantly less as a result. While the primary objective behind this is a competitive fund clearly there are problems in some local authorities in accessing the fund. Whether it is due to the lack of capacity in the local authority itself, access to the matching capital funding or the type of social structures to facilitate engagement with communities, they are falling down in relation to it.

It is clear from the work the Department is doing that it can identify, and the Minister can roll off her tongue, the local authorities performing well and others that are not performing as well.

What has it done to date or what measures could be considered to try to ensure that these laggards in accessing this funding could actually in the last few years of the funding now try to draw down additional funds? Ultimately the communities are losing out as a result of this. I know the Department has brought clusters of local authorities together to share best practice. In fairness, the Department of Rural and Community Development has been very proactive on this. I know it has done this with the mobile phone and broadband task force in bringing the various local authorities together to share best practice. It has done so in this area as well, but it has not been as effective. What more can be done at this stage to try to specifically engage with those local authorities? Ultimately the communities are losing out as a result of that. I apologise for the long-winded question.