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

There is a challenge at local authority level. The other side of it relates to community capacity. Some communities are very good at doing this. Deputy Ó Cuív and I have spoken about this previously. Some communities, particularly more disadvantaged urban communities, may not have the capacity and the community leadership is not there. As a result of that, these communities get left behind. Approximately 18 months ago we received evidence from Dr. Karen Keaveney of University College Dublin, which had done a number of pilots in communities along the west coast and found that the indigenous capacity was not there to make applications under rural regeneration or some of the other schemes. UCD worked with them to try to put these plans in place. That is great but many of us would be very concerned that some urban communities will not have that capacity. Traditionally, the communities that shout loudest or have the local leadership are the ones that tend to get the funding. We have seen the impact that has had historically in some communities.

I know that the current Government and the previous Government tried to recalibrate that, particularly in Dublin city with the north inner-city project. However, there are many more disadvantaged communities or communities with a unique set of challenges in different parts of the country. What can the Department do to ensure that well-developed plans can come from those communities which can actually be transformational? I see the impact it has had in County Roscommon, as Mr. Moylan would also know from first hand. As we have been able to make such investment, it has brought a positive attitude throughout the whole community. Far more applications are being made from start-up businesses working with the local enterprise office now purely as a result of the aesthetics being improved, with investment going into the Food Hub in Castlerea, tourism development in Boyle and the technology hub in Monksland. It has had a transformational impact. What can we do to crack that nut in those particular communities?