Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach’s decision to establish the Department of Rural and Community Development underlines the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the economic recovery can be felt by every community and that we can create a sustainable future for rural Ireland. In respect of the various areas to which the Deputy's question referred, the Leader 2020 programme provides a €250 million contribution towards promoting the social and economic development of rural areas, including the improvement of local services. Funding is provided through local action groups based on local development strategies and in line with horizontal funding schemes developed at a national level.

I am also very pleased to be able to continue and to enhance some key initiatives, many of which are delivered by the voluntary and community sector, as well as some private providers, such as SICAP, the seniors alert scheme and the volunteering programme. In particular, I am pleased to bring to the Deputy's attention that, in working with Pobal on the seniors alert scheme, my Department has for the first time spent its full allocation under this programme in 2017. I allocated a further €400,000 for the scheme in response to the high demand. The revised scheme was a resounding success, with over 10,000 installations completed in 2017.

In regard to the volunteering programme, my Department has a long-standing working relationship with Volunteering Ireland, which works closely with my Department in the oversight and work of volunteer centres throughout the country. On key issues affecting the Border region, in particular Brexit, while my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, has primary responsibility for leading on Brexit negotiations, my Department is contributing on an ongoing basis to discussions and is providing policy advice relevant to its remit, when required.

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