Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

A range of my Department's programmes contribute to the enhancement of community facilities. They include a €4.5 million 2021 community enhancement programme, which was launched on 10 May. The programme provides grants to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas and is administered by the local community development committees, LCDCs, in each local authority area. A €49 million CSP for 2021 supports 420 community organisations to provide local, social, economic and environmental services. Another programme is the town and village renewal scheme, which involves project support and the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages, including public realm projects, remote working hubs, town centre enhancements, encouraging town centre living and addressing vacancy and dereliction. The connected hubs fund of €5 million will expand existing hub facilities to provide additional hot desks, office space and meeting rooms for remote working, the installation of electric car charging points, the upgrading of disability access and the improvement of IT facilities located within hubs or broadband connection points.

The dormant accounts fund provides funding for community initiatives and supports, including support for social enterprises. The outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme provides funding for the development or enhancement, or both, of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as trails, walkways, cycleways and blueways in rural areas. The 2021 CLÁR programme is providing support for schools and community safety measures, outdoor community and recreation facilities, community gardens and allotments, and mobility and cancer care transport. The €250 million LEADER programme grant aid is available to rural communities and businesses for projects focused on economic and enterprise development, job creation, social inclusion and supporting the rural environment. All schemes are open to applications from eligible groups during the application timeframes set for each scheme or programme.

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