Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 74, 78, 98 and 101 together.

I thank the Deputies for raising this issue. Community centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns and villages throughout the country. This Government recognises the important role these centres play in bringing people together and facilitating community services and events. As the Deputies are no doubt aware, I have prioritised the development and enhancement of community centres to improve access and provide suitable places for social gatherings in communities.

With this in mind, my Department has developed an extensive range of funding streams that are available to support communities and community facilities. This integrated programme of supports for the development and refurbishment of community centres across schemes includes the CLÁR programme, the LEADER programme, the town and village renewal scheme and, of course, the new community centres investment fund.

Under the 2022 community centre investment fund in particular, more than €45.8 million was committed for the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres. There was a huge uptake of this funding and more than 860 different projects are seeing improvements to the fabric of their community centres as a result of this Government initiative.

I understand that in excess of 140 of these projects are now complete and great progress is being made on the remaining approvals. In November I had the pleasure of attending one of the recipients of funding under the 2022 refurbishment allocation when I officially launched the first ever Irish Sign Language café and community inclusion atrium space in Cabra. While this project delivered structural improvements and enhancements to the building itself, the benefits go well beyond that. This project aims to support better employment opportunities for the local community. It is upskilling the community in Irish Sign Language and breaking down the barriers between the deaf and hearing communities. It was a very worthwhile investment of €100,000.

In recent years, we have all come to appreciate our community facilities even more. I look forward to seeing many more of these very worthy projects opening their doors to the wider community in the coming months and witnessing at first hand the difference that can be made from a social inclusion perspective by making greater use of our community centres.

Following on from this investment, I wanted to assist community groups that are striving to build their own community centre to service their local needs. That is why, in 2023, the focus of the community centres investment fund moved to new builds. Last year, I announced a €20 million fund to support communities with shovel-ready projects on greenfield or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. These shovel-ready projects have all the necessary planning and consents secured so they are already at an advanced stage and ready to commence following a tender process. This fund targets areas without an appropriate facility to meet their community's needs.

The scheme for new builds was open to applicants in both urban and rural communities. The minimum grant available was €1 million, with the maximum being €6 million. As the grant funding is substantial, and for the purposes of compliance with public financial procedures, the lead party to an application must be a State-funded body, for example, a local authority, a local development company, or a State agency.

The deadline for receipt of applications for the new-build measures has now passed. I was very pleased with the response to this initiative. In total, 22 applications for new-build community centres were received by my Department, including one in respect of Ballymote, as referenced by Deputy Harkin. The assessment of these applications is almost complete. I expect to announce the successful projects shortly. I was very impressed with the quality of many of the applications submitted. I know that this announcement is eagerly anticipated in these communities and the successful projects will no doubt make a big impact in their respective areas. With regard to extending the scheme further this year, I would like to see the current round of funding finalised and the majority of the projects completed and in use by their communities. I will, of course, give consideration to the need for further rounds of funding and any conditions that might be attached to any further iterations of the scheme in the context of available funding.

My Department is committed to building vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities. The moneys provided under the community centre investment fund will serve the communities involved for many years to come. I encourage people to make full use of their community centres. They are a wonderful asset and should be fully utilised.

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