Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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75. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on the future allocations under the community centres investment fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53898/22]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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82. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide an update on allocations under the community centres investment fund and further calls for the scheme. [53864/22]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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114. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when further community centre grants will be announced and open for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53869/22]

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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129. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will outline any findings arising from the recently announced community centres investment fund; and if she intends to continue the scheme in 2023. [53867/22]

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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There are four questions in this group and limited time to deal with them. I propose that each Deputy have a minute each to put a question to the Minister, to which she will respond. I ask Deputies to take no more than 30 seconds each for their supplementary questions in order to leave the Minister time to come in again. Is that agreed?

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Will the Acting Chairman clarify the procedure?

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Dillon will have 30 seconds to introduce the group of questions, to which the Minister will respond. I will then go back to Deputy Dillon, who will have one minute to speak, the Minister will have one minute to respond and then the same will be done for the three other Deputies. After that, each Deputy will have 30 seconds each for supplementary questions, which will leave the Minister time to respond collectively to those questions. We will try that and see how it goes.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Community centres and parish halls are the core and heartbeat of many rural communities, towns and villages. The community centres investment fund has been a game changer for many community groups and organisations. Will the Minister give an update on future allocations under the fund?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 82, 114 and 129 together.

I am committed to supporting communities across Ireland through my Department's two strategies, namely, Our Rural Future and Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities. As part of that commitment and in line with the programme for Government, I launched the €15 million community centres investment fund in April this year. The fund was available to community groups under three categories. Category 1 was for grants up to €25,000, category 2 for grants between €25,001 and €100,000 and category 3 for grants between €100,001 and €300,000. The fund closed to applications in July.

Interest was extremely high, with more than 1,000 applications received under the three categories. All applications were subject to a competitive appraisal process that has been ongoing since the closing date. Earlier this month, I announced more than €12.5 million in funding for 580 successful category 1 applicants, details of which are available on my Department's website. Due to the high level of applications to the fund, the appraisal process is still ongoing for categories 2 and 3. I expect to make announcements on the outcome of the process in the coming weeks.

In response to the extremely high level of demand for the fund, I am delighted to inform the House that I have secured €20 million in funding in the budget for a 2023 community centres investment fund. It is intended that the 2023 fund will be targeted at new-build community centres, as well as upgrades and improvements to existing centres. The details of the scheme are currently being developed by officials within my Department and further details will be announced early next year.

The funding under the community centres investment fund was open to groups from both urban and rural areas, particularly disadvantaged areas. When I announced the funding last July, we tried to encompass as many projects as possible. We looked at works to improve communal facilities, such as kitchen and toilet facilities, energy retrofitting, including new windows, doors and heating systems, upgrades to lighting systems and stage areas, works to address safety concerns, including those identified as a result of fire safety audits, works to improve disability access, improvements to provide additional or better services to communities, such as meals for the elderly and youth facilities, works to develop community centres as social hubs through the development of community cinemas, youth hubs and community libraries, and essential maintenance work, such as repairs to roofs and so on. Many community centres were unable to do their usual fundraising during the Covid crisis. A large number had a leaking roof, for example, or needed to upgrade their kitchen. This was a particularly welcome fund and there was a large number of applications.

I was delighted to include upgrades to GAA clubhouses in the fund. Many clubhouses, particularly in rural areas, also function as community centres. They could not get money from the sports capital fund to upgrade the clubhouses because that funding is only for sports facilities. I was delighted to include them in this round of funding, which meant we were able to support a good number of GAA centres around the country.

As Members know they are at the heart of rural Ireland. As I said, I was delighted to secure the €20 million for the further iteration of the fund in 2023. It will once again look at more upgrades and refurbishment of existing centres. We tried to fund as many as we could. In the case of those that did not get funding this time, either the application was not eligible or did not meet the criteria or it scored very badly. A great many of the applications were funded. About 90% of them were funded. We tried to spread the loaves and fishes as far as possible and it was very well received.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her response. In Mayo it was well received by 30 community groups and organisations that received funding in the region of €640,000. Some of the awardees locally were Partry, Ballyhean, Turlough, Cong, Islandeady and Balla and the feedback has been tremendous. I also want to compliment the Minister on her earlier points in regard to sporting bodies such as Charlestown Bellaghy recreational development centre and Mayo Gaels GAA club. They received essential funding for the upgrade of lighting systems. Also, funding was directly targeted at essential repairs to leaking roofs and so forth, which possibly they would only get during the sports capital programme. It was certainly very welcome.

As for the unsuccessful applicants under category 1, will they have an opportunity to appeal a decision or will they have to reapply in 2023?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Dillon has been a strong advocate for projects in County Mayo. Mayo did very well actually. I have a long list to hand of projects funded. It is important that we help these community centres. The Deputy asked me whether there is an appeals system and there is. We asked Pobal to assess these applications for us and it did so. There will be an appeal system whereby an organisation that has not been successful can see exactly where it fell down. The good news is that I am trying to put a fund together for next year. If at first you do not succeed, I always recommend that you try again. Maybe with some changes the application can be successful the next time. Good projects always get money.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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This is great scheme. In Limerick at the start of October, we got €680,000 for 33 projects under category 1. There were some great projects. As for categories 2 and 3, many worthwhile projects are seeking funding, such as St. Munchin's Community Centre, Kileely, in the city, Murroe Wood Park, which has done fantastic community work, Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre, Childers Road, Limerick city, and Hope for People with Autism, under Dóchas. When does the Minister anticipate that the announcement will be made? I know the difference this scheme makes to groups. I have seen groups such as Caherdavin Community Centre, the Cari Foundation, Mulcair Men’s Shed, Abington, and Southill Hub with the tranche going to category 1 and what a difference it has made to community groups. In regard to the timing for categories 2 and 3, when will the Minister be making that announcement? This is a brilliant scheme.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy O'Donnell. There is a good long list in Limerick as well. I want to thank all the Deputies. I believe everybody supported me on this scheme because it makes a huge difference to communities. That is what we are about. We are about helping people and communities to realise their ambition for their areas. There is nothing more annoying than struggling at community level and just needing a few pounds. It does not take an awful lot and it makes a difference. We get good value because they match it. Many of the centres had not been upgraded for decades.

In respect of categories 2 and 3 they are at a final stage of assessment. It is not finished yet but I hope to announce categories 2 and 3 in the coming weeks. The money is tight because we originally had €15 million in the fund. As we received more than €70 million worth of applications, there was a touch of the loaves and fishes about it. We will keep at it.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. She outstrips anything in the New Testament in terms of what she has done there with the funding.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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She is walking on water, is she?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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No, you would drown.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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It has been very welcome. My parish community centre benefited from €25,000 under category 1. This was one of 27 projects funded in County Kerry. This was most welcome. In a small rural parish, collecting €25,000 is virtually impossible in the current times so that funding from the Government is crucial. I remember in the 1980s going around in the back of my father's Fiat 127. Along with the other members of the community council, he was collecting £5 a month from householders to build the centre. It now needs reinvestment. This funding is a huge boost to a small rural community. It is the same throughout the country. I congratulate the Minister and thank her for putting the fund in place for next year also. I encourage the further categories to be announced as soon as possible. The good people of Listowel have been on to me about Listowel Community Centre. They do fantastic work there. The term, "community centre", explains what is going on there. These places are at the centre of their communities. The work that goes on in them is enormously important. This funding is crucially important as well.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is important that we look at new schemes that help communities all the time. I value the input that I get in this Chamber and from each Member individually. At different points, Members say to me that I should look at this or that and I continually review the schemes. In fairness, there was a great number of successful applications in County Kerry, averaging around €18,000, €19,000 or up to €25,000, which was the maximum. Many of them did very well. I will share a story with Members. I remember when I was first elected to the Dáil and a small grant for about €10,000 came out. I had been working on it for a while and phoned this community group to advise it had received €10,000. That is not a lot of money in the overall scheme of things. The boy said to me, "You know, I would be a long time standing at the traffic lights in Monaghan with a bucket by the time I would get €10,000". That is the difference it makes. We need to support communities.

Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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This is a most welcome scheme. It is the first time ever that we have had a dedicated national scheme focusing solely on community centres throughout rural Ireland. I live in a small, rural village, Carrabane, in east Galway and when I look at my own community centre it is the very epicentre of life in that community right from the beginning of life through to the end of life. It starts with a mother and toddler group, it has Foróige and scouts and older citizens meet there regularly. We even have yoga for men on Monday nights which I have yet to partake in but am looking forward to.

In assessing all the applications that came in, did any trends emerge in regard to the most pressing needs from within the community centre network throughout the country? Also, I ask the Minister to contemplate at some point in the future, perhaps with Cabinet colleagues, on the real possibility that many of these centres could be used as social centres for retirement villages throughout our rural communities. There are many good examples and exemplars being established internationally now that there is an aging population that these centres could serve much more than just their current needs. They could become the epicentre for very successful retirement facilities immersed and embedded within our rural communities.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cannon. He is right actually. It could be a social centre for a retirement village. I visited Bree, Wexford, a few weeks ago where they have a wonderful community centre. It is like a campus. They have everything together including the community centre, the GAA club, with a school and a crèche beside it. These are all together, so that when you leave one you just walk to the next, which is a big advantage. This was thanks to the vision of people many years ago to buy a plot of land that made this a very successful centre. It was helping people and providing services for people with disabilities. There is a wide range of services. I was in Fettercairn, Tallaght, and launched the fund out there.

I saw the difference it will make to its centre as well. It is not just about the rural areas; it is about the city areas well. It encourages them and helps them to do the work that they need to do. It also shows that Government is investing in them and that we want to support them.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is no coincidence that there were more than 1,000 applicants on the basis that the Department scheduled a number of online events in May and June. That was central in order to support communities in the application process. As public representatives, it certainly made our job easier in promoting this scheme. It is positive to hear that the Government is increasing the national pot next year to €20 million. I look forward to the applications opening in 2023 and to further announcements for categories 2 and 3.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The scheme speaks for itself. The Minister referenced how hard it would be to collect €10,000 at traffic lights with a bucket. The limit of €25,000 in category 1 has made a phenomenal difference to communities. Next year, there will be many smaller groups out there looking at this. We are now at the end of 2022. When will the scheme for category 1 reopen next year?

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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Will the scheme be expanded next year to cover family resource centres? For example, there is a family resource centre in Cahersiveen in County Kerry doing enormously important work in the wider south Kerry community. It recently purchased a building that it is hoping to do up and improve. Unfortunately, Kerry County Council did not put it forward for funding recently under the rural regeneration scheme. However, this may be a scheme that would cover it if it could be expanded. Will the Minister please consider that?

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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The Minister’s policy is completely wrong. The Government is like a rich city government, chucking a few pennies up into the air and seeing rural communities scramble around to pick up the money. It is a recipe for parish pump politics and we can see Deputies smile and smirk regarding the grants that they have been involved in doling out to people.

We need to make rural areas viable on their on basis rather than dependent on handouts from the State. That is what is happening in the country. Rural areas are depleting from their young population leaving. This is the wrong approach.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Gutter politics. The Deputy is doing himself a disservice.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I cannot agree with what the Deputy said. If he was going around the country visiting communities, like I am doing-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Deputies are smirking and smiling here about money that everybody has handed out to their people.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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-----talking and listening to people-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Where is the viability?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We are supporting communities.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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They are not viable.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We are helping communities realise their ambitions. There has been unprecedented investment in rural Ireland. The Deputy is out of touch to be making those accusations. To be quite honest, he is completely out of touch.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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Young people are moving out of rural Ireland.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We are listening to people.

I will go back and answer the other questions. Pobal assessed every single one of those applications.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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You made process for them to assess-----

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Of course we did, because this is what people wanted. I will not-----

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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They want viable communities.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This is what communities wanted.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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Deputy Tóibín.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We consult and we talk to people. I listen to the Deputies, hear what is needed on the ground and we develop the support for communities and rural Ireland. There has been unprecedented investment, as I said earlier.

We will look at this scheme. We just allocated the funding. We will look at the findings and if we need to make changes or make it better, we are open to listening to people. The Deputy should consult with his communities, find out what they need and come back to me. That applies to all the Deputies. I did not get any suggestions from Deputy Tóibín.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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I will give the Minister one on the next question.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy should consult with the communities and hear what they want on the ground. This is a bottom-up approach. Like everything we do in the Department of Rural and Community Development, it is bottom-up. It is led by communities and it is supporting and empowering them. We want to continue to do that and deliver for them. I apologise to the Acting Chair.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Deputies for their co-operation in trying to get through that big group.