Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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76. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to establish a dedicated grant scheme for the maintenance and upgrading of community playgrounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14526/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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Will the Minister commit to funding, in a direct and integrated way through our councils, playground provision for towns and villages according to their population size and based on an assessment of existing facilities?

Midleton, for example, is a thriving town in east Cork, but our playground provision nowhere near meets the needs of a large and growing local population of young families. We have no skate park. These amenities are desperately needed. We must ensure a proportionate development of community amenities in line with residential development.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Quaide for the question. There is no doubting the importance of playground facilities in communities. That is the reason my Department supports such facilities through the CLÁR programme, the local enhancement programme, the LEADER programme, the community recognition fund and the town and village renewal scheme.

The CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation. The programme provides funding for community recreation facilities and amenities, including playgrounds. We are announcing the 2025 programme in the coming weeks.

The LEADER programme provides support to rural communities under a range of themes, including rural infrastructure and social inclusion. For many years, LEADER has supported playgrounds once they are compatible with the local development strategy for the relevant LEADER area. LEADER is now open for applications in many areas.

The community recognition fund recognises the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Since 2023, €100 million has been allocated to support community facilities, including for gaming areas and playgrounds.

The local enhancement programme provides funding to community groups in disadvantaged areas. It does support playgrounds. The programme is administered by local community development committees across the country, and co-ordinated by local authorities. We also have the town and village renewal scheme, for which the window is now open.

Through the community recognition fund, €50,000 was allocated to Cork County Council in 2023 for upgrade works to the playground in Midleton. A range of options is available to communities that want to work in tandem with local authorities to develop playground facilities.

Yesterday, I was in Ballyogan, Dún Laoghaire, where I opened a library. The council developed the library with a playground as part of the outdoor space around it. You can literally can walk straight from the library into the playground. It is a fantastic use of resources and a great example of what can be done with a little bit of thinking outside the box.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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Playgrounds are central parts of a flourishing community - places where children get to explore, have fun, challenge themselves, and connect with peers. To provide for children in these respects, Midleton requires a much larger playground than either of the two that we currently have. Ballinacurra, which is just outside Midleton, has no playground at all for a rising population. We also need a skate park in Midleton. In addition, we need disability-accessible equipment. In short, our young people deserve better.

I thank the local council officials for obtaining €50,000 through a community recognition fund application after I raised the need for a playground upgrade over an extended period. Unfortunately, we need multiples of that amount. It should not fall on committees of families to seek out such funding. I am currently part of a committee of local families, along with my councillor colleague, Eamonn Horgan, and we are exploring all of the funding streams the Minister mentioned to provide expanded and upgraded playground provision in Midleton and Ballinacurra.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the fact that the initiative has been taken locally. The funding options are available to Cork County Council to support and fund that work. I direct the Deputy to the town and village renewal scheme, which is currently open. As it has funded playgrounds, skate parks, MUGAs, etc. in the past, it is definitely worth having a look at that. I encourage the Deputy to engage with Cork County Council on that. He can also engage with me on it.

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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It can be invigorating to be part of a committee pursuing funds for playground provision. It brings people together in common purpose for their community. My councillor colleague, Ann Bambury, was central to such an initiative in Bandon for a very ambitious project there, but it should not be left to families to become social entrepreneurs and project managers, essentially spending vast amounts of time trying to stitch together funding grants to develop essential community facilities.

It is likely that some of the children of the families based in Midleton and Ballinacurra, which are part of our committee, will have aged out of playground use by the time we have succeeded in achieving the more ambitious parts of our aim. Just as it should not be left to parents to campaign for a new school, they should not have to take on the task of developing playgrounds and skate parks, and expanding existing facilities. Parents have enough to do. Childhood passes by quickly.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I could not agree more with the Deputy. Parents are very busy, but it is not the job of the Department either. We have put the funding initiatives in place and the local authorities can engage with us on them. They are best suited to that role in such developments given their skills and knowledge of what is needed in each area. Under CLÁR alone, we funded 17 projects in Cork in 2023. In 2024 we funded 23 projects. The two tranches amount to almost €2 million between them. We have the funding for facilities. We engage through the local authorities because they are the best mechanism. They have the on-the-ground expertise. I gave the Deputy a good example of a development yesterday using both programmes. The funding is there under different streams. Good local authorities engage with us and draw down the funding which delivers for parents and families.