Seanad debates

Wednesday, 6 February 2019

Community and Rural Support Schemes: Statements

 

10:30 am

Photo of Maria ByrneMaria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am positive about the schemes. I will speak from my experience of living in the west, in a city which has many rural villages on its outskirts. From working with those communities, I find that a number of the schemes that come under the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development have been positive and life-changing for the people living in the local communities. The theme of the Department is about promoting rural and community development and supporting vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities. That is a line that is so important when it comes to communities throughout Ireland.

I want to discuss the rural regeneration development fund. A number of communities in my area have benefitted from this. The community in Murroe in east Limerick has been told it will receive €3.8 million but the letter has not gone out. I pay tribute to the many volunteers because all the applications were put together by volunteers from the community. Murroe is a village surrounded by many other villages and everything had closed down except one pub and a petrol station with a shop. The community knew it had to do something. It looked very closely at the remit of the Department and put together a very successful project called the Murroe Field Project, with a community centre, an incubation centre where there would be lifelong learning and classes in the community, which is under the remit of the Department. It is installing a skate board park, an all-weather pitch and running and walking facilities. It is about brining people of all ages together. In regard to the all-weather pitch, the work is being done by volunteers and this project has brought the community together. Many people have given their skills and their time to this project. Their application had a great many strands that were inclusive of all ages and encompassed all the areas the Department covers, such as the CLÁR programme and the local improvement scheme.

Many roads and footpaths are not covered by the local authority as they are viewed as side roads but funding under the local improvement scheme has had a significant impact and the community now has a pathway into the village. It has been really positive. I compliment the Minister of State on the funding and I know funding will be available again this year for projects.

Up to 19,000 people benefitted from the seniors alert scheme last year. This scheme allows people to live in the security of their own homes and to feel secure within their own homes. People may be living on their own and might fear rural isolation as there might not be a house in sight, with the nearest house a mile down the road. However, they have benefitted from the seniors alert scheme in that they get a devise and nominate people so that if anything happens, once they press the button on the devise, someone is there within minutes. It has been of great benefit to people living on their own. These people feel they can live comfortably in their own homes, otherwise they would have to go to nursing homes or sell up and move to the nearest village or town. The Department is making a significant investment in rural areas.

In the community centre in Murroe, the plan is to hold different classes. The community has spoken to the ETB and is going to get funding to provide tutors and buy computers. This is all about creating an environment of lifelong learning for different age groups because whether we are young or not so young, one is never too old to learn.

The proposed funding of €1 billion over a ten-year period is a significant investment. I hope we will see greater investment in the future. I want to see other villages benefitting in a similar way to Murroe.It is about putting life and soul back into the community. Other villages will benefit as well, and both the local soccer club and rugby club in Newport use the all-weather pitch for training. As Senator Higgins said, it is about sharing resources. It is about putting facilities in the centre and attracting people from outside. I urge the Minister of State to keep up the good work. The Project Ireland 2040 investments outside Dublin are to be commended.

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