Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister of State to the House. My Commencement matter relates to the rural community development scheme in terms of supports for town and village renewal. I note at the outset that it was a highly successful scheme, particularly around Covid-19 and post Covid, in terms of the challenges for rural communities and bringing them on. Supports for the town and village renewal schemes were very welcome indeed. The town and village renewal scheme was funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development as part of a package of the Government's national and local support measures to rejuvenate towns and villages.

As I said at the outset, it has been a very successful scheme. While I acknowledge the Government would like to give more money, it is not always possible. In recent times, however, the scheme has placed great emphasis on projects that support and encourage remote working and enhance town living. That is a really important part of all of that.

When we look back at the funding over the past two years, I am quite impressed by the fact that it links into Ireland's policy document, Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, which is also critically important. That is Government policy and I wish to acknowledge that it is really progressive Government policy. It is about the sustainable development of our communities and supporting our community stakeholders in enhancing their rural and urban communities. The maximum grants were increased to €500,000 to allow for bigger projects, as well as early buy-in for those projects.

This is the real key issue I will ask the Minister of State about today. This scheme is advertised on the Department's website, which suggests that it will be open for submissions at the end of April - this is timely because we are now heading towards the end of April - and that the scheme will close June. While that may have changed since, that is what was on the website in the last few minutes before I came into the Chamber. It is timely that I should ask the Minister of State about the Government's intentions for the scheme and how we can engage and encourage people. I do not think we need to encourage too many people. We know many people in the communities want to avail of this scheme. We know the importance of people needing the support to stay and work in their own communities. We have seen the enormous benefit, particularly post Covid, for people who want to co-work or work part-time in their offices. We have seen the benefits of community hubs and there need to be more of them. People do not want to work in isolation; they want to work with some support and with some connectivity but they also want to be involved in meaningful childcare and community participation.

This scheme, therefore, has many benefits but particularly in terms of urban rejuvenation and the structures within communities. I would be very interested if the Minister of State could provide a rough outline of the vision and plan for the scheme going forward this year and of the timelines for the opening for applications.