Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing this Commencement matter. The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber. Last March, the Minister for Rural and Community Development announced the first ever dedicated fund for shovel-ready community projects in our towns and villages. This followed a successful scheme from the previous year centred on refurbishment and supports for communities with existing community centres. The new scheme proposes an investment of at least €1 million per amenity, with a focus on the areas and communities that are lacking community facilities. The Minister stated the fund is about delivering ambitious projects that bring communities and families together and the maximum payout would be €6 million. I very much welcome this fund. I was involved with both the Minister and the Taoiseach in progressing this over a number of years and was delighted to see the fund launched and opening to applications. The closing date was 1 July and I am inquiring about the total number of projects. Have they been assessed in terms of the number that are valid? When will decisions be made on the applications?

There are three projects submitted from my county of Galway, with one from my local community of Moycullen through the Moycullen Community Development Association le tacaíocht ó Udarás na Gaeltachta fresin mar cheannródaí ar an togra tábhactach sin. Second, we have the Newcastle Combined Community Association in Galway city. It has a project being supported through the city council, which has provided a site and a long-term lease. That is a very exciting project for that community. The third project is in Glinsk in the north of the county. The Glinsk Community Development Society is campaigning for the building of a new community centre on a greenfield plot, to include childcare, community rooms and multipurpose spaces. I hope all three Galway projects see significant new financing from this new fund. They are all worthy of funding.

Budgets are obviously important and I understand there have been more applications received from this fund than might have been anticipated. It is important approaches are made through Government to ensure there is sufficient funding to support as many of these projects as possible, if not all valid projects. These projects will take a number of years to complete and it is important sufficient funding is being provided. I mentioned that in my community Moycullen Community Development Association, or Forbairt Pobail Mhaigh Cuillinn, has exciting plans for lands at the back of An Teaghlach Uilinn Nursing Home in the heart of the community. It is a former Coillte site. Planning permission has been granted and it is ready to proceed subject to approval to appoint contractors and so on. I certainly hope the funding will be forthcoming. Similarly, the Newcastle project is ready to go. It has the site from Galway City Council and a strong representative group that has been pushing this project for a long number of years. I hope that project will be funded and come to fruition as well. This is an exciting fund for communities up and down and, as I said, I am especially interested in the three Galway projects. Community centres are so important. They are the heart of a community. They are there for young people, elderly people, information meetings, public meetings, drama, sport - you name it. Community centres are the beating heart of communities and this is an exciting fund that will help support communities.