Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter. It relates to the community recognition fund, to which €50 million has been given. At first glance, it seems to be covering a lot of areas that should be covered in any case because they are not solely and exclusively to do with community integration. Allocations include €50,000 and €60,000 to private rugby clubs across the State and a whole range of other projects. I am delighted that funding is being given to sport and I recognise the importance of it. However, this scheme is being dressed up as some sort of community recognition fund. On 16 January 2024, the Taoiseach said in an interview broadcast on an RTÉ news bulletin in which he referenced the fund - I double-checked it before coming here - that more needs to be done to support health and education. I fully agree with him because they are the key pressure points for people. He was speaking in response to some of the unseemly things that have been going on in this country in regard to new people coming here and looking to establish themselves. In many cases, they have general support from communities and from local and national politicians.

Having listened to the interview with the Taoiseach, I decided to take it upon myself to look into the community recognition fund. The Department of Rural and Community Development issued a memorandum in 2023 outlining the purpose of the scheme. I commend the scheme and am very supportive of it. I took a further look because I wanted to see the county-by-county allocations. Thanks to the Department, I obtained a printout of every project that was listed as being a successful application under the fund. When I totted up the numbers, they told me an interesting story - first, about the geographical spread and how open and transparent that was or was not and, second, about how much money was drawn down. The initial memorandum referred to €30 million being drawn down in 2023 and €20 million this year.

I support the Taoiseach's call for greater additional focus on and support for education and health, which are two areas that are showing pressure points in many cases. I endorse that. I support the community recognition fund and the amazing work going on right across the Minister of State's Department. It is an exemplary Department that is doing really important work in recognising the enormous pressures on communities. The information on the fund refers to engaging with local authorities. The latter may make submissions for funding but will not necessarily get all of it. Given the restraints on resources at this time, the system needs to be more open and transparent. It may very well be all of that but I refer specifically to the need for more openness and transparency in terms of how the Department communicates its allocations.

The Minister of State will be familiar with the county-by-county ledger that sets out the allocations under the fund. He may not be in a position to provide the information today but I would like to know how much of the fund has been drawn for particular identified projects that are fully compliant with the terms and conditions of the scheme and how much remains to be drawn down. From reading all the correspondence, press releases and memorandums, I understand €30 million was to be given in 2023. Will he confirm whether that money has been allocated? I acknowledge that it may not all have been drawn down because there are difficulties in getting projects up and running. How can the scheme be improved? I call for a greater focus on education and health, in line with the Taoiseach's statement. Will the Minister of State set out his plans to do that?