Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the nature of the works which his Department has financially supported in the past 12 months, with particular reference to urban and rural community groups and those involved in combating drugs or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5973/05]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department funds a variety of measures to assist both urban and rural community groups, as well as measures to combat drugs misuse.

In 2004, an amount of €20.6 million was provided in my Department's Vote for the community development programme. Expenditure on that programme in the period February 2004 to end January 2005 was €21.677 million. This funding supports 185 community development projects, CDPs, in communities experiencing social and economic disadvantage. These projects provide facilities such as meeting rooms, crèches, office facilities and training or education projects to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups in their communities. The programme also includes groups that act as a resource for community development work with particular interest groups, for example, Travellers, lone parents, people with disabilities and ethnic or cultural minorities. The programme is designed to reduce poverty and social exclusion through targeting support at disadvantaged and socially excluded communities in order to improve their capacity to benefit from economic and social development. Funding for the community development programme has been increased to €22.4 million for the 2005 year.

My Department provides a range of once-off grants to a wide variety of locally-based community and voluntary groups. Funding of approximately €3.3 million was provided in the past 12 months for grants in the following categories: equipment and refurbishment grants — targeted at voluntary and community organisations in disadvantaged areas; and education, training and research grants — providing once-off payments to fund training, education or research initiatives aimed at supporting and enhancing the effectiveness of local community and voluntary groups in disadvantaged areas.

The scheme of community support for older people encourages and assists local support for older people by means of a community based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. Funding is provided by way of grant aid to voluntary groups and organisations, which have undertaken to identify those elderly people in need of assistance under the scheme. My Department provided funding of approximately €2.5 million in the past 12 months under the scheme.

In 2004, €3.2 million was paid in grants to county-city development boards to fund cohesion and better delivery service projects which have been proposed by various agencies under the improved co-ordination of local and community development schemes.

In 2004, there was a provision of €42.144 million in my Department's Vote for the local development social inclusion programme, LDSIP. Funding was allocated to partnerships and community partnerships and territorial employment pacts to deliver the programme under three measures — services for the unemployed, community based youth initiatives and community development.

Capital funding of €4.5 million was available in 2004 to support small scale localised actions in RAPID areas, through co-funding with the relevant Department or agency. Funding of €1.3 million was also available to support ADM and local areas in the implementation of the RAPID programme.

Details of the areas covered by LDSIP and RAPID are available on my Department's website, www.pobail.ie.

The PEACE II programme is a distinctive EU Structural Funds programme aimed at reinforcing progress towards a peaceful and stable society and promoting reconciliation. My Department, through ADM-CPA, implements 12 measures of this programme that range from developing community infrastructure to new skills and new opportunities. Funding of €10.615 million was provided in my Department's Vote to meet commitments under the programme in 2004.

My Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the National Drugs Strategy 2001-2008.

In this context, my Department has responsibility for the work of the 14 local drugs task forces in Dublin, Cork and Bray and the ten regional drugs task forces located in all areas of the country. The Department also funds the premises initiative which is designed to meet the accommodation needs of community based drugs projects and the young people's facilities and services fund development groups which are based in the 14 local drugs task forces areas, as well as in Carlow, Waterford, Limerick and Galway.

In 2004, my Department spent over €27 million on the above areas. In addition, an amount of over €6.5 million was transferred from the Vote of my Department to the Vote of the Department of Education and Science in early 2004 for mainstreamed young people's facilities and services fund projects.

An amount of €21.98 million was provided in 2004 for schemes to benefit communities in Gaeltacht areas, including road improvement, marine works, group water schemes, leisure facilities and cultural initiatives. In 2004, a capital allocation of €10.35 million was available for island development purposes. While the greater part of this funding was spent on essential public infrastructure on the islands, a proportion was also allocated towards community led projects such as recreational facilities and community centres.

My Department also provided funding of €33.183 million in 2004 to Údarás na Gaeltachta to assist in developing industries, services and employment opportunities, in addition to fostering and strengthening the Irish language, in Gaeltacht areas.

In the past 12 months, CLÁR funds of €10.9 million were spent on the various measures under the programme. This expenditure supported the provision and improvement of facilities ranging from roads, water and sewerage, village, housing and schools enhancement, health, broadband, electricity conversions and sports and community projects.

Under the programme, community groups availed of assistance under the measures detailed in the appendix set out below.

The rural development fund, provided for in the White Paper on rural development, was established to support research, evaluations and pilot actions mainly in disadvantaged rural areas. In the period in question the fund supported a number of initiatives including training in traditional skills; employment of local development workers; local tourism development projects; and the employment of a co-ordinator to examine barriers facing small food producers. A total of €582,634 has been spent on the rural development fund from February 2004 to end January 2005.

My Department provides support to rural communities under the Leader+ initiative and the area based rural development initiative and the rural development initiatives of the cross-Border programmes INTERREG IIIA and PEACE II.

The essential aim of the Leader+ initiative, which has a public contribution of some €73.7 million, is to encourage new approaches to integrated and sustainable development in rural communities. The initiative is in place in 22 areas throughout the country.

The area based rural development initiative has a public contribution of €75.6 million. The initiative complements the Leader+ programme and ensures the availability of funding in the 13 areas that were not appointed to deliver the Leader+ programme. Funding for rural-agritourism is provided from this programme on a nationwide basis. In addition, the three collective bodies, Muintir na Tíre, Irish Farmhouse Holidays and Irish Country Holidays that are not eligible under Leader+, receive assistance under this programme.

The rural social scheme was introduced in 2004 to focus on the provision of direct services in the community and at the same time to ensure an income for small farmers on long-term social welfare benefits with a working week compatible with farming.

There are 1,114 participants on the scheme at present. There are 36 implementing bodies throughout the country and of those 27 have commenced projects under the rural social scheme to date.

My Department continued to provide support to rural communities in the past 12 months under the rural development initiatives of the cross-Border programmes INTERREG IIIA and PEACE II.

Under the INTERREG III Ireland-Wales Programme 2000-2006 there is a rural development and diversification measure to promote the economic and social well-being of the rural communities in INTERREG target areas. The total funding package for this measure is €10 million, 2000-06. To date over 60% of this funding has been committed.

The rural initiative measure of the INTERREG IIIA Ireland-Northern Ireland Programme 2000-2006 aims to develop and strengthen the rural economy in disadvantaged cross-Border areas. The funding package amounts to €14 million over the period of the programme, 2000-06. To date, €5.9 million has been committed.

Funding is also provided in two measures under the PEACE II Programme 2000-2004, promoting rural community networking in marginalised rural communities and rural development co-operation and diversification. The funding package for both measures amounts to €5.7 million, of which over 60% has been committed.

The Dormant Accounts Fund Disbursements Board, which is currently responsible for overseeing the disbursement of funds from dormant accounts, comes under the aegis of my Department. The board is an independent body established under the Dormant Accounts Acts. Funds from dormant accounts are targeted at assisting disadvantaged groups and communities and assisting persons with a disability. During 2004, the board approved 420 projects for funding totalling approximately €42 million.

APPENDIX

The figures relate to CLÁR expenditure only and cover the period 1 February 2004-31 January 2005.

Group Water Scheme and Group Sewerage Scheme

CLÁR provides funding to householders in the group schemes by way of limited top-up grants. The schemes are selected by the local authority on foot of applications received from groups. Expenditure on group water schemes and on group sewerage schemes totalled €0.044 million and nearly €0.072 million, respectively.

Local Improvement Scheme, LIS

CLÁR funds LIS roads to provide support for better road access to homes in remoter areas. Applicants contact their local authority who administers the scheme. The allocation under CLÁR is determined by the level of investment by the local authority from its county LIS allocation. Expenditure: €2.374 million.

Village Enhancement Scheme

CLÁR supports the joint village enhancement scheme operated by the Leader companies and the local authorities covering small-scale infrastructural projects. Applicant villages, which also contribute to the scheme, contact their local Leader group. Expenditure: €0.318 million.

Local Authority Housing Estate Enhancement Scheme

CLÁR and the local authorities co-fund a local authority housing estate enhancement scheme with a local contribution per project, which are selected by the local authority. Expenditure: €0.224 million.

Bi-lingual Signage Scheme

CLÁR and Foras na Gaeilge jointly fund a bilingual signage scheme for community projects in villages selected by Leader under the village enhancement scheme. A bilingual townland signage scheme also operates with funding from the local community. Expenditure: €0.032 million.

Top Up Scheme Sports Capital Grants

CLÁR provides limited top up funding to projects that are selected under the sports capital grants scheme run by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and recommended for CLÁR support by that Department. Expenditure: €0.850 million.

Gaeltacht Sports and Community Grants

CLÁR provides limited top-up funding to projects in Gaeltacht areas supported by the Gaeltacht division of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under its Gaeltacht improvement scheme. Expenditure: €0.131 million.

Community Initiatives

Community based projects attracting less than 50% public funding under Leader may qualify for CLÁR top-up funding subject to the certain conditions. Applicant villages contact their local Leader group. Expenditure: €0.256 million.

School Outdoors Play Facilities Enhancement Scheme

This scheme aims to improve outdoor play facilities in small rural primary schools in CLÁR areas and is co-funded by CLÁR and the Department of Education and Science up to 75% of the cost, supplemented by a 25% contribution from local sources. Expenditure: €0.297 million.