Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 176: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the grant schemes that are available this year to community or sporting groups for installation of toilets including disabled facilities; if application dates will be provided; if operated directly by his Department or an agency under its remit; if schemes are lottery financed, dormant accounts financed or other; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22543/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is responsible for a number of grant schemes that may be relevant to the issue he has raised: · Under the EU co-funded Rural Development Programme Ireland 2007 - 2013, funding is available for the provision of basic services - including the development of amenity and leisure facilities - for rural communities. Details of the 36 groups administering the Programme are available from my Department's website www.pobail.ie. · Under the Exchequer-funded Gaeltacht Improvement Schemes, funding is made available to provide or improve local recreational facilities (sports fields, changing rooms, handball alleys, community halls, summer colleges, family support centres, etc) in the Gaeltacht. Application forms are available directly from my Department's offices in Na Forbacha in Galway.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the Programme of Grants for Locally-based Community and Voluntary Organisations, which was part-funded from the National Lottery, provided funding in respect of the refurbishment of community premises and the purchase of equipment for community and voluntary organisations. The Programme is, however, suspended at present and I do not envisage it re-opening for new applications in the foreseeable future.