Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 417: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if capital funding exists for community centres experiencing overcrowding to redevelop or build extensions; the mechanism through which they might apply for any such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7589/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Axes 3 & 4 (LEADER) of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 have significant funding for allocation to qualifying projects up to the end of 2013. One of the objectives of the RDP is to identify and provide appropriate amenity and leisure facilities to local communities not otherwise available to them. Accordingly, it may be possible to obtain funding for the types of community facilities described in the Question under the RDP.

For the purposes of implementing Axes 3 & 4 of the Rural Development Programme (RDP), the following areas are excluded;

· The City Council boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Waterford and Limerick

· The Borough Council boundaries of Kilkenny, Sligo and Wexford

· The Town Council boundaries of Athlone, Ballina, Castlebar, Cavan, Dundalk, Ennis, Killarney, Letterkenny, Mallow, Monaghan, Mullingar, Tralee, Tuam and Tullamore.

There are 35 Local Action Groups contracted, on my Department's behalf, to deliver the RDP throughout the country and these groups are the principal decision-makers in relation to the allocation of project funding. Such decisions are made in the context of the local development strategy of the individual groups and in line with Departmental operating rules and EU regulations. Contact details for these groups can be found on the website of the National Rural Network at www.nrn.ie .