Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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75. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount allocated to Kerry County Council, Listowel Town Council, Tralee Town Council and Killarney Town Council for each of the years from 2004 to 2014 to groups and persons for community events and purposes. [30996/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The precise information sought on funding allocated to Kerry County Council, Listowel Town Council, Tralee Town Council and Killarney Town Council for each of the years from 2004 to 2014 to groups and persons for community events and purposes is not fully clear. It is also the case that information related to community-related funding may not be routinely collated on the basis of administrative boundaries within counties or its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time and work.

Nevertheless, the following funding has been identified:

Between 2004 and 2010 my Department provided funding to local authorities under the Local Authority Playground Grants Scheme for the development of playgrounds and under the Community Services Facilities Scheme for capital projects to enhance communities, address disadvantage and improve social cohesion locally.  Details of payments made to Kerry County Council under the schemes are set out in the following table.

€289,699 has also been provided to date (since 2010) under the Tralee Regeneration Programme to deliver a range of projects focused on fostering community involvement, addressing recreational imbalances in the area and increasing participation in sport and physical activities.

RAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment Programme) is a focused Government initiative to target the most disadvantaged urban areas in the country. Tralee was designated as a priority area for the investment of Government resources in 2002, and an action plan for the development of new initiatives, investment and improved co-ordination between national and local agencies and communities was prepared and implemented under the direction of local Area Implementation Teams (AITs). Details of RAPID funding are set out in the following table.

In 2014, €12,000 was provided to Kerry County Council as start-up funding for Kerry Public Participation Network (PPN) which was established to enable individuals and community groups in Co. Kerry to have a say on issues that concern them. Public Participation Networks (PPNs) are new structures for public engagement and participation in Local Government in each Local Authority area.

If a more specific question is tabled relating to a particular area of funding from my Department, I will certainly endeavour to provide the information sought.