Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

935. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the capital allocation for regional and rural affairs in 2017; the amount spent to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27278/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The capital allocation and the expenditure to date in 2017 for the Regional and Rural Affairs Division of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs is outlined in the table below. The expenditure figures reflect provisional expenditure recorded on the Department’s financial management system as of Monday, 19^thJune 2017.

Some of the schemes under Subhead E5 of the Department’s Vote (e.g. CLÁR, Town and Village Renewal Scheme, Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure scheme) have yet to commence. However, funding approvals have recently been announced under CLÁR and approvals under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are expected to be announced before the end of July. Applications under the Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure scheme have also been received and are due to be assessed shortly.

Under the LEADER programme, more than 4,800 expressions of interest have been received from potential applicants, with an estimated value of over €200 million. The Local Action Groups are currently working through these expressions of interest with a view to assisting project promoters in developing and finalising project applications. In addition, my Department will shortly be introducing a range of administrative improvements to streamline the processes for the LEADER programme.

I therefore expect that expenditure under virtually all Subheads will increase significantly in the second half of the year.

Table 1: Capital Allocation and Expenditure, Regional and Rural Affairs 2017