Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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346. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her Department has established a co-ordinating unit to work with communities to develop co-operative structures as promised in the programme for Government to help keep vital local services in place and to retain and develop vibrant local enterprises; the other measures her Department has implemented; the supports available to communities seeking to develop co-operative structures to help keep vital local services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32442/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Following the assignment to my Department of responsibility for regional and rural affairs in May 2016, I established new Regional and Rural Affairs Division in the Department, including a Business Unit to co-ordinate action across Government to support the economic and social development of rural areas. The Action Plan for Rural Development was developed by this Unit as a key instrument to manage the co-ordination of activities across Government which support rural development. The Plan contains 276 practical actions for delivery across a range of Government Departments, State agencies, and other organisations, with clear timeframes for delivery. The Action Plan focuses on supporting sustainable communities, supporting enterprise and employment, maximising our rural tourism and recreation potential, fostering culture and creativity in rural communities, and improving rural infrastructure and creativity.

There has already been significant progress right across Government on various elements of the Action Plan, including measures which will assist in supporting rural communities, developing enterprises and underpinning local services.

From my own Department’s perspective , measures which have been announced this year include:

- The launch of the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme which will provide €20 million to support up to 300 rural towns and villages over the next 12 months.

- The allocation of€7 million to approximately 230 projects in de-populated rural communities under the 2017 CLÁR programme;

- The establishment of Innovation Hubs in the Donegal and Kerry Gaeltacht regions to support entrepreneurship and start-up companies, with others to follow in Mayo and Galway;

- The announcement of €500,000 in capital investment to boost the tourism potential of Ireland's National Parks;

- The launch of the 2017 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Schemewhich will provide €11 million for the development and maintenance of outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas across Ireland;

- The investment of €9 million in 56 arts and culture centres across the country, with over 80% of the investment in rural areas.

The first 6-monthly Progress Report on the Action Plan is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.