Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an application by Longford County Council for funding for Granard Motte. [39839/18]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund overseen by my Department will invest €1 billion over 10 years in rural renewal. This will enable towns and villages and outlying rural areas throughout Ireland to grow and support stronger rural economies and communities into the future.

The first call for applications for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund closed at the end of September. There was a great response with over 290 applications received. Of these 125 were for category 1 "shovel ready" projects and the other 165 were for category 2 projects - those which need development funding to become potential category 1 applications in future calls for applications.

Assessment criteria are published and the applications are now being assessed by a project advisory board. The board includes representatives from key Government Departments and external experts.

As the assessment process has not concluded it would not be appropriate for me or my Department to comment on any applications received.

By the end of this month I am expecting to receive recommendations from the project advisory board on the first group of category 1 projects for funding with further announcements to follow.