John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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278. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to each local authority and local development committee for the RAPID programme community facilities scheme and the community enhancement programme in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019; the amount paid to each local authority and local development committee to date for each allocation; the amount paid out to date out of the amount allocated to each local authority and local development committee in each such year based on latest data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18240/19]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The nationwide re-cast RAPID programme and the Communities Facilities Scheme were launched for the first time in 2017.  €65,000 was allocated to and paid to each local authority area under each scheme, a total of €130,000 for each area and €4m across the country.

In 2018, these two programmes were replaced by the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP), which received total funding of €13m in 2018, including €0.5m that was ring-fenced for Men’s Sheds. The 2019 CEP has recently been launched with funding of €4.5m. The amount allocated to each local authority area is shown in the following table for 2018 and 2019. The 2018 amounts have been paid out by this Department. The 2019 amounts have not yet been paid out.

All of these three programmes were administered by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), with support from the local authorities. Local Development Committees (LDCs) were not involved in that process.

Lists of approved projects under the 2017 Communities Facilities Scheme, the 2017 RAPID programme, and the 2018 CEP are provided in the links. In some cases there is a delay in drawdown of this funding by community groups, for example, due to a delay in completing the approved work. This causes a delay in having final figures for some areas. The Department has written to the LCDC in each area asking for confirmation of final amounts provided to community groups and will provide this to the Deputy when it is available. It is not anticipated that there will be any significant difference between the amounts paid out by the Department to each LCDC/LA and the amounts paid out by that LCDC/LA to community groups.

Details on approved projects for the 2017 Communities Facilities Fund are on the following link:

Details on approved projects for the 2017 RAPID programme are on the following link:

Details on approved projects for the 2018 Community Enhancement Programme are on the following link:

Details on approved projects for the 2018 Men’s Shed fund (under the Community Enhancement Programme) are on the following link: