Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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364. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the degree to which she and her Department have identified areas of special need arising from Covid-19 or Brexit in all areas throughout the country including County Kildare with a view to addressing such needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34468/20]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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365. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she remains satisfied regarding the adequacy of the budget for her Department to meet any exigencies arising from Covid-19 or Brexit in County Kildare or throughout the country in the course of the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34469/20]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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366. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she and her Department have examined the full extent of negative socioeconomic impact of Brexit, Covid-19 or other issues such as natural disasters with a view to specific assistance through schemes available through her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34470/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 364, 365 and 366 together.

Communities across the country are facing unprecedented challenges posed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.

I am focused on supporting resilience in communities and the issues arising from Covid-19 and Brexit mean that the funding and supports available from my Department become increasingly important. My Department has ensured an element of flexibility is retained in our programmes in order to allow for responses to needs that emerge as the impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit become clear.

My Department will also continue to engage on these important issues with relevant stakeholders in the rural and community development sectors and our partners in delivering our programmes, to ensure we remain aware of the needs of communities across the country as they deal with these ongoing and emerging challenges.

Already this year, my Department has been able to provide some specific funding in response to the impacts on Covid-19 in communities. A Support Fund of €1.2m was put in place under the Community Services Programme (CSP) earlier this year, providing additional funding to many of the more than 400 CSP-supported organisations which had suffered a loss of income due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

My Department also introduced a package of supports for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises in the context of COVID-19, which included a Stability Fund of up to €35 million.

Additional funding totalling €17million was provided to my Department under the July Stimulus package, allowing increased investment of €5 million under the Community Enhancement Programme, an extra €2million in funding for the Islands, and an increase of €10 million, to a total of €25 million, in the funding available under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which this year was tailored to assist our rural towns and villages to respond to the challenges presented by Covid-19.

Looking ahead, I was delighted to secure an increased allocation for my Department of €341 million under Budget 2021. This increase of €23 million will ensure we can continue to increase our supports to local communities next year and provide the appropriate responses to future impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit.