Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1061. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which her Department continues to monitor urban and rural community activity with a view to addressing issues arising from Covid-19, Brexit or other reasons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8602/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s policies and funding programmes aim to deliver sustainable outcomes that positively impact the quality of life of those living and working in our communities.

The Department of Rural and Community Development is finalising a new whole-of-Government Rural Development Policy for the next five years, which will set out a range of measures to strengthen the resilience of our rural communities and economies, including addressing the impacts of challenges experienced by people living and working in rural Ireland and maximising opportunities for rural areas. The development of this policy was underpinned by extensive consultation with rural communities. Ongoing dialogue will be maintained with rural stakeholders throughout the duration of the policy timeframe, in order to respond to new issues identified, including, the challenges posed by COVID-19 and the impact of Brexit.

My Department has continued to deliver the range of policy measures to support urban and rural communities. Those policies are informed during development, by extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including Government Departments, State Agencies, rural stakeholder groups, young people and the wider public. This on-going engagement process has been important in monitoring urban and rural community activity and in identifying areas relevant to the work of my Department where interventions such as targeted supports or funding are required and the most appropriate remedial or proactive measures that can be taken in response.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides investment to support suitable projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas which will deliver on the National Strategic Objective of Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities and achieve sustainable economic and social development in these areas. The third call for Category 1 applications to the Fund closed in December 2020. Based on an analysis of the challenges faced by rural communities and ongoing discussions with stakeholders, this call for applications had a dual focus - to deliver planned and sustainable regeneration in towns and villages, and to channel investment towards economic recovery in the post Covid-19 environment, providing an immediate stimulus to support the recovery and further development of rural economies and communities. For similar reasons, changes were also made in relation to the intensity of funding which could be sought from the Fund under this call, with the Fund providing up to 90% of the total project value for successful projects under this call. I will announce the successful projects under this call in the weeks ahead.

The LEADER programme remains operational through the COVID-19 crisis and payments continue to be made to the Local Action Groups, their Implementing Partners and to project promoters. In December last, I announced details of a Transitional LEADER Programme which will come into effect from 1 April 2021, with an initial allocation of €20 million this year.

A key focus of the Transitional Programme will be on building capacity within communities which have not received LEADER funding to date. The programme will also support job creation, foster and encourage entrepreneurship, and support projects which address the climate agenda, digital transformation and the Smart Villages approach to building on local strengths and assets.

Under the Transitional Programme, the grant rate for enterprises and commercially-focused community projects will be increased from a maximum of 50% to a maximum of 75%. This will further help to support enterprise development and job creation in rural areas in a post COVID and Brexit environment.

My Department currently supports over 420 community organisations under the Community Services Programme, or CSP, to provide local services through a social enterprise model, in both urban and rural communities. CSP funding is provided as a fixed contribution towards the cost of employing an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) and a manager, where warranted. The Department provides a co-funding contribution of €32,000 per annum towards the cost of supporting a manager and €19,033 per each FTE. In response to the difficulties being experienced by organisations due to COVID-19, my Department developed a Support Fund totalling €4.75M which assists all CSP supported organisations to continue to retain their CSP supported employees on their payroll, regardless of whether the organisations are in a position to continue to provide normal activities or whether they have had to close their facilities/services as a result of the COVID restrictions. The CSP Support Fund provided funding to many of these CSP supported organisations, ensuring that they can pay their full-time equivalent (FTE) CSP supported employees a maximum of €350 net per week, with a proportionate amount for part-time CSP supported employees, while also assisting with the Employers PRSI contribution, during this crisis period up to April 2021.

My Department and Pobal, who administer the programme on behalf of my Department, will allow the maximum level of flexibility to these organisation and we will continue to monitor the situation closely in light of COVID and any issues that may arise.

I will continue to collaborate with my Government colleagues and will monitor the issues which impact our urban and rural communities in order to respond to emerging needs.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1062. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which her Department has received applications for various forms of support available from her Department in respect of urban and or rural communities; the extent of the assistance offered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8603/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1064. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the full extent of funding approved by her Department in respect of applications from community urban or rural groups; if she expects to be in a position to offer support to potential applicants in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8605/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1062 and 1064 together.

My Department’s mission is to promote rural and community development and support the creation of vibrant and sustainable communities across this country and I am committed to the successful delivery of a number of programmes which have provided financial and other supports to community groups and organisations.

These supports enable economic growth and development and also support communities in urban and rural areas to address gaps in meeting social needs, and these supports are more important than ever as we deal with the impacts of COVID-19 and Brexit.

These ongoing challenges ensure continued demand for such supports in the form of applications received by my Department. I was delighted that we were provided with a gross Budget allocation in 2020, of over €374 million, which included €37 million in once-off COVID-19 supports and funding for communities under the July stimulus package. This allowed significant funding supports to be provided to community groups and organisations, local authorities and towns and villages across the country.

Looking ahead, my Department has been allocated €341 million in the 2021 Revised Estimates and this ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects.

My Department will continue to support our communities to become and remain sustainable and desirable places to live, work and raise families and we are committed to reviewing the many applications received to ensure that our funding programmes remain targeted at those most in need.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1063. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if, in the course of discussions with urban and rural communities, her Department has devised a means of addressing issues arising such as isolation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8604/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1070. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she and her Department continue to address issues of social inclusion and isolation in every sense; her Department’s programme of activity for the future in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8611/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1063 and 1070 together.

Addressing the issue of social inclusion and isolation in communities is central to many of my Department’s policies and funding programmes which deliver targeted supports to benefit vulnerable individuals. Policy in my Department is informed, during its development, by extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including Government Departments, State Agencies, rural stakeholder groups, young people and the wider public.

This engagement process has been important in identifying areas relevant to the work of the Department where interventions such as supports or funding are required and the most appropriate remedial or proactive measures that can be taken in response. The policies and programmes developed to address isolation and promote social inclusion include the following:

The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is Ireland’s primary social inclusion funding intervention, delivered locally by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need access supports to enable participation in communities. SICAP workers have extensive local connections and in-depth knowledge of available resources and supports and are continuing to work to ensure the emerging needs of their localities are responded to.

- Local Development Companies (LDCs) have put in place various measures to ensure SICAP supports continue to be delivered and that vulnerable people continue to be supported throughout the COVID-19 crises, examples as follows:

- Online supports are delivered via telephone, email, Zoom, etc., with LDCs providing additional support to individuals with limited access to technology, in the form providing them with laptops/tablets and upskilling them in their usage.

- LDCs that operate a “friendly call” service to elderly people saw an increase in demand for the service with some LDCs mobilizing local community groups to become involved in making regular contact with older, vulnerable isolated people during the COVID-19 crises.

- LDCs supported an increase in demand for Meals on Wheels services and foodbanks, particularly for those not able to travel to shops and those experiencing food poverty.

- Other responses included Pharmacy & Shopping Services; Employment and Self-Employment Supports; Supports to Community Groups; Online Training; Health, Well-Being and Social Prescribing; Mental Health Supports.

- My Department offered every flexibility to the LDCs which freed up SICAP workers to focus on a community response to the crisis. Given their presence in local communities, the LDC response to the crisis was rapid and widespread with many of their 170,000 service users reached in the early days and weeks of the crisis.

- There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate effect on certain communities those already suffering from disadvantage would be more vulnerable to an interruption of services. Measures were put in place to support LDCs who continued to work under the SICAP programme with disadvantaged individuals. My Department offered flexibility to the LDCs to redeploy SICAP staff to work as part of the response to COVID-19. This Programme of flexibility will also continue into 2021 with additional areas of flexibility considered where required. In light of challenges faced by LDCs in engaging with beneficiaries the opportunity to reduce their targets was offered in 2020 and again in 2021.

- Thematic support workshops will be delivered remotely by the Department and Pobal to LDCs in 2021. The purpose of these is to provide a platform to share experiences and learning from new ways of delivering supports during COVID-19.

Isolation of people of all ages is a significant risk during the pandemic, particularly during periods of tight restrictions on movement and social interaction. The Community Call programme was introduced last year to provide local helplines through Local Authorities for practical supports, information sharing and befriending. As part of the “Keep Well” campaign, and in particular, the ‘Staying Connected’ strand, this has been significantly expanded to be proactive with outreach to potentially isolated persons, as the main aim. My Department is represented on the oversight committee for this initiative.

Physical and social isolation can have a significant impact on people living in rural areas. My Department is finalising a new rural development policy for the next five years, which will build on the progress achieved through the Action Plan for Rural Development, which concluded in 2019. The policy will seek to strengthen and build resilience in our rural communities and will identify policy measures for delivery, in order to achieve these objectives.

The National Social Enterprise Policy aims to enable social enterprises increase their social, environmental and economic impact. Many social enterprises are based in rural or isolated areas and provide services to communities that may not otherwise be available. They also operate in our cities and other urban areas, often providing services to disadvantaged communities.

Other key interventions include funding the Seniors Alert Scheme, which enables older people to live securely, with peace of mind, in their homes through the provision of personal monitored alarms, ensuring contact is maintained with those who are vulnerable.

In addition, as part of the Department’s COVID-19 Action Plan, increased support was provided for older people through our funding partnership with ALONE for their crisis telephone support line and follow-on practical supports for those who need it.

Volunteering is also very much at the forefront of initiatives of this nature and the Department will continue to support volunteering both by the provision of funding and other supports, and the implementation of the recently published National Volunteering Strategy.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) funding will ensure that remote areas, particularly those that are likely to wait longest for connections, are provided with access to high-speed broadband in their communities while waiting for the National Broadband Plan roll-out to reach them.

The CLÁR programme provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that have suffered significant levels of population decline. In 2020 the programme placed a particular focus on supporting CLÁR communities to deal with the impact of COVID-19 in rural areas through the addition of a new funding measure - Meals on Wheels and Linked Services. This measure was open to established organisations and groups involved in the provision of meals on wheels with linked services. Funding of €340,000 was announced on 20th November 2020 for 45 projects under this Measure. The programme also supports voluntary organisations who provide transport for service users in rural areas under the Mobility and Cancer Care Measure. On 11th December 2020, funding of almost €1.3 million was announced for 26 organisations under this measure.

The issue of isolation in rural and urban communities cuts across the work of a number of Departments, and this is reflected in ongoing work on community policing, rural transport and social inclusion, among other areas. I will continue to collaborate with my Government colleagues to monitor the adequacy of these supports to address isolation and to work to deliver sustainable outcomes that positively impact the quality of life of those living and working in our communities.