Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

3442. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if funding will be made available to a group (details supplied) that has been providing services to autistic children in Limerick for the past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40241/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government are aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and are committed to working closely with the sector in managing through these, recognising that it will require a whole of Government approach. To that end, Government and my Department have introduced a number of supports to assist sectors in dealing with the impact of COVID-19 and social restrictions necessary in the interests of public health.

During 2020, the COVID-19 Stability Fund supported close to 600 organisations to continue to deliver vital services to the communities that depend on them. I was pleased to provide €20,804 through the 2020 Fund to assist Autism Supporting Diversity as they faced the challenges of reduced opportunities to generate fundraised and traded income.

As you are aware, an allocation of €10m has been provided to the Stability Fund for 2021 as part of the revised Resilience and Recovery plan announced on Tuesday 23rd February by the Taoiseach.

The COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 was launched on Thursday 6th May, and was targeted at organisations which deliver critical services to vulnerable people within their community but which now face closure or a loss of service due to the impact of the pandemic. The Fund was open for applications from May 20th - 27th.

The 2021 Stability Fund has limited funding available and while organisations that received funding under the 2020 Stability Fund were eligible to apply, priority will be given to organisations that have not previously received State support since the onset of the Pandemic. Eligibility to apply / submitting an application is no guarantee of funding.

I was pleased to announce tranche one of funding under the 2021 Fund to 180 successful applicants on 9th July 2021, allocating close to €4.5m in funding. Remaining applications, including from the organisation in question, are currently undergoing assessment and outcomes will be notified in due course. All applications will be assessed in line with published criteria and prioritised accordingly.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in due course, with all allocations published on the Gov.ie website when available.

In general, I would encourage all organisations to continue to engage with their Local Authority and Local Development Company, and to check on the Gov.ie website in order to be aware of funding opportunities as they become available.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

3443. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding accessed in counties Cavan and Monaghan for the development and upgrading of playgrounds in 2020 and in first six-months of 2021. [40244/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Playgrounds are an important resource with positive impacts for communities.

Funding provided by the Community Enhancement Programme provides small grants to community groups to enhance facilities, including playgrounds, in disadvantaged areas. Funding is allocated by my Department to each Local Authority area, and the Local Community Development Committee, with support from their Local Authority, administers the funding in that area. There is total funding of €4.5m available under the Community Enhancement Programme in 2021.

Additionally, funding for playgrounds may be available through the €70 million LEADER Transitional Programme which I launched earlier this year. This funding supports locally-led projects which focus on delivering on the key themes of Our Rural Future,the Governments ambitious plan for rural Ireland - such as building capacity and empowering local communities, supporting remote working, developing our outdoor amenities and creating jobs in rural areas.

The LEADER programme is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) in each of the 28 LEADER sub-regional areas around the country. €381,520.77 was accessed in Counties Cavan and Monaghan for the development and upgrading of playgrounds in 2020 and in first six-months of 2021.

Finally, the CLÁR programme,with an allocation €5.5 million in funding in 2021, provides funding for small scale projects in designated rural areas. Measure 2 of the 2021 CLÁR Programme supports Outdoor Community Recreation Facilities including the enhancement of existing and/or the development of new accessible outdoor community recreation facilities including playgrounds, skateboard parks and Multi Use Games Areas (MUGAs). The closing date for receipt of applications for 2021 has now passed. The assessment of the applications received is ongoing and I expect to make an announcement on the approved projects in the coming weeks.