Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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476. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if a public funding stream under her Department is available for an entrepreneur to develop a town centre market and social area on private lands in a small town; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48916/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER programme may be able to provide funding for this project. LEADER is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU which operates a locally led, bottom-up, approach to meeting the needs of local communities and businesses. The programme supports private enterprises and community groups in rural areas.

In December 2020, I launched the Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect from 1 April 2021 and will run to the end of 2022. A total of €70 million is being made available over this programming period. €20 million of this Transitional LEADER Programme is funded by the European Union Recovery Instrument (EURI), which will enable local communities and enterprises to respond, recover and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy for the relevant LEADER area and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme.

The decision to approve a project, or otherwise, is a matter for the Local Action Group (LAG) which administers the programme in each LEADER area. Interested applicants should, in the first instance, contact the relevant LAG through its Implementing Partners to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available.

Contact details for all LAGs and their Implementing Partners can be accessed through the Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/c45498-local-action-groups/

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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477. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of an application for town and village renewal funding in respect of a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48925/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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This year's Town & Village Renewal Scheme will place particular emphasis on projects supporting remote working and enhancing town centre living as outlined in “Our Rural Future –Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021-2025.”

The 2021 Scheme closed for applications on Friday 16th July. I can confirm that an application in respect of the project referred to by the Deputy was submitted by Kerry County Council under the 2021 Town & Village Renewal Scheme.

All applications are undergoing a formal assessment process, with funding being allocated on foot of the outcome of this process. I expect to announce the successful applications before the end of the year.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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478. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the next round of CLÁR funding will allow primary schools to apply for funding to develop playgrounds on their school grounds that can also be used by the wider public; the reason such developments have been excluded from the last two rounds of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48927/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different Measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. The Measures to be included in the CLÁR programme are reviewed and revised, as appropriate, each year.

The 2020 CLÁR programme was adapted to help rural communities respond to COVID-19 and did not included specific support for playgrounds.

The CLÁR programme was revised in 2021 and included support for Outdoor Community Recreation Facilities, including playgrounds. A number of playgrounds located on primary school grounds were successful in being approved for funding under the programme this year and were approved on the condition that they must be made available for wider community use outside of school hours.

I will review the Measures to be supported under the 2022 CLÁR programme in advance of the launch of the programme next year.