Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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1047. To ask the Minister for Health if he will commit funding under the Sláintecare healthy communities fund to a location (details supplied) in Dublin 8 opening access to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53020/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The objective for the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme is to improve the long-term health and wellbeing of communities across Ireland. Healthy Communities will support the physical and mental health of the communities as well as support improvement in the wider determinants of health in those communities, such as education, housing, social support and the built environment.

The programme is a cross-government initiative to deliver increased health and wellbeing services to 19 community areas across Ireland. The programme will be delivered in partnership with the HSE, local authorities, local communities, statutory, voluntary and community groups.

The 19 Healthy community are all Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme areas. The Department of Health worked with the HSE Health Intelligence unit in choosing the communities and with Local Authorities to finalise the areas. The 19 communities span 14 local authorities and are a mix of urban and rural areas.

The 19 areas selected for inclusion in the programme are as follows:

1. Athlone & Mullingar (Westmeath)

2. Athy (Kildare)

3. Ballymun (Dublin)

4. Bray (Wicklow)

5. Cavan Town and County (Cavan)

6. Cherry Orchard (Dublin)

7. Clondalkin (Dublin)

8. Clonmel (Tipperary)

9. Enniscorthy & Wexford Town (Wexford)

10.Finglas & Cabra (Dublin)

11.Gaeltacht (Donegal)

12.Inishowen (Donegal)

13.Kilmore & Priorswood (Dublin)

14.Limerick City (Limerick)

15.Longford Town (Longford)

16.North Cork City (Cork)

17.Tallaght (Dublin)

18.Waterford City (Waterford)

19.West Mayo (Mayo)

€10,000,000 is being provided in funding for the HSE to deliver, in partnership with local agencies and community groups, a series of services including health (e.g. smoking cessation, nutrition), wellbeing and mental health (e.g. social prescribing, Make Every Contact Count), family support (e.g. parenting programmes) with dedicated resources and staff.

Further to this, we are providing €3,000,0000 for a Local Development Officer for each community who will be employed in the Local Authority. A local implementation team will be set up as a subgroup of the LCDC within the existing local authorities’ structures and will be chaired by the Local Development Officer. A National Development Officer with whom the 19 Local Development Officers will work with is also being recruited.

Additionally, my Department has contributed once off funding of €4,750,000 to the communities in the form of a Community Enhancement Scheme. This enhancement funding is to support projects that will positively impact on the health and wellbeing of those who live within the 19 Communities. This scheme has demonstrated a collaborative approach with local authorities working together with the local community and stakeholders to identify projects that support the increased use of, and access to, amenities in their areas and that invoke an improved sense of community. These will not only provide an outlet for the communities in which they are situated, but they will also deliver added value from a social determinants of health perspective, positioning communities to respond to the post-COVID-19 impacts on health and wellbeing.

Among the projects to receive approval for funding are Community Garden and Growing initiatives, Health Activity Hubs, community kitchens and social spaces and recreational development and enhancement initiatives. These include outdoor table tennis tables, upgraded walking and running trails which are accessible for all, innovative natural play areas for children, additional outdoor furniture, bike fleets, and many more interesting and noteworthy projects.

In answer to the Deputy's original question about funding for a particular specified area, Dublin 8 is not one of 19 communities under the first phase of the Programme.