Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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373. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development her proposals for the funding of projects nationwide through the LEADER programme in the forthcoming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61049/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The LEADER Programme is one of the key interventions of Our Rural Future, the Government’s Policy for rural development launched earlier this year.

Earlier this year I announced details of a €70 million Transitional LEADER Programme which came into effect in April and will cover the period 2021 and 2022. €65 million of this budget has been allocated to the LEADER Local Action Groups (LAGs) who deliver the programme and approve projects at local level. This allocation covers both core project expenditure and the administration and animation costs of the LAGs.

A further €3 million of the funding has been allocated to support co-operation projects and innovation between LAGs, while the remaining €2 million has been allocated to provide preparatory support for the next LEADER programme.

€20 million of this transitional LEADER Programme is funded by the European Union Recovery Instrument, which will enable local communities and enterprises an opportunity to respond in a community-led local development manner to COVID-19.

I am confident that this level of funding will be sufficient to continue to support and further develop our rural communities and businesses until the end of 2022.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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377. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of community development initiatives funded by her Department in County Kildare in the past 12 months; her expectations in this regard in the forthcoming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61053/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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380. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she expects to be in a position to offer grant assistance to appropriately qualified groups throughout County Kildare in 2019 with particular reference to the community and voluntary sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61056/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 377 and 380 together.

My Department delivers a wide range of policies and measures to support urban and rural communities. Funding strands include the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, LEADER, Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), Community Services Programme, Community Enhancement Programme, CLÁR Programme, Local Improvement Scheme, and funding for public libraries across the country. Funding is available to eligible community groups and organisations throughout the country.

The amount allocated by my Department for urban and rural development and renewal purposes in the past three years to-date is, €133 million in 2017, €251 million in 2018, €315 million in 2019, €313 million in 2020, and €329 million to date in 2021.

Kildare was allocated €2.9 million in 2017, €4.2 million in 2018, €10.9 million in 2019, €7.6 million in 2020 and over €3.8 million to date in 2021. Details of funding allocations under specific schemes provided by my Department are available online at www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-rural-and-community-development/.

My Department is also responsible for a number of national policies containing measures to improve the lives of people throughout the country. These include the National Policy on Social Enterprise, and Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities: 5 Year Strategy to Support the Community and Voluntary Sector 2019-2024.

The national rural development policy Our Rural Future,which I launched in March last, sets out a blueprint for the development of rural Ireland over the next five years. The policy is supported by over 150 commitments across Government, which will address the challenges facing communities and deliver new opportunities for people living in rural areas.

Delivery of the measures contained in the policy will help rural Ireland to recover from the impacts of COVID-19, enable long-term development of rural areas, and create more resilient rural economies and communities for the future. Ongoing dialogue over the course of the five year policy timeframe will ensure that rural communities are at the heart of designing and delivering responses that meet local needs.

My Department will continue to deliver these important funding schemes and policies to support both urban and rural communities, improve quality of life, and enable local and community development sectors to continue to provide valuable much needed services and supports to all communities throughout the country.