Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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2041. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if approval will be provided that an ex-gratia payment be made to a company (details supplied) regarding the cessation of non-essential construction works at a site in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63550/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of ambitious capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. The Fund has, to date, through a series of calls allocated funding of €277 million for 191 projects across the country worth a total of €374 million.

All budgetary matters relating to projects supported by the Fund are the responsibility of the lead party for the project, that is the body which sought and secured funding through the application process.  The lead party for any given project assumes chief responsibility for the financial risk in undertaking it. 

In that regard, in line with best practice project management, all applicants to the Fund are encouraged to put in place a contingency budget at a level appropriate for the type of project being undertaken.  The normal contingency fund set aside in relation to projects of the scale funded by the Fund should be sufficient to meet claims for ex-gratia payments, should they arise.

In relation to the particular project referred to by the Deputy, my officials have informed me that a solution was reached locally.