Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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2053. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if applications for funding were received by her Department from Mayo County Council for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund announced on 7 January 2022; and if so, if the Council was successful. [1667/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The third call for Category 2 applications to the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund closed on 30^thJuly 2021. My Department received 53 applications to this call including three applications from Mayo County Council.

The application process for Category 2 proposals is competitive in nature.  Applications are assessed by my Department in line with published guidelines and under the oversight of a Project Advisory Board, comprised of representatives from key Government Departments and independent experts. Once the assessment process is complete, my Department prepares a report setting out recommended projects and my role as Minister is to consider that report and make final decisions in relation to the allocation of funding.

On 6th January 2022 I announced the successful applications under this call.  The applications submitted by Mayo County Council were not successful on this occasion. 

My Department has well established procedures for the dissemination of information relating to the Fund and for the provision of feedback to unsuccessful applicants.  In that regard, we will meet with applicants to the recently concluded Category 2 call to offer individual feedback on applications and to discuss the current Category 1 call for applications with prospective applicants. Requests for feedback will be facilitated by my Department over the coming weeks.