Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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94. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount of funding that was provided by his Department specifically for children's playgrounds in the past five years. [16730/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In the past 5 years a total of €2,070,000 was provided by my Department for the development and renovation of children’s playgrounds.

My Department operates the Play and Recreation Capital grant scheme, which provides funding, via Local Authorities, to support the development of new recreation facilities for children and young people, and for the refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities and incorporation of natural play elements.

The Criteria for the scheme were developed in partnership with the Local Authority Play and Recreation Network, established for the purpose of bringing a focus on play and recreation within each Local Authority. The total value of the fund since 2019 is €450,000 per annum.

- Grants are for the development of new play facilities, the refurbishment of existing playgrounds and / or incorporation of natural play areas.

- 25% of awarded amount must be provided by Local Authority for each project.

- Facilities and equipment funded must be accessible to children and young people of all abilities, as far as possible.

- All facilities and equipment funded must be child-friendly and safe.

- All projects funded under the scheme must provide evidence, or a commitment to providing evidence, that children and young people living locally who will have access to the facility have been consulted about the project for which funding is sought.

- All spaces and facilities for which funding is granted must be available for use by all children and young people in the locality at times when they are free to use them eg. outside of school hours.

€2,070,000 was provided by my Department through this fund for the development and renovation of children’s playgrounds in the past five years, as follows:

Capital Grant Scheme funding awarded 2018: €250,000

Capital Grant Scheme funding awarded 2019: €450,000

Capital Grant Scheme funding awarded 2020: €450,000

Capital Grant Scheme funding awarded 2021: €470,000

Capital Grant Scheme funding awarded 2022: €450,000

Evaluations of applications for 2022 have just been completed and I can confirm that the funding available has been fully subscribed.