Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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463. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated to the town and village renewal scheme since 2016, by year; the amount returned to her Department by local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33271/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of “Our Rural Future”. The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the local authorities. Since the introduction of the Scheme in 2016, almost €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects across the country.

In May I launched the 2022 Scheme and this year's Scheme will place particular emphasis on projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose spaces. The scheme will also prioritise regeneration of town centres, parks and green spaces, and remote working. The Scheme will support these objectives and will encourage more people to return confidently to town and village centres to work, shop and socialise. The closing date for the submission of applications is 22^ndJuly 2022.

Under the TVRS, approved projects are funded by each local authority from their own resources.  The local authorities then submit claims to the Department to recoup these funds.  In general, funding would be returned to the Department where ineligible funding is identified through project control inspections or where projects are decommitted.  The data on returned funding is currently being compiled and will issue to the Deputy once completed.

The table at the link outlines the funding approved per local authority under the TVRS for each year since the Scheme was introduced in 2016.

">Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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464. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she has received an application from a local authority (details supplied) under the CLÁR scheme; and when she expects to be in a position to make announcements with regard to these applications. [33314/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period.

I launched this year's programme in February with a total budget of €7 million.  This represents an increase of €1.5 million on the budget for the 2021 CLÁR programme.  The programme is now closed for all measures and applications are being assessed.

I can confirm that under CLÁR Measure 1, 'Developing Community Facilities and Amenities', an application by the group referred to by the Deputy has been submitted  by the relevant local authority for assessment by my Department. I hope to make an announcement on the successful Measure 1 projects later this year.