Written answers
Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Department of Rural and Community Development
Voluntary Sector
Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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808. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide all funding streams available to the community and voluntary sector; and the parameters and opening and closing dates for applications for same in tabular form. [49777/22]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department offers support to the community and voluntary sector through various schemes and programmes as set out in the table below. While some schemes have closed for applications this year, it is intended to advertise many of the schemes again in 2023.
| Scheme/Programme | Parameters | Open | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Services | The Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 430 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and the delivery of a diverse range of local services, through a social enterprise model. | It is anticipated that the programme may open later in 2022 and any additional entrants will be considered in light of available budgets. | Pending the transition to the new restructured programme the scheme is closed to new applications through the Expression of Interest process. |
| Community Centres Investment Fund | The Community Centres Investment Fund (CCIF) is a new capital fund to support the upgrade and refurbishment of existing community centres in both urban and rural areas. | The opening of the next round of funding will be announced in due course. | The current Fund closed for applications on 14 July 2022 |
| Community Enhancement Programme | The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provides funding to community groups in disadvantaged areas across Ireland. The 2021 CEP provided €4.5 million of grant funding for communities to enhance their local facilities. | Details of the next round of funding are still under consideration and will be announced later in 2022. | |
| LEADER programme | The LEADER Programme is a multi-annual programme for rural development co-funded by the EU through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) covering the period 2014-2022 which is delivered through 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs) around the country. Support under the LEADER programme is provided under a broad range of themes. In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy for the relevant LEADER area. | Transitional LEADER programme covering the period 2021 to end 2022 The next LEADER programme will cover the period 2023 to 2027 and will commence in 2023 | |
| Rural Regeneration and Development Fund | The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. The application process for the Fund is competitive in nature and applications can be made by State-funded bodies, such as Local Authorities, State agencies and Local Development Companies etc. Lead parties may put forward an investment case for the development of facilities for the community and voluntary sector as part of an application to the Fund. | The timing of future calls is being considered and will be announced in due course. | The 4th call for Category 1 Applications to the Fund closed on 29th April 2022. |
| CLÁR | The CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas. Measures to be included in the CLÁR programme are reviewed and revised each year, as appropriate. The measures funded in 2022 are:Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities (application process via the local authorities) Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport (application process directly to DRCD) Measure 3: ‘Our Islands’(application process directly to DRCD) | The opening of the 2023 programme will be announced in due course. | The 2022 programme closed to applications in May 2022. |
| Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) | The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as trails, walkways, cycleways, blueways and bridleways in rural areas. The 2022 Scheme closed earlier this year and the Measures available ranged from funding of up to €30,000 for small scale repair/development/promotion and marketing, to funding of up to €500,000 for strategic large scale projects. | The opening of the 2023 Scheme will be announced in due course. | The 2022 Scheme closed to applications in May 2022. |
| Town and Village Renewal Scheme | The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Applications for the scheme are developed in collaboration with local authorities who then submit them to the Department for assessment as part of a competitive process. Each year the focus of the scheme is assessed and revised as appropriate. | The opening of the 2023 programme will be announced in due course. | The 2022 Scheme closed to applications in July 2022. |
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