Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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1905. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason that an application by a community organisation (details supplied) under the town and village renewal scheme was unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63797/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Town and Village Renewal Scheme 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, over €149 million has been approved for more than 1,600 projects across the country.

On 14th December last, I announced over €17 million for projects under the 2022 Scheme which will benefit rural towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. The primary focus of the 2022 Scheme is to place particular emphasis on projects bringing vacant and derelict buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose spaces.

Each year there are significant numbers of applications to the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which always exceed the level of funding available. The application referred to by the Deputy, while scoring well, did not meet the minimum score for funding in 2022. As the applications are submitted to my Department by the relevant local authority, feedback has been provided directly to the relevant local authority. It is open to the local authority to resubmit the project under future calls for funding under the Scheme.