Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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719. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the grants currently available or due to become available for improvement works to community centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10189/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Community Centres are the cornerstone of community life in towns, villages and parishes across the country.

Since my appointment as Minister for Rural and Community Development, I have placed a key focus on the development of these important facilities.

In 2022, I launched the new Community Centres Investment Fund.

Grants of up to €300,000 were available for the upgrade and renovation of existing community centres.

The types of works eligible for funding included:

- upgrades to kitchen and toilet facilities

- energy retrofitting including the provision of new windows, doors and heating systems

- works to improve disability access

- Other essential maintenance works such as fire safety improvements, repairs to floor/roof, etc

There was huge demand for the scheme with over 1000 applications received. All applications were subject to a competitive assessment following which I was pleased to announce €45.5million in funding for 858 successful projects.

In addition to upgrading existing centres, I know that there are a number of areas in the country that would love to have new facilities for their communities to enjoy and I am fully committed to doing all I can to support them.

In this regard, I was delighted to secure €21million in Budget 2023 for a new round of the Community Centre Investment Fund which will be targeted specifically at new build community centres.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that details of the 2023 scheme are currently being developed and I hope to issue a call for applications in March.

Separately, community centres can apply to the Community Support Fund which provides supports to small groups who are struggling with energy/running costs and for small capital works. Groups should contact their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) for details of this fund.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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720. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the rural regeneration schemes will re-open for new applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10204/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, creates an overarching vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development.

My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. We do this by delivering a wide range of strategic interventions and investments throughout the country.

In 2022 my Department had a budget allocation of €379 million which supported rural and community development, including through investment in infrastructure and initiatives assisting the retention and attraction of jobs throughout the regions. This will continue in 2023.

The Programme for Government places a strong emphasis on balanced regional development. My own Department supports this commitment through targeted investment that empowers communities, supports sustainable rural regeneration, and fosters regional growth.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is one such measure that supports the revitalisation of rural Ireland. Last year, I was delighted to confirm a total funding package of €28.5m across the various strands of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to support a wide range of projects across rural Ireland.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund has an allocation of €60m for 2023. To date, 215 projects have been approved for funding of €395 million for projects costing €542 million throughout rural Ireland.

The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme is another important area of investment with an allocation for 2023 of €16 million. The allocation for this Scheme has increased year on year since 2020, and the projects funded will be key enablers of the recently launched National Outdoor Recreation Strategy, Embracing Ireland's Outdoors.

Similarly, I was delighted to introduce significant new supports for the development of community centres across the country last year, while the CLÁR programme and the Local Improvement Scheme continue to deliver important projects in rural communities across the country each year.

Scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year and this process is at an advanced stage in respect of planning for our 2023 schemes. As part of this process, I am anxious to ensure that the range of schemes offered by my Department continue to be structured in a way that ensures clear coherence, shows alignment with key policies such as Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy, and that delivers real and tangible benefits for communities. Scheduling of scheme announcements for 2023 is currently under review by my officials and I expect to be in a position to announce the schedule for the opening of the 2023 rural regeneration schemes shortly.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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721. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10206/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Local Improvement Scheme supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities. As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring that the LIS is funded into the future.

The Scheme was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following a number of years with no dedicated funding. I am committed to improving connectivity for rural residents, whether it be access to homes, farms or outdoor amenities. Since 2017, my Department has allocated almost €114 million to the scheme. This has upgraded some 3,700 non-public roads and lanes benefiting over 16,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas.

From 2017 to 2022, a total of €6.2 million was allocated to County Kerry which saw improvement works carried out on 173 roads. This is the fifth highest allocation nationally.

My Department reviews the scheme criteria each year prior to launch including the mechanism for funding allocation. The prioritisation of roads for submission to my Department is a matter for each local authority in line with the Scheme Outline.

I launched the 2023 scheme earlier this month with an increase in the base funding to €12 million. I also announced an addition €0.55 million for improvement works on our offshore islands. Within this funding, I allocated almost €800,000 to County Kerry bringing their total allocation since the scheme was reintroduced to over €7 million.

I will continue to closely monitor expenditure patterns this year in my Department and should savings emerge, I will give consideration to again allocating additional funding to the scheme as was seen in 2021 and 2022 where an additional €20.5 million was allocated over the two years.

Finally, I am continuing to engage with my colleague, the Minister for Transport regarding his Department contributing to a jointly funded Locally Improvement Scheme.

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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722. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the position regarding a review of the CLÁR funding programme to expand the qualifying criteria to allow more rural groups to apply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10220/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR Programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures.

The CLÁR 2022 programme awarded a record €12.2 million with 292 projects supported.

A review of CLÁR areas nationally was undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of Population data. The review examined the most recent changes in population patterns throughout the country on the basis of this 2016 data. It also examined the approach to developing the existing CLÁR designations, which is based on 2002 data, and considered how changes in population since then impacted on designations.

From the review it is clear that many areas have seen population growth in the relevant period rather than decline, and indeed the most recent census data published by the Central Statistics Office point to population growth across all counties since 2016.

The details of the review are being considered by my Department before any decisions are made in relation to areas throughout Ireland which will be designated as eligible for CLÁR.

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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723. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development further to Parliamentary Question No. 746 of 21 February 2023, if the CLÁR programme will be expanded to allow groups, including an organisation (details supplied) qualify for funding, due to its membership living in a variety of locations in County Wicklow. [10221/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The CLÁR Programme provides funding for small-scale projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures.

In 2022 the Programme's Mobility and Cancer Care Transport Measure facilitated the purchase of vehicles by voluntary organisations based in CLÁR areas. This was with a view to facilitating, under the National Cancer Care Programme, transport to designated cancer treatment hospitals/centres. It also facilitates transport to day care or other medical, therapeutic or respite services, including those requiring specialised wheelchair accessible vehicles.

A review of CLÁR areas nationally was undertaken in 2021 using the 2016 Census of Population data. The review examined the most recent changes in population patterns throughout the country on the basis of this 2016 data. It also examined the approach to developing the existing CLÁR designations, which is based on 2002 data, and considered how changes in population since then impacted on designations.

From the review it is clear that many areas have seen population growth in the relevant period rather than decline, and indeed the most recent census data published by the Central Statistics Office point to population growth across all counties since 2016. At present, the Rathdrum Cancer Support is not eligible for consideration under the CLÁR programme as it is not within a designated CLÁR area

The details of the review are being considered by my Department before any decisions are made in relation to areas throughout Ireland which will be designated as eligible for CLÁR.