Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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86. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the key capital investments being made by her Department in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41335/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department's capital budget for 2023 amounts to €231 million, of which €167 million relates to the Rural Development Programme and €64 million relates to the Community Development Programme.

Capital funding is particularly important for the rural development programme area. Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas, with capital schemes forming an important element of that support.

Capital investment across both the rural and community development areas include –

• €180 million for LEADER for the period 2023 to 2027. LEADER, is a rural development programme co-funded by the EU that supports communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. The 2023 allocation for this programme amounts to €46 million.
• For 2023 a total of €93 million has been made available for the Rural Regeneration and Development area, which includes the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.
• €30 million has been provided in 2023 for the €50 million Community Recognition Fund(CRF). This fund is specifically targeted at projects that are located in communities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants. The remaining €20 million will be made available in 2024.
• The Local Improvement Scheme had an initial allocation of €12 million, with a further €16 million in funding recently announced. This will support the continued improvement of non-public roads and lanes that are not normally maintained by local authorities.
• There will also be over €20 million in funding for the Community Centre Investment Fund in 2023, building on similar investment in 2022.