Written answers
Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Department of Rural and Community Development
Departmental Functions
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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631. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she proposes to expand and extend the role of her Department in addressing issues of rural and/or urban isolation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41565/23]
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Addressing the issue of individual isolation in communities has become more important than ever before. Many of my Department's policies and funding programmes aim to address social isolation issues in communities, and also deliver benefits by responding to the challenges facing vulnerable individuals.
My Department continues to provide funding to tackle social isolation and support those in our communities in most need of assistance through schemes such as the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP), the Community Services Programme, and the Seniors Alert Scheme, amongst others.
SICAP is Ireland’s primary social inclusion funding intervention, delivered locally by Local Development Companies (LDCs) to help those in the greatest need access supports to enable participation in communities.
My Department’s Community Services Programme (CSP) currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and local services through a social enterprise model. The CSP focuses on communities where public and private sector services are lacking, either through geographical isolation or social isolation or because demand levels are not sufficient.
My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the Scheme towards the purchase, by a registered community-based organisation, of a personal alarm or pendant.
My Department is also responsible for a number of national policies containing measures to improve the lives of people throughout the country including Our Rural Future, which places an emphasis on building resilience and enhancing participation and inclusion in rural communities including older people and those with disabilities.
The issue of social isolation is one which concerns us all and I am committed to continuing my Department’s response to this issue through continued delivery of relevant programmes and policies.
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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632. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the degree to which she continues to interact with rural and urban communities with a view to her proposals to address any deficiencies in terms of support or new services as might be determined from her interaction with the communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41566/23]
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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634. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she continues to adopt rural and community programmes specifically aimed at the particular needs of relevant communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41570/23]
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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635. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the total value of assistance offered to rural and community groups throughout Kildare north and throughout the country in each of the past three years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41571/23]
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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637. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development whether she intends to expand the mission statement of her Department to meet particular areas that did not previously qualify for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41573/23]
Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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638. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the extent to which she proposes to liaise with the community sector throughout the country with a view to identifying and addressing issues as they arise in early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41574/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 632, 634, 635, 637 and 638 together.
My Department's mission is to promote rural and community development and to support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable communities throughout Ireland. As part of this work my Department continues to liaise with stakeholders in communities around the county including through the Local Authorities, Local Community Development Committees, Public Participation Networks and the Local Development Companies to ensure that supports provided are timely and appropriate to the needs of those communities.
While the schemes administered by my Department have a consistent, ongoing focus, they are regularly adapted and supplemented in response to emerging needs. Such examples are the Community Call Initiative, the Covid-19 Stability Scheme, the Accelerated Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme and the recently announced Community Recognition Fund.
The amount approved by my Department in the past three years, across its range of rural and community schemes, is €323 million in 2020, €333 million in 2021, and €475 million in 2022. Kildare was allocated €7.9 million in 2020, €3.9 million in 2021, and €11.6 million in 2022.
This funding ensures that we are in a position to further assist communities throughout the country seeking funding and other supports for important local activities and projects.
My Department’s new Statement of Strategy for 2023-2025, published in August, will guide the delivery of an ambitious programme of work over the coming years, with the aim of making a significant and lasting difference to rural Ireland and communities throughout the country. My Department will continue to engage with rural and urban stakeholders to identify issues impacting on communities and respond to emerging needs. I am confident that the funding supports and policies provided by my Department will continue to deliver tangible benefits for both urban and rural communities.
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