Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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2681.To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of grant aid for capital projects such as community groups; if she will list the various schemes, deadlines and capital under each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32215/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I have put in place an integrated programme of capital funding supports for the development of infrastructure in rural areas and for the development of community facilities right across the country as outlined below. I would encourage interested parties to keep up-to-date with scheme announcements and details on my Department's website, .

RRDF

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages and rural areas across Ireland. Since the Fund was established in 2018, a total of 245 projects have been approved for funding of over €577 million for projects costing €768 million. Many of these projects include elements which restore and build community facilities. Calls for applications to the Fund are sought under two categories – Category 1, which relates to large scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place, and which are ready to proceed, and Category 2, which provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications. In May of this year I announced a record €164 million for 30 projects under the 5th call for Category 1 projects under the RRDF.

CCIF

Under the 2022 Community Centres Investment Fund (CCIF), over €45.8 million has been committed to the improvement and refurbishment of existing community centres across Ireland. In 2023, the focus of the Community Centres Investment Fund moved to new builds. Last year, I announced a €20 million Fund to support communities with ‘shovel-ready’ projects on green or brownfield sites for the construction of new community centres. I was pleased to secure additional funding for this and in April I announced over €30 million which will deliver 12 new community centres nationwide. I announced the current round of funding under the CCIF last month which will provide €20 million in funding to support the upgrade and refurbishment of community centres across the country. The closing date for this round is 29th August and applications can be made to Pobal.

CLáR

My Department also funds the CLáR programme. 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. In total, funding of almost €13 million was provided for over 300 projects under CLáR 2023. It included supports for a vast array of projects that will benefit people of all ages and abilities such as playgrounds, sensory gardens, outdoor cinemas, walking tracks, and community gyms. CLáR 2024 was launched in April with funding of €8.7 million available and applications are currently being assessed.

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designated to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. The 2023 Scheme is designed to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland through a renewed focus on town centre economic and social recovery and regeneration. In April, I announced funding of over €20 million for 82 projects which will benefit rural towns and villages the length and breadth of the country. The next iteration of the scheme will be opened later in the year.

ORIS

The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways and blue ways throughout rural Ireland. The scheme provides funding under different measures for amounts ranging from €30,000 to €500,000. In March I announced €4.1 to support over 150 projects under Measure 1 of ORIS. Last month I announced funding of over €16.1 million for 69 outdoor infrastructure projects under Measure 2 and 3 of the 2023 ORIS scheme. The next iteration of the scheme will be opened later this year.

Local Enhancement Programme

The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2024, with capital funding of €6 million, aims to provide supports essential for small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas. There is a particular focus on small capital works/improvements, and the purchase of equipment for community use. The funding may be used, but is not limited to; improved access for persons with a disability; enhancing community participation for disadvantaged and marginalised groups, and improving energy efficiency of community facilities to reduce ongoing costs.

The Local Enhancement Programme is administered on behalf of my Department locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. Each LCDC advertised the fund earlier in the year and successful projects were announced in May.

LEADER

The LEADER Programme is a key intervention of 'Our Rural Future', the Government’s Policy for rural development which aims to deliver a range of actions to rural communities over the lifetime of the policy. It supports a broad range of activities which aim to respond to the diversity of the local needs of our rural areas.

It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland. A feature of the LEADER programme is that it is based on a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development. In October 2022 funding for the 2023 - 2027 LEADER programme of €180 million was announced. This is in addition to the €70 million in funding allocated for the transitional period 2021 to 2022 maintaining the level of funding of €250 million provided for the 2014-2020 programming period.

Funding under the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is not targeted at any particular group or sector in rural communities. It is, rather, focused on a thematic approach to rural development under the headings; Economic Development and Job Creation, Rural Infrastructure and Social Inclusion, Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Funding for activities such as that referenced by the Deputy may be available under one of these themes.

Prospective applicants should, in the first instance, contact their relevant LAG, through its Implementing Partner, to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available. Information on each of the areas referenced above is available on my Department’s website and I would encourage the Deputy to monitor the website for upcoming launches and funding announcements.

Community Recognition Fund

The Community Recognition Fund aims to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other international protection applicants. Funding of €50 million in the first round was allocated to approximately 900 projects is supporting towns and villages nationwide that have welcomed people from Ukraine and other countries.

The Fund aims to support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all members of the community. Through this initiative, communities are being assisted to develop projects such as large-scale multi-purpose sports facilities, walkways, cycle paths, playgrounds, equipment for sports clubs and community festivals. In March this year I launched the 2nd round of the Community Recognition Fund with a further €50 million allocated to Local Authorities who will administer the scheme.

Libraries Capital Programme

The Libraries Capital Programme, under my department, will invest €33.1m over the 2023-2027 period in new and refurbished library buildings, mobile library vehicles, My Open Library services, ICT infrastructure, and small scale works. This funding complements funding provided towards library developments under the RRDF. A call for proposals for major library infrastructure projects and next generation library vehicles was launched in April 2023 with a closing date of June 16^th2023. 33 infrastructure projects proposals and 15 library vehicle proposals were received. On 24 April 2024, I announced investment of over €25m in the public library service. The investment includes supporting the delivery of 11 new library buildings across the country, along with 12 new Next Generation mobile library vehicles. This represents one of the most significant investments in our library service in years.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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2682.To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the key capital investments being made by her Department in 2023 and 2024 in Cavan and Monaghan; the amount of investment in each case, and under what scheme, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32216/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department operates a range of capital schemes, many with a rural development focus, and others supporting both rural and urban areas in terms of community development. The table below details approvals made by my Department for Cavan and Monaghan, in 2023 and 2024 to date, under our key capital schemes. This represents an unprecedented level of capital investment in rural and community development within Cavan and Monaghan, and indeed nationally.

It is important to note that, for larger projects in particular, projects approved in any given year can progress over subsequent years. Furthermore, projects approved at the end of one year will tend to see the approved funding flow to those projects in the following year. With regard to the LEADER programme, it is multi-annual in nature. The 2023-2027 LEADER Programme that is now operational in most counties has an allocation of €6,370,439 for Cavan and €5,985,778 for Monaghan being made available over the lifetime of the programme. No LEADER project approvals have yet been made in 2024 in either area.

Further details on all of the funding and supports available through my Department are published on my Department’s website .