Written answers
Monday, 8 September 2025
Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Departmental Funding
Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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2771. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the breakdown of LEADER funding since 2015, by county, and in tabular form. [47172/25]
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The current LEADER Programme, which runs to 2027, is operational across the country. It supports a broad range of enterprises and community groups to develop projects which improve the quality of life and economic activity in rural areas. It is delivered through Local Action Groups (LAGs) across rural Ireland, facilitating a community-led, bottom-up approach to rural development.
The LEADER programme is co-financed by the European Commission under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), through the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development. It is a multi-annual programme, with allocations being linked to a programming period, rather than an annual basis. The total amount of funding allocated to LEADER for the period 2021-2027 is €250 million, in line with the previous 7 year period.
Generally, the funding is allocated to the LAGs at the outset of the programme to provide them with greater flexibility to manage their budgets over the programming period. Funding is then paid out by my Department as costs are incurred and claims for payment are submitted.
The table below provides the allocation of funding by county, on a programme basis. As some initiatives, such as the LEADER food initiatives and co-operation measures, had standalone processes and were not allocated in advance, these are not captured in the table below.
Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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2772. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide a list of the funding allocated to community centres under the Community Centres Investment Fund, by county, since 2020, in tabular form. [47173/25]
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) has provided approximately €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres.
Over €45.8 million was approved for some 861 community centres nationwide under CCIF 2022. In early 2024, funding of over €30 million was approved for the construction of 12 new community centres covering nine counties.
Under the 2024 iteration of the fund, over €33 million has now been approved to support refurbishment works on over 770 projects nationwide.
The attached table outlines the funding provided in each county since 2020 to date in 2025 under the Community Centres Investment Fund.
Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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2773. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the breakdown of CLÁR programme funding since 2015 by county, in tabular form. [47174/25]
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Departments CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas.
Since the CLÁR programme was reintroduced in 2016, funding of over €84 million has been approved for almost 2,700 projects. This includes 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.
I expect to announce the successful 2025 CLÁR projects in the coming months.
A breakdown of CLÁR programme funding since 2015 by county, in tabular form, is attached.
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