Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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722. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his Department has received EU funding for capital works projects under the remit of his Department, in 2024 and to date in 2025; and the projects which received EU funding, in tabular form. [50382/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department utilises EU funding across three broad areas, the LEADER Programme, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), and the PEACE Programmes.The LEADER programme is co-funded by the EU, with the rates of EU funding differing across each programme period. In 2024 and to date in 2025 LEADER has funded 1,017 projects to the value of €33.6 million, which includes €21.7 million EU funding. A breakdown of EU funding received per project for the years referred to are included in the attached appendix. Further details on the LEADER programme, and the individual projects funded can be viewed online on www.gov.ie/LEADER.

In relation to the PEACE Programmes, my Department provides pre-financing in respect of Investment Areas for which DRCDG is the Accountable Department, to the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), who manages the EU co-funded cross border PEACEPLUS Programme 2021-2027. The core programme area includes Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, namely Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth.

My Department does not directly award grant funding to capital projects under the PEACE Programmes, nor recoup EU funds directly from the EU, rather it receives ERDF recoupments via the SEUPB, based on the certified eligible costs of capital projects funded under the Investment Areas, for which DRCDG is the Accountable Department. Under the PEACE IV Programme, the previous programme, there was €4.285m recouped in 2024 and €1.181m recouped to date in 2025. Details of the PEACE IV projects are attached.

There were no capital works projects funded under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for the period in question.

See details below of projects funded under the PEACE IV programme

In the PEACE IV Programme, under Investment Area 3.1 Shared Spaces and Services, seven projects were awarded funding, with total commitment of €73.5 million.

The Department’s portion of this commitment was 21.622%.