Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will re-open for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56026/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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109. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when another round of category 1 funding for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will be announced; the criteria that will apply; the measures in place, to ensure a fair distribution of funds; the date on which applications will open and close; if projects which were previously unsuccessful will be allowed re-submit, such as the Dunshaughlin courthouse and town centre project in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54275/25]

John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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132. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if any revision of the eligibility criteria for the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund is being considered to ensure more towns can apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55736/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106, 109 and 132 together.

Administered by my Department, The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major capital programme that supports the revitalisation of rural Ireland. It supports large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in towns, villages and outlying areas with a population of under 10,000 people.

The RRDF forms just one part of a wider suite of funding streams within my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme which are aimed at supporting rural communities. Last week I announced a further €20.5 million in RRDF funding for 30 Category 2 projects across rural Ireland. Details of these projects can be found on the Department’s website.

Calls for RRDF applications are sought under two categories;

• Category 1 relates to larger scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place and which are ready to proceed.
• Category 2 provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for future calls for Category 1 applications.

Peter Roche (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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107. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the measures being taken to ensure a fair and balanced distribution of funding across rural counties, particularly in Galway east, under upcoming allocations for the LEADER, CLÁR, and town and village renewal schemes; if priority will be afforded to rural communities experiencing infrastructure deficits, depopulation, and planning constraints; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55757/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department ensures a fair and equitable distribution via a range of schemes which are targeted based on need and reviewed before each launch to ensure that they continue to respond to evolving needs.

The CLÁR Programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation over a defined period. This is targeted at smaller rural settlements that have experienced depopulation in the past. It is a matter for each local authority to accept and prioritise applications under measure 1 for community infrastructure and amenities based on their own assessment of need locally.

Since 2020, over €53 million has been approved for almost 1,300 projects nationwide under the CLÁR programme with over €4 million of this being allocated for 93 projects in County Galway.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and has to date allocated almost €184 million to over 1,800 projects nationally. Almost €7 million has been allocated to 74 projects in County Galway and supported projects can be found in east Galway towns such as Athenry, Ballinasloe, Gort and Portumna. Details of all projects approved can be found on my department’s website.

Delivered in partnership with local authorities, it primarily targets funding at areas with populations of less than 10,000 people. All applications received under the scheme are assessed competitively for suitability against the scheme criteria and objectives. Factors such as the geographical spread of projects are also considered to maximise this funding’s impact.

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. Under the current 2023-2027 LEADER Programme, Galway has an allocation of €9 million, almost €5.5 million of which is allocated to Galway East.

To ensure a fair and balanced allocation of LEADER funding across rural areas, the allocation methodology included a baseline amount to each sub-regional area, with additional funding based on population density and level of deprivation of the area.

I will continue to keep the focus of all my department's schemes under review to ensure the continued efficient and effective use of available resources.