Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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111. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the funding allocation for rural development schemes under his Department for Budget 2026 and Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55409/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s budget allocation for 2026 totals €611 million, with €273 million in capital funding and €338 million in current funding. This represents a 6% increase on the 2025 allocation, and builds on strong investment in recent years.

€192.2 million will be provided for rural development in 2026, €160.7 million capital and €31.5 million in current funding. The comparative allocation in 2025 was €196.7 million, with the change reflecting the stage in the programme cycle of the LEADER programme; funding increases elsewhere in the rural programme and other areas.

The detailed allocations for each area will be published in the Revised Estimate Volume in early December. I expect to again provide a €60 million for projects under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. There will be a provision of €32 million for the LEADER programme in 2026, down from €42 million originally in REV 2025. There is a €250 million allocation for the LEADER 2021 to 2027 Programme, with the 2026 funding level reflecting the stage of the programme cycle.

The capital funding provided in the Budget will also allow increased funding for the following schemes in 2026:

• Town and Village Renewal Scheme: €21 million, €1 million increase on 2025.
• Local Improvement Scheme: €17 million, €2 million increase.
• CLÁR: €12 million, €1 million increase.
• Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme: €17 million, €1 million increase.