Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

52. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht regarding the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the amount which has been allocated to and been spent to date on the scheme since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68488/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major programme which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. The focus of the RRDF is on rural towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 people.

Funding under the RRDF is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies, who take the lead role in individual projects and manage project spend. As a general rule, the RRDF will provide up to 80% of the total project costs, with at least 20% to be provided in matching contributions by the applicants. For counties in the North-West Region, this matching requirement has been reduced to 10%.

RRDF grant payments are made to the designated Lead Body over the lifetime of the project. The department makes this funding available on the basis of actual expenditure incurred at project level, and claimed thereafter by the Lead Body. To date, the RRDF has allocated over €613 million for 273 projects across Ireland, with over €258 million of that having been drawn down to date by Lead Bodies. Substantial further claims are expected by the end of this year, and my officials continue to engage proactively with Lead Bodies in relation to maximising drawdown over the course of these multi annual projects.

I was delighted to recently announce successful projects under the Fourth Call for Category 2 applications, with funding of over €20.5 million being allocated to 30 landmark regeneration projects in rural communities across the country. I can also confirm it is my intention to launch a Call for Proposals for larger scale Category 1 RRDF projects in the near future.

I am committed to ensuring that the RRDF can continue to support high quality and transformational projects across rural Ireland in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy.