James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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23. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if his Department provides support to community centres to improve the wheelchair accessibility of their premises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68331/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding for community centres and community infrastructure across a wide range of schemes. The CLÁR programme, the LEADER programme and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme are providing vital funding to community groups across the country, including for upgrades and other enhancements aimed at making these places more accessible to all of the community.

Indeed the CLÁR programme not only supports building upgrades for wheelchair users, it also provides funding for community groups to purchase vehicles that can be used to transport people with mobility issues to vital services and supports.

The Community Centre Investment Fund, in particular, is making our community centres more resilient, sustainable and accessible spaces.

Since 2022, some €110 million has been allocated for the upgrade and refurbishment of over 1600 existing community centres and the construction of 12 new community centres. The introduction of wheelchair-accessible toilets, lifts, ramps, and automatic doors has opened these facilities to more people with disabilities, older adults, parents with young children, and others with mobility challenges.

Accessibility has also been strengthened through wheelchair-accessible fire escapes, door hold-openers, and upgraded toilet facilities.

I am committed to delivering further iterations of this scheme and delivering further accessibility improvements in the coming years in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government for this to become a permanent rolling fund. A decision in relation to the timing of further iterations and the measures to be included will be made in the context of the management of ongoing commitments under the fund.

I would encourage organisations to check my department’s website for information on the Community Centre Investment Fund and all of the other community funding opportunities.