Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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73. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development how much financial support has been provided by her Department to community and voluntary groups and sporting organisations in Cork in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4013/24]

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State set out in detail a breakdown of moneys provided by the Department to community and voluntary groups and sporting organisations in Cork in 2023?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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During 2023 more than €16.5 million was allocated to Cork city and county through the schemes administered by my Department, such as the rural regeneration and development fund; the LEADER Programme; the town and village renewal scheme; the community centre investment fund; the community services programme; and the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, programme. Since 2020, more than €110 million has been allocated to Cork by the Department, across the range of schemes it operates.

Community groups can apply for funding across many of the programmes in place, with the LEADER Programme, the town and village renewal scheme and the community centre investment fund being of particular relevance. I would also note that the community services programme is an important support for many such organisations, both in Cork and nationally.

For sporting organisations, while the main source of funding is through Sport Ireland and its parent Department, the Department provides important supports through the CLÁR programme and the community enhancement programme.

Through CLÁR in 2023, Cork received funding for three projects totalling almost €110,000 under the measure for sports clubs announced in December. A further 11 projects, totalling more than €455,000, were successful under the measure in CLÁR 2023 for community projects, which the Minister announced earlier this month. This included support for community sport and recreation facilities.

We also announced €6 million in funding for the local enhancement programme at the end of last year, and that scheme is currently open for calls though the local authority. Together, Cork city and county were allocated €270,000, with almost €80,000 of that ring-fenced to support women's groups.

In addition, under the community recognition fund in 2023, €1.16 million was allocated to Cork City Council and €2.3 million to Cork County Council. Budget 2024 provides the Department with a gross allocation of €431 million. This significant level of funding will ensure investment throughout the country, including in County Cork, will continue this year.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome all of the grants that were announced last year. I hope the same will be provided again this year. In fairness, when moneys are provided to community organisations, they use the funding very effectively and deliver very good services. One of the areas that needs some focus is new communities where there is a huge growth in housing. We are not doing enough forward planning when developments go through the planning process to put facilities in place and to identify a suitable location. Could there be far more co-ordination between Departments and local authorities on forward planning for community facilities? I have two such areas in my constituency. Even though I have a big rural area, I also have a big urban area – Glanmire and Blarney. They are two areas where there is a real need for the development of sporting and community facilities. Without these facilities, we cannot provide the space for young people and older people in particular. I ask that there would be co-ordination in that whole area.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I want to ask about the many new developments being built around the country. There are a lot of houses going up but there is very little forward planning with regard to resources such as community facilities and playing fields. It is very expensive for clubs to purchase land. Perhaps it is something the Minister of State would have a look at and consider with his Government colleagues.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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This issue has come up before. I am not passing the buck, but when a local authority approves a housing development, it needs to, and it is now within the guidelines and part of good practice that it should, facilitate space and infrastructure for a community hall and playing facilities and pitches. That is not always easy to do, but that is where it starts and that is where the line of responsibility begins. Through a variety of schemes, including the community centre investment fund, the local enhancement project, the RRDF and the URDF in another Department, and sports capital grants in another Department, central government is assisting in situations like that. When starting a development from scratch, it needs to be planned properly. Central government can help with that, but the initial plan for the housing development needs to be up to scratch and cognisant of the fact the needs of a community are wider than simply housing.

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I very much welcome the Minister of State's response. It is not a criticism of the Department; it is just about the need for joined-up thinking. In that regard, I have a situation in Glanmire, for instance, where a total of 30 acres has been lying idle for ten years because it is owned by one organisation, which has not commenced any development yet it is not prepared to hand it back, whereas other organisations do not have the space. There needs to be engagement to make sure the land is made available because of the number of young people in the area – well over 1,500 young people in a secondary school alone, and at least another 1,500 if not 1,800 young people in primary schools. We have land that has the capacity to be developed but it has been idle for the past ten years with no proposals for its development. I have already been dealing with the Taoiseach on this matter, and the county council and the organisation itself. It is important that all relevant Departments are involved. It is time we had co-ordination between all of the organisations.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I will again mention the local authorities. If good proposals are brought to the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and me for the development of projects that will help communities, we will certainly look at them. They will be rigorously analysed, assessed and evaluated. Big projects on substantial areas of land, as mentioned by the Deputy, need the backing of the local authority as well. We work well with local authorities to get projects like that off the ground and completed. We welcome good applications under the variety of schemes we run.