Written answers

Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Department of Rural and Community Development

Departmental Funding

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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776. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide details of each project that received funding from her Department under the rural regeneration and development fund, by county, to date in 2024, in tabular form; the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19139/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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777. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide details of each project that received funding from her Department under the rural regeneration and development fund, by county, in 2023, in tabular form; the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19140/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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778. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide details of each project that received funding from her Department under the rural regeneration and development fund, by county, in 2022, in tabular form; the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19141/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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779. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide details of each project that received funding from her Department under the rural regeneration and development fund, by county, in 2021, in tabular form; the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19142/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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780. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide details of each project that received funding from her Department under the rural regeneration and development fund, by county, in 2020, in tabular form; the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19143/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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781. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list project that received funding from her Department under the Clár programme in 2020, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19144/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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782. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the Clár programme in 2021, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19145/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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783. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the Clár programme in 2022, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19146/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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784. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the Clár programme in 2023, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19147/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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785. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the Clár programme to date in 2024, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that the Minister subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form [19148/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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786. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the Community recognition Fund in 2023, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19149/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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787. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the Community recognition Fund in 2024, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19150/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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788. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will list each project that received funding from her Department under the town and village renewal scheme in 2024, by county; the amount received by each project; the total allocation to each county; and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event, in tabular form. [19151/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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789. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development in tabular form per county each project that received funding from her Department under the town and village renewal scheme in 2023, the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county, and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19152/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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790. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development in tabular form per county each project that received funding from her Department under the town and village renewal scheme in 2022, the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county, and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19153/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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791. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development in tabular form per county each project that received funding from her Department under the town and village renewal scheme in 2021, the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county, and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19154/24]

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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792. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development in tabular form per county each project that received funding from her Department under the town and village renewal scheme in 2020, the amount received by each project and the total allocation to each county, and the projects therein that she subsequently attended a launch or recognition event. [19155/24]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 776, 777, 778, 779, 780, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786, 787, 788, 789, 790, 791 and 792 together.

Our Rural Future, Ireland's Rural Development Policy 2021 – 2025, represents the Irish Government’s blueprint for the development of rural Ireland. It sets out a range of actions for delivery across Government, and sets the strategic framework for the delivery of capital investment under my Department's Rural Development Investment Programme. Details in relation to projects awarded funding are regularly published by my Department. The information requested can be found in the links set out below to the published information across counties, years and schemes.

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a key capital investment scheme which directly supports the objectives of Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy. The RRDF provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. To date, 215 projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €415 million. The detail in relation to the projects awarded funding in each county is available on my Department’s website at the following link

www.gov.ie/en/publication/7be140-test/.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS) was introduced in 2016 and is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme over €177 million has been allocated to some 1,800 projects across Ireland, with the most recent awards of funding under the Scheme having been made this week. The detail in relation to the projects awarded funding in each county is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/collection/0012f5-town-and-village-renewal-scheme/.

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. Since the CLÁR programme was reintroduced in 2016, funding of over €70 million has been approved for almost 2,400 projects. This includes supports for a vast array of projects that will benefit people of all ages and abilities such as playgrounds, sensory gardens, outdoor cinemas, walking tracks, and community gyms. The detail in relation to the projects awarded funding in each county is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/91ba52-clar/#2020-clar-measures.

The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. Through the 2023 allocation, funding of €50 million was approved for some 900 projects in providing support to cities, towns and villages nationwide that have welcomed people from Ukraine and other countries. To further support communities, I announced a further €50 million in funding under the Community Recognition Fund in March 2024. The additional funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in cities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants. This allocation is being targeted at larger projects than in 2023, with a minimum allocation of €50,000 per project. Applications under the current round of funding can be submitted by local authorities across three phases, so as to allow flexibility and adequate engagement and collaboration on larger projects. The detail in relation to the projects approved under the 2023 fund in each county is available on my Department’s website at the following link

www.gov.ie/en/service/e626a-community-recognition-fund-2023/#2023-community-recognition-fund-approvals.

In my role as Minister for Rural and Community Development, I have engaged extensively with local communities across Ireland, including via an extensive series of visits over recent years. These visits have ranged from official project launches under schemes with larger investment items such as the RRDF, to witnessing first hand the implementation of more modest projects under schemes such as CLÁR which also deliver tangible benefits to communities. These visits offer an opportunity to directly engage with local communities as to their needs and priorities at local level, as well as a forum to witness at first hand the projects being implemented by local authorities and other groups as part of the delivery of Our Rural Future. While my Department does not record detailed information in relation to the range of such visits centrally, details in relation to my Ministerial diary of events are available online at www.gov.ie/en/collection/304ed4-ministers-diaries/. However, should the Deputy require further detail in relation to particular projects or events, I will of course arrange for the available detail to be collated for his information.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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793. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications received in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024, per county, for funding under the rural regeneration and development fund; the number therein that were successful; the number that were unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19156/24]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns, villages and rural areas across Ireland. Funding is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies.

To date, 215 projects have been approved for RRDF funding of €414 million.

The attached table sets out the number of applications received, the number of unsuccessful and successful applications per county for each call under the RRDF from 2020 to date There was no call for applications in 2023.

The fifth call for applications was announced in November 2023. The closing date for applications was the 8th February 2024. I expect to announce the successful applications under the fifth call in the coming weeks.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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794. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications received in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024, per county, for funding under the Clár programme; the number therein that were successful; the number that were unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19157/24]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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.

Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures with over €70 million being approved for almost 2,400 projects throughout rural Ireland. This funding is making a real difference in many of our smaller and more remote communities.

I launched the current iteration of the CLÁR scheme on the 12th of April this year. As yet no application have been received in 2024.

The tables below outline the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of CLÁR applications received by my Department, and those that were successful and unsuccessful in the years requested.

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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795. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of applications received in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024, per county, for funding under the community recognition fund; the number therein that were successful; the number that were unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19158/24]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Community Recognition Fund was first introduced in 2023 to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland.

The funding is specifically targeted at projects that are located in cities, towns and villages that are hosting the Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and/or International Protection Applicants including towns identified for the rapid build homes programme

Applications were administered at local level by local authorities in consultation with local communities. Each local authority was assigned a financial allocation under the fund, and the decisions in relation to which applications to forward to my Department for approval within that application were made at local authority level. Under the 2023 scheme, 907 projects were submitted by the various local authorities to my Department, and were deemed eligible and approved for total funding of €50 million. The following table illustrates the number of applications per county.

County
Number of CRF 2023 Projects
Carlow 9
Cavan 13
Clare 79
Cork 122
Donegal 51
Dublin 98
Galway 35
Kerry 42
Kildare 10
Kilkenny 19
Laois 48
Leitrim 13
Limerick 90
Longford 22
Louth 11
Mayo 48
Meath 26
Monaghan 8
Offaly 26
Roscommon 19
Sligo 27
Tipperary 28
Waterford 13
Westmeath 16
Wexford 27
Wicklow 7
Total 907
To provide additional support to communities, I announced a further €50 million of funding under the Community Recognition Fund in March of this year.

Applications under the current round of funding can be submitted by local authorities across three phases, so as to allow flexibility and adequate engagement and collaboration on larger projects. No applications have been received as yet for 2024. The closing dates for applications are May 31st 2024, September 30th 2024, and January 31st 2025.

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