Rural Schemes
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Dara Calleary (FF), Mayo

There is no doubt that there is huge potential for projects such as the one the Senator referenced. They will provide services and supports that not only sustain communities in County Kildare and throughout the country, but also develop them and allow communities to enjoy the facilities that are there. We support projects across the Government to help with not just housing requirements, but also community requirements, and to help develop the sporting and recreational facilities that are used by people every day to maintain and enrich our cultural heritage. The project the Senator speaks about sounds like a fantastic opportunity to mix all of those ambitions.
My Department and my colleagues across the Government are committed to making sure that the required supports are in place to ensure that rural communities are in a position to grow and thrive. We were delighted to be able to secure from our colleague, the Minister, Jack Chambers, a sum of €611 million in budget 2026. That will allow us to make further calls for applications to local authorities under schemes such as the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, CLÁR and the community centres investment fund.
As always, there are a range of opportunities open to local authorities from within our Department to assist in the development of projects and I look forward to taking up the Senator's invitation to visit County Kildare once again and experience her wonderful hospitality. We will include Monasterevin on our trip.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17