I agree with Deputy Canney. The Deputy is correct that it is active travel. Where I was reared, it was a lane a mile long. It was very active when one was late for the bus, I can tell the Deputy. The Deputy is correct because many people use those ways. They are safe places to walk in rural Ireland because it is not safe to walk on the main road. There are laneways, for example, around lakes or whatever, that people could use. That is a good point the Deputy makes. The Department of Transport has a large capital bu…

I will give the updated figures on Galway. It has secured combined funding of over €3.26 million over the past two years. Forty-nine roads were upgraded in 2021 and a further 50 this year. Of course, resources are finite but I am tackling the situation. I doubled the LIS roads allocation originally envisaged in last year's budget and this year alone, I invested €22 million in the scheme. We are making progress in some counties. I was talking to those in Leitrim County Council the other day and it has cleared its ba…

I thank Deputy Connolly. I know this is something she is very committed to. As the Deputy is aware, the Government is committed to publishing a ten-year policy on island development with associated three-year action plans. The programme for Government includes a commitment in this regard. As Minister with responsibility for the islands I am determined to ensure the policy is delivered. The Deputy is aware that an extensive consultation process has been completed by the Department including meetings with island comm…

I thank Deputy Connolly. The final draft will be submitted to me by the end of the year. We are very close to the end of the year and I want that draft. With regard to the next steps after that, I hope, if I am still here, to take the draft to a Cabinet committee early in the new year and then to the Government. What is most important is that we have a strong policy at the end of the process. It will be the first island policy in 26 years. It is important that we get it right. I have shown my commitment to the isla…

No.

I thank Deputy Connolly. I will address the issue on LEADER in response to a later question. No islander is putting us under pressure to get this done. What they are putting us under pressure for is a policy document with actions that will deliver and make a difference to their lives. This is what they tell us. I will get the draft submitted to me by the end of the year. The next step will be that I go through it because I have to ensure that I am happy with it. Much work has gone into it. What is most important is…

I thank Deputy O'Dowd for raising this matter. The Department is responsible for policy on public libraries. The provision of library services, including the provision of library buildings, is primarily a matter for local authorities in their capacity as library authorities under the Local Government Act 2001. Accordingly, the development of a new public library in Dunleer is, first and foremost, a matter for Louth County Council. I understand that Louth County Council has been exploring options for the improvement…

It was great that under the building acquisitions measure, some €300,000 was approved for Louth County Council to purchase the old Bank of Ireland building in Dunleer. Funding under the measure is for the purchase of derelict and vacant buildings. That money is only for the purchase of buildings, but if Louth County Council decides to develop the building into a library - the Deputy knows better than I do as he has raised this with me on several occasions - the council will need to make it a bit bigger. The door wi…

It is expected a call for proposals for the new libraries capital programme will be issued in the new year. That will run from 2023 to 2027. I would say to the Deputy to get Louth County Council looking at this. It should get the finger out and get the plans in because the call will be issued. I am happy to support the council in any way I can but it will have to come from the council. The Deputy is very fortunate to have people of the calibre and generosity of Martin and Carmel Naughton.

When I was the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, they were great contributors to the arts. What they contributed to this country in philanthropic support has been outstanding. The Deputy has a good man in his corner there. I have no doubt he will see the railway station, even though it is not under the remit of my Department, there very soon.

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale 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. The CLÁR 2022 programme was launched in February this year and I am delighted to say that the overall amount awarded under all measures of the 2022 programme was a record €12.2 million with 292 projects being supported. A …

The Deputy and I both know the benefits of CLÁR funding well. The Deputy has been on to me about different projects. Kilnaleck recently received €50,000 for the upgrade of the playground and St. Anne's National School's parents' association got €45,000 to build a multi-use games area, MUGA. Lavey Community Group got €50,000 to provide wheelchair access. The Brackley Lake Geopark Amenity Area, with which the Deputy will be extremely familiar, received €50,000, and Ballymachugh GAA and Sheelin Park, another community…

I will come back to the Deputy.

I am happy to take on board the Deputy's suggestions of other criteria we can look at for areas that are not included. We did a review and we found the population had actually increased, which is good to see, but it is also important to say there are other funding streams from my Department. The Deputy will be very familiar with the community centres investment fund and the good support communities are getting from it because only last week we made the announcement. Some €33 million has been invested in the upgrade…

The LEADER programme is a key intervention which will help underpin the Government's rural development goals as outlined in Our Rural Future. I am happy to confirm that preparations are now well advanced for the implementation of the new LEADER programme for the period 2023 to 2027. As these preparations have progressed, the Department has engaged on an ongoing basis with the representatives from the stakeholder organisations on the design of the new programme. This process has included direct engagement with repre…

We listened, but certain stakeholder groups have expressed their preference that the new LEADER would include a dedicated LAG for island communities. A dedicated island LAG is not included in the model for the new LEADER programme. However, I am aware island communities have particular needs and priorities and the LEADER programme can play a key role here in the context of the emerging national islands policy. In recognition of this, a number of important elements are included in the new LEADER model. Any group sel…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The town and village renewal scheme aims to assist with the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages throughout Ireland, making them more attractive places to live, work and visit. In line with the commitment in Our Rural Future, the 2022 scheme prioritised the renovation of derelict and vacant buildings in our town centres with a view to bringing them back into use. Since it was first introduced in 2016 over €149 million has been allocated to more than 1,600 projects acro…

I thank the Deputy. I was delighted to visit Balla. The Deputy brought me there and I saw exactly what people are trying to do with the redevelopment of that space. That is what the town and village renewal scheme is about. As I continue to say, it is about engaging with communities and helping them realise their vision for their areas. It is the ground-up approach that makes the difference because the people in Balla know exactly what they want. They are volunteers. I met them and we had a lovely chat. They have d…

It is important that this investment continues. It has been very successful in 2022. I will be considering its continuation in 2023 but no decisions will be made until the priorities for 2023 are decided on. The building acquisition measure has helped many towns across the country. We need to move with the times. Times are changing. These buildings are no longer being used for their original purpose, which means we can repurpose them for 21st-century use. We need to embrace new technology, IT and all the opportunit…

As is the case with the current LEADER programme, the subregional areas for the new LEADER programme will correspond in the main with county boundaries. The offshore islands will continue to be included with their relevant county for the delivery of the LEADER programme. While an island-specific area is not provided for under the new LEADER programme, any group delivering the new LEADER programme in an area that includes islands will be required to include specific provisions such as island-specific actions with a …