LEADER is a key programme in Our Rural Future and I am happy to confirm that the expression of interest stage to select the groups to deliver the next LEADER programme is now open. The allocations for each LEADER area have also been announced as part of this process. The procedure to select LEADER groups will be open, transparent and competitive. Central to the formation of the groups will be a clear partnership approach, with public and private interest groups coming together to deliver the programme in rural comm…

The LEADER allocation for Cork is almost €21 million, up from €13.9 million in the previous programme, which is a 50% increase. It is the highest allocation in the country, so they should be pleased to see that. My focus is on delivery. It is based on the population and level of deprivation of the area, so that is taken into consideration as well. The Deputy gave me the example of Roscommon, and in fairness to the county, when the figures are added up, it needs more investment. The western and Border area is also r…

Cork's funding is up by 50%, which will make a considerable difference on the ground. Whether it is LEADER, the rural regeneration and development fund, the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation fund; CLÁR, the new community centre investment fund, the streetscape scheme or the community enhancement programme, there is a funding scheme for everything and each scheme makes a real and lasting difference in rural communities. I have visited every county during my time as Minister. Great projects are …

My Department introduced specific supports, interventions and funding packages in response to Covid-19, having assessed the emerging needs of urban and rural communities impacted by Covid-19. My Department was also instrumental in setting up the local authority community response forum, or community call forums, which had a particular focus on vulnerable people in our communities. A review of the effectiveness of these forums carried out by the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, concluded that the work and…

The Deputy is right that there are many learnings from Covid. I met a group of women last week - I do not know whether you would call them women's sheds, hen's sheds, sisters' sheds or whatever - to see how we can develop a national organisation similar to the men's sheds, because women do not have such an organisation in place. One lady from Dublin said she lost her mother during Covid and she did not leave the house during that time. She just did not have the ability or the confidence to go outside. Somebody set …

The National Economic and Social Council report was positive and suggested lessons can be learned from the community call. The Deputy is right. He mentioned addiction. Two weeks ago I was in Fettercairn, out beside Tallaght, where there is a group called Connect. I think it is funded by the partnership. Its members go out at night, identify people who are vulnerable, bring them in and try to help them. The group does great work. It is working collaboratively with the partnership out there. Siloing and empire-buildi…

I thank the Deputy. This year my Department had a budget of €378 million, which is utilised to provide supports to both urban and rural communities. The national development plan also places a particular focus on solutions to strengthen housing, climate ambitions, transport, healthcare and jobs growth for communities in every region. My Department supports the development of community infrastructure across the country through programmes such as the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, the LEADER programme…

The Deputy will appreciate my focus is first and foremost on supporting rural communities. That is my priority as Minister for Rural and Community Development. Many of my Department's funding programmes, such as CLÁR and the rural regeneration fund, are specifically targeted at rural towns, villages and parishes. For the larger urban population areas the Government has the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, under the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government. Some very significant projects ac…

I am being given the job of doing the elbowing. I take Deputy Bruton's point. I appreciate there are bigger communities, more people moving in and facilities are needed. I secured €20 million for a fund targeted at new-build community centres. That fund can be drawn down in both rural and urban areas. It will be targeted specifically at areas where there has been population growth and there is currently a lack of a community centre. The URDF is the scheme that should look at the areas the Deputy is addressing becau…

I will give the Deputy an overview of the RRDF first. The fund has to date allocated funding of €280 million for 191 projects nationwide costing over €380 million. Calls for applications to the fund are sought under two categories, namely, category 1 and category 2. Category 1 relates to large-scale ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place, and which are ready to proceed. Category 2 provides smaller grant funding to enable the development of project proposals suitable for f…

The whole purpose of category 2 funding is to help people to prepare projects for category 1 funding, which is for big multimillion euro projects. The cost of construction has gone up. We employ a quantity surveyor as part of the assessment, which is important to ensure the costs and contingencies have been included by the lead party for the project. In line with best practice in project management, all applicants to the fund are asked to put in a contingency budget at a level appropriate for the type of project be…

The Deputy will be glad to hear the LEADER programme allocation for Cork is almost €21 million, up from €13.9 million under the previous programme. This is a 50% increase and the highest allocation in the country for the biggest county in the country. We assess applications on population and deprivation. Some counties get more funding than others based on that. There may be a smaller population but greater deprivation. My focus now is on delivery. As I said, the selection process is open and all the details are ava…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 75, 82, 114 and 129 together. I am committed to supporting communities across Ireland through my Department's two strategies, namely, Our Rural Future and Sustainable, Inclusive and Empowered Communities. As part of that commitment and in line with the programme for Government, I launched the €15 million community centres investment fund in April this year. The fund was available to community groups under three categories. Category 1 was for grants up to €25,000, category 2 for gran…

Deputy Dillon has been a strong advocate for projects in County Mayo. Mayo did very well actually. I have a long list to hand of projects funded. It is important that we help these community centres. The Deputy asked me whether there is an appeals system and there is. We asked Pobal to assess these applications for us and it did so. There will be an appeal system whereby an organisation that has not been successful can see exactly where it fell down. The good news is that I am trying to put a fund together for next…

I thank Deputy O'Donnell. There is a good long list in Limerick as well. I want to thank all the Deputies. I believe everybody supported me on this scheme because it makes a huge difference to communities. That is what we are about. We are about helping people and communities to realise their ambition for their areas. There is nothing more annoying than struggling at community level and just needing a few pounds. It does not take an awful lot and it makes a difference. We get good value because they match it. Many …

No, you would drown.

It is important that we look at new schemes that help communities all the time. I value the input that I get in this Chamber and from each Member individually. At different points, Members say to me that I should look at this or that and I continually review the schemes. In fairness, there was a great number of successful applications in County Kerry, averaging around €18,000, €19,000 or up to €25,000, which was the maximum. Many of them did very well. I will share a story with Members. I remember when I was first …

I thank Deputy Cannon. He is right actually. It could be a social centre for a retirement village. I visited Bree, County Wexford, a few weeks ago where they have a wonderful community centre. It is like a campus. They have everything together including the community centre, the GAA club, with a school and a crèche beside it. These are all together, so that when you leave one you just walk to the next, which is a big advantage. This was thanks to the vision of people many years ago to buy a plot of land that made t…

I cannot agree with what the Deputy said. If he was going around the country visiting communities, like I am doing-----

-----talking and listening to people-----