2048. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for a list of organisations who have made funding applications to her Department between 2020 and 2024; the schemes they have applied for; whether they were successful or not and if successful, the amount of the award, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35116/24]

2049. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development for a list of community organisations from Wexford who have made funding applications to her Department between 2020 and 2024; the schemes they have applied for; whether they were successful or not, and if successful, the amount of the award, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35119/24]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2048 and 2049 together.

My Department operates a large number of schemes aimed at supporting both rural development and community development. In order to empower local responses to local needs, the majority of schemes operated by my Department are administered in partnership with the Local Authorities, Pobal, or the Local Development Companies.

The main rural development programmes provided by my Department are:

• Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF),

• LEADER,

• Town and Village Renewal Scheme (TVRS),

• Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS),

• Local Improvement Scheme (LIS),

• CLÁR programme, and

• Support for Islands transport services and capital works.

There are also a range of other smaller supports including the Walks Scheme, Connected Hubs and Broadband Connection Points.

Key community development schemes include:

• Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP),

• Community Services Programme (CSP),

• Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF),

• Community Recognition Fund (CRF),

• Libraries Development, and

• Local Enhancement Programme (LEP)/Community Enhancement Programme (CEP).

A number of measures are also in place to strengthen the social fabric and enable communities to thrive. These include funding to support Volunteer Centres, Public Participation Networks, Local Community Development Committees, the Scheme to Support National Organisations, and Men and Women’s Sheds. Responding to the needs of communities is central to the work of my Department. With that in mind, a number of targeted one-off measures have also been provided. These include the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme, the COVID19 Stability Fund and additional funding for new arrivals.

Where schemes involve an application and assessment process, the terms and conditions include that information on successful applications will be published, however, information on unsuccessful applicants is not published.

My Department has provided thousands of individual grants since its establishment in 2017. Full details of the funding provided to successful organisations is published on my Department’s website. Links to information and grantees for a number of the main schemes is provided below.

• 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. To date, funding of €577 million has been allocated to 245 projects worth €768 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) 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 more than 1,800 projects across Ireland. 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 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways and blue ways throughout rural Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme in 2016, funding of almost €129 million has supported 1,776 projects across the country.  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/90a66b-approved-funding-for-outdoor-recreation-projects/

• The CLÁR Programme provides funding 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. 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/

• The Community Centres Investment Fund is the largest ever capital investment in Community Centres. It provides funding for investments in Community Centres to ensure these vital services remain useable, accessible, and safe and continue to meet the needs of the community into the future. 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/3a8bd-community-centre-investment-fund-successful-projects/

• The LEADER programme is based on a community-led approach to rural development and plays an important role in supporting communities and enterprises in progressing job creation, social inclusion and environmental projects at local level. Details in relation to projects funded under LEADER is available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/b849be-local-action-groups-approved-projects-2014-2020/

• The Connected Hubs fund invested €14 million in almost 200 projects between 2021 and 2022, enabling successful applicants to add additional capacity to existing remote working infrastructure in digital hubs and Broadband Connection Points throughout the country.  Details in relation to the projects awarded funding in each county are set out at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/collection/49822-2021-connected-hubs-fund-successful-applicants/

•  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 support cities, towns and villages nationwide. Based on the continued impacts on communities throughout the country and the need to support these communities in welcoming new arrivals, a further €50 million is being provided under the Community Recognition Fund 2024.  Details in relation to the projects awarded funding in each county are set out at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/e626a-community-recognition-fund-2023/#2023-community-recognition-fund-approvals

• The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) which replaces my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme was launched last December with capital funding of €6 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country.  Since 2018, my Department has allocated €58.9 million in funding under the Community Enhancement Programme and its iterations for local community groups.  Past projects supported by the programme include Women’s Sheds, Men’s Sheds, operating costs and minor capital works. Details of the 2024 LEP allocations are available at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/106e1-ministers-humphreys-and-obrien-announce-6-million-department-of-rural-community-development-local-enhancement-programme-2024/

With regard to funding in County Wexford, a full table of the grant allocations made to organisations in County Wexford over the period 2020 to 2024 to date is provided with this answer.

Funding requests