1760. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the provision of community recognition fund to Louth County Council; when a decision on applications will be made; when the funds will be provided for distribution by Louth County Council to successful groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1986/25]

The Community Recognition Fund (CRF) 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. I was delighted to announce a further €50 million in funding under the CRF on March 15th last.

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 at a local level. The closing date for receipt of applications under phase 1 was May 31st last, with the second phase closing on September 30th, 2024 and the third phase extended until 28th February, 2025.

Under this new round of funding in 2024, Louth has been awarded an allocation of €1,317,173 which brings the total allocation provided to Louth County Council under the CRF to over €2.8 million.

Local authorities are required to engage and collaborate with communities to identify the most appropriate projects for support. It is a matter for each local authority to identify the most appropriate locations for funding based on their analysis of the level of arrivals in each location and in the context of previous funding supports wand local needs.

On August 2nd, €16.5 million to deliver 185 community projects across the country was announced under phase one of CRF 2024. My Department did not receive any proposals under phase one from Louth County Council.

My Department is currently assessing applications under phase 2 of CRF 2024 including those from Louth. It is expected that the successful projects will be announced in the coming weeks, and funding is then provided as the works are completed.