945. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to provide an annual grant to (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53663/26]

My department operates a wide range of funding schemes aimed at ensuring all relevant organisations can access funding to support their work. I am fully committed to supporting a wide range of organisations, including the group referenced by the Deputy, in the valuable work they do.

The following are some of the funding schemes that are available to individual community groups including the organisation referenced by the Deputy:

• The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP);

• The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2024 - 2028; and

• The LEADER programme.

My department has sought to encourage the growth of new models of community engagement, in particular with a focus on helping to address social isolation. The schemes operated by my department are reviewed on a regular basis, and I will continue to ensure our schemes afford an opportunity for all relevant community groups to access resources, while also supporting new ways of promoting inclusion and participation in our communities.

Should a proposal for funding be made by the organisation referenced by the Deputy, it would be considered by my department in the context of available resources and within the framework of our  annual budgetary estimates process.

I would urge all community organisations, including the organisation referenced by the Deputy, to check my department’s website: []www.gov.ie/drcdg

and to engage with their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Local Development Companies and Public Participation Networks (PPNs), to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.