4293. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht in respect of each active project approved under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund as of 30 June 2026, the county, date approved, original estimated cost, latest estimated cost, funding allocated, funding drawn down to date, original expected completion date, current expected completion date and present project status; the projects that have not commenced or are more than 12 months behind their original schedule; the reasons for each such delay, in tabular form. [58453/26]

The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) is a major capital investment programme, which seeks to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. RRDF provides funding for the development and construction of capital projects in towns and villages in rural areas across Ireland.

To date, the RRDF has allocated over €610 million for 270 projects across Ireland. Of this figure, as at 30 June, 151 were active projects with an RRDF allocation of almost €449 million, all of which had commenced and which are detailed in the below table.

Funding is allocated to local authorities and other State-funded bodies, who take the lead role in individual projects. As a general rule, the RRDF will typically provide up to 80% of the total project costs, or up to 90% in the North West region, with the remainder being provided in matching contributions by the applicants.

The lifecycle of large-scale infrastructure projects such as RRDF typically ranges between 3 and 5 years. The Department’s procedures are specifically designed to support local authorities and to accommodate unforeseen changes which can inevitably arise during this construction cycle. This sees projects receiving initial funding ‘Approval in Principle’ after a successful application. Thereafter, when the detailed design and planning processes are completed, and following the receipt of tenders from prospective contractors detailing the cost of construction, procedures require that local authorities revert to the Department detailing the projected final all in construction cost for the project. This process allows the Department to consider and approve a final RRDF funding allocation to be made available.

It should be noted that funding may not be fully drawn down due to a variety of reasons which are standard to the project cycle. This includes, for example, that many projects are ongoing and are either at pre-construction stage or in construction, a project may have been delivered under budget though have not yet been formally closed off, the scope of the project may have changed compared to that originally envisaged etc.

Both I, and my officials, are in ongoing engagement with local authorities and others to ensure that capital projects funded by the Department continue to be delivered in a timely manner. In the Department’s role as Approving Authority, I can confirm my officials work on an ongoing basis with lead bodies on RRDF projects across the country to ensure compliance with the Infrastructure Guidelines and manage capital budgets.

In addition to this, and to help bring a more strategic approach to capital project delivery, my department, in consultation with the County and City Management Association (CCMA), has established Capital Delivery Teams in local authorities. This initiative provides each of the 28 local authorities that are eligible for rural development funding with support for the costs of staff that form a Capital Delivery Team dedicated exclusively to delivering the Department’s funded capital projects including RRDF. These teams will focus on improving the delivery of existing projects, generating an enhanced pipeline of new projects for the Department’s schemes, and enhancing communication between local authorities, communities and the Department.

In addition to these supports, my Department is engaging with the CCMA through an Advisory Group that provides strategic guidance, addresses any issues that may arise and shares best practice approaches to capital projects delivery including through national events for the sector.

I am committed to ensuring that the RRDF can continue to support high quality and transformational projects across rural Ireland in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future and the Town Centre First policy.

Projects