4305. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will provide an update on future plans for the community recognition fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59415/26]

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. Under the fund a total of €100 million has been provided to local authorities to support cities, towns and villages nationwide

Over 1,460 projects have been awarded funding under the Community Recognition fund benefiting many clubs and groups around the country with over 1,000 of these projects now complete.

The emphasis is now to ensure that all projects are delivered throughout 2026 so that communities, clubs and groups can benefit from this investment.

While there is no additional funding allocation earmarked for CRF, my department continues to support the development of community infrastructure through its range of investment programmes, details of which are available on my department’s website.