The issue of rural isolation, especially among the elderly, is relevant to the work of several Government Departments. It is a complex issue and can undermine the physical and mental well-being of people in both rural and urban settings. Loneliness requires a wide range of responses, including health interventions, community policing, rural transport, which we discussed earlier, tackling social exclusion and addressing disadvantage. Our Rural Future is my Department’s whole-of-government strategy for rural development with actions to support rural communities, including addressing rural isolation. Within my Department, this issue is also addressed by the sustainable, inclusive and empowered communities strategy. Both strategies are underpinned by funding through the rural investment programme and community development programme, the latter of which supports projects and schemes across both rural and urban communities. My Department provides financial and other supports to organisations throughout the country to address rural and urban isolation, including through the seniors alert scheme, which provides monitored personal alarms for elderly people; the community services programme, which supports a range of services, including meals on wheels; the local enhancement programme, which supports a huge variety of community groups, including social clubs, sports groups and local choirs; and support for men’s and women’s sheds, which provide a community setting for men and women to come together to learn, share skills, make friendships and break the cycle of isolation. These and a range of other supports, including those which help community centres and community facilities with capital investment, are aimed at helping to ensure communities are inclusive places to live in and are equipped to reduce social isolation and loneliness.
Sentiment score: 0.04
The Deputy makes a good suggestion and we will certainly look at it. The potential in the new Our Rural Future document is there to highlight rural isolation and what is happening. I encourage Deputy McCormack to attend the new in-person public consultation event on 17 June in Tullamore for Our Rural Future. As I said, we have a range of schemes and there are schemes within the Department. For instance, the community centre investment scheme, which is not specifically an isolation or older persons intervention, provides a physical structure communities can use to build programmes and plans to get people into it. Through community centre investment, we were able to allocate €100,000 for Mucklagh community centre and €89,000 for Kilcormac community centre. As I said, the CLÁR programme is currently open. This will target rural areas experiencing decline, including transport provision and funding organisations to acquire buses to bring people into centres or to deliver meals to people. We will definitely be looking at a specific isolation and elderly strategy because the Deputy is absolutely right that our figures are increasing but there is flexibility within all our programmes.
Sentiment score: 0.21
There is nothing I disagree with in either Deputies approach. I met the postmasters last week and the post office report is a very solid report. It is not only about the post office but about the postmen and postwomen who go out to communities and houses. For many people, this is the only contact they may have, and let us be realistic about it. As I said, through the community services programme, we are supporting many organisations across the country, including in Waterford and Offaly, that are driving meals on wheels, which is again human interaction. We are working to support our men's sheds and the growing number of women's sheds, but men's sheds in particular because they are focused on older men or men who have retired and getting them into a group gathering. The men's shed movement has done huge work, particularly in targeting rural isolation among older men. Everyone in this Chamber at present is a rural TD and we know that is a challenge. I thank the men's sheds for doing that. Regarding Local Link, 148 new services have been progressed by the National Transport Authority, NTA, in recent years, connecting 190 towns and villages to the bigger public transport network. That connection was not there previously. As I said, through CLÁR, we are funding specific interventions on transport to allow for meals on wheels, community organisations and medical transport across the country, which are making a big difference. There is much work under way in different strands. We might need to tidy it all up and look at how it is addressing rural isolation and loneliness.
Sentiment score: 0.12
I thank Deputy Burke. In his previous role as Minister of State, he did much work on rural isolation and rural loneliness role and I acknowledge that. Regarding the Deputy's question, the development and enhancement of community facilities is a priority for me and full details of the capital supports available are on my Department’s website. The community centre investment fund has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Under the 2024 iteration of the fund, more than €33 million has been approved to support refurbishment works on more than 770 projects nationwide. The community recognition fund, first introduced in 2023, has supported a range of community infrastructure projects, and recognises the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. A total of €100 million was allocated under the two iterations of the fund. The town and village renewal scheme, which is currently open for applications, is designed to support the revitalisation of rural towns and villages. The scheme enables the provision of funding for projects designed to rejuvenate town centres and includes projects to renovate and refurbish multipurpose community spaces. Since its launch, more than €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects across Ireland. The rural regeneration and development fund is a major capital investment programme which seeks to support large-scale ambitious projects to achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. Since 2018, €588 million has been allocated to 243 projects. The development of community facilities can also be funded under the LEADER programme, which is currently up and running across the country until 2027. There is a huge range of supports available and I am committed to further growing this support in line with the commitments made in the programme for Government.
Sentiment score: 0.25
Planning issues are a matter for the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I agree that there should be a community element to all planning decisions. As regards Blarney, we allocated €204,000 in 2021 for the development of the Inch Park amenity. In 2023, €324,000 was allocated. This includes upgrades for the community centre. There was also €125,000 allocated to Glanmire in 2021 for enhancing John O'Callaghan Park. I commend the Ballincollig Tidy Towns committee. I was there in March. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, presented the national award to them last weekend. It is a wonderful example of volunteerism, ambition and pride, with the community all coming together. We launched the national Tidy Towns 2025 competition in Ballincollig in March. It was wonderful to meet the group and to see the work at first hand, and most important, to see their passion and interest in developing the community. I am looking for extra resources to support the new part of our community centre investment to allow us to build new centres in the areas the Deputy mentioned.
Sentiment score: 0.29
In the overall context of any development such as the housing referred to by the Deputy, first it is a matter for the local authority to put the plans in place. It draws down development levies for all of that construction. It should put the plan in place to have that facility developed. My Department will then be more than happy to work with it to identify potential funding opportunities. Part of the funding for Glanmire was to do a feasibility study for a community centre hub in 2021. I would be very interested to see where that went, where the feasibility study is and if we can work with the Deputy to drive that on. I am very happy to do that. However, in the first instance, the local authority is the prime development and planning agency. When it considers that level of planning the Deputy referred to, it should identify the kind of facilities that are needed. When housing is built, facilities also need to be built. We should have learned over the years, particularly in urban areas, to put the community halls and the sports and recreation facilities in. My Department is more than happy to work with any local authority that has that vision.
Sentiment score: 0.23
Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for sustainable rural development. It seeks to ensure that all rural areas are attractive for people to live, work and raise their families in. One of the high-level outcomes set out in Our Rural Future is to increase the number of people living in rural areas. Rural population trends, as we discussed earlier, in line with many of the issues addressed by Our Rural Future, require input from across a range of Government Departments. This can be seen in the range of actions that have been delivered across Government in areas such as broadband and digital connectivity, transport, support for rural enterprises and support for the agrifood sector. Within my own Department, I am committed to ensuring that schemes and supports in place retain a clear focus on supporting the vibrancy and sustainability of rural areas. In recent years we have seen unprecedented levels of financial support provided under schemes such as the rural and regional development fund, the town and village renewal scheme, the community centre investment fund, the LEADER programme and CLÁR. I will continue to ensure that these schemes are funded and targeted in the coming years to provide vital supports to rural areas and the young people who live there. We are currently working on a new our rural future policy to run from 2026. We are undertaking a nationwide consultation. This strategy will also be informed by an independent OECD review of rural policy in Ireland, together with the consultation process, which will see us in Tullamore in June. There will also be a national youth assembly on rural policy in September. This will focus on young people in particular, the issues for young people and how to keep them and their families in rural areas. As I said, this has been a major focus in the consultations to date and will continue to shape the development of the new our rural future policy from 2026-30.
Sentiment score: 0.27
Absolutely. We will work with all the Departments on this. There is no point in us making this level of investment in rural communities unless we can encourage younger people to come back. I share the Deputy's frustration and agree with what he said about educating younger people. We must ensure they have the opportunities to bring them back. I point to the level of investment in Offaly in projects such as the regeneration of the Tesco site in Edenderry, which is a €12.2 million investment under the RRDF. A total of €588,000 has been provided in aid to community centres. Some €8.6 million will be provided under the LEADER programme between now and 2027. A total of €250,000 has been provided for town and village renewal in Ferbane. Those are a mix of projects across the county aimed at improving the vibrancy of the economy of the local areas. Collectively, they represent a very significant investment in the county by my Department. We will continue to make those levels of investment. I look forward to the national rural youth assembly in September to get the views of young people directly on what we can do better to keep them in their areas after they have had their education and travelled, when they are ready to settle. We must let them come back and facilitate them to come home.
Sentiment score: 0.17
As the Deputy says, agriculture is still the core of rural Ireland, not just economically but socially as well in terms of the leadership, skills and supply chain that are provided. I will engage with the farming organisations as we carry out the consultation process on Our Rural Future. We will be looking for their input and support. There have been various iterations of support from my Department, through social enterprise. This year, for example, there has been very good investment in FoodCloud and trying to reduce food waste. That helps rural businesses as well. We have also supported rural social enterprises. I assure Deputy McCormack that the involvement of young people in rural Ireland is core to this consultation process, because the process would be much weaker without their involvement and input. I welcome any Deputy or Senator who provides a targeted response on how we can support young people to remain in or to come back to rural Ireland to establish a business. In my previous Ministry, through the regional enterprise plans, we had a number of supports for start-up businesses by younger people.
Sentiment score: 0.35
I thank the Deputy. As he is aware, CLÁR is a very important funding stream for remote rural areas. In recent years it has funded a vast array of community amenities such as community centres, sporting facilities, playgrounds, sensory gardens and walking trails. As we already discussed, it is also a growing source of funding for vehicles to transport people with disabilities and to allow people to access vital health services, such as cancer services. I have provided the Deputy with a table outlining the level of funding under CLÁR for each county between 2020 and 2024. The 2025 scheme is currently open for applications, and I will announce successful projects later this year. Between 2020 and 2024, more than €51 million was approved for almost 1,300 projects nationwide under the CLÁR programme. The level of funding has increased from just under €6 million in 2020 to almost €14 million, covering more than 320 projects, in 2024. County Mayo has the highest level of CLÁR funding, with €4.1 million being provided. The level of funding must be considered in the context of the size of each county and also the size of the CLÁR area in each county. The scheme only applies in designated rural areas that were selected based on the level of depopulation across the country over a defined period. As such, the proportion of each county designated as being a CLÁR area and the number of people located in CLÁR areas differs across the country. I look forward to receiving applications for innovative, community-focused projects from across the country, including Mayo, in the coming weeks. We are also beginning a review of CLÁR areas to ensure that we capture within the scheme areas that have experienced depopulation and to ensure that areas that qualify are not excluded.
Sentiment score: 0.22
I agree with the Deputy about that kind of funding. We will be looking at that from 2026 onwards. We have already funded sensory parks under CLÁR and we will continue to do that. We have also funded the upgrading and replacement of many facilities across the country, including in Mayo, to make equipment more suitable for children with disabilities and communities with disabilities. When local authorities submit applications I would encourage them to ensure there is a space included for that purpose. I visited Carlow recently to look at a playground there which has been developed with people with disabilities in mind. It is a fantastic facility. I commend the thought that went into it. I also commend Mayo County Council on the work it is doing on sensory parks across the county. Within the allocations under CLÁR, I will emphasise support for programmes and recreational facilities not just for children but people with disabilities.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I would point out that, as the Deputy is aware, there is substantial current investment by my Department in Ballyhaunis through RRDF projects, the regeneration of a number of properties and the town centre management. I am very aware of the issues raised by the Deputy and I do not want any diminution of services in any part of the county. There is substantial investment under way in the fabric to increase the attractiveness of the town centre and to improve it as a place to do business. I will continue to support that level of facility. We are also looking to expand the range of CLÁR activities. Mayo is very well covered but there are areas across the country that we are beginning to examine in terms of expanding CLÁR funding and increasing the number of areas that are in it. Obviously, it excludes towns and cities. As mentioned earlier, we also have to focus on urban poverty and urban areas. We previously had the RAPID programme, which was the big brother of CLÁR, and we are looking at reintroducing that to give the level of support to our towns and cities that is given to other areas.
Sentiment score: 0.22
It is great to see such cross-party co-operation across the two different constituencies. Launched in 2022, the town centre first policy is a major cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. TCF supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland by setting out the scaffolding and framework to facilitate and resource the regeneration of Irish towns to ensure they are vibrant and viable places to live, work, invest in and visit. Important developments to date include the establishment of a dedicated national town centre first office which drives the actions under the policy, the establishment of town teams nationally and the appointment of 26 town regeneration officers. These officers act as a key link between the local authority, towns and villages and their communities. More broadly, they also currently work closely across the multidisciplinary technical teams in local authorities, such as capital delivery teams, which are also funded by my Department, vacant homes officers, broadband officers and night-time economy officers, and build linkages with town teams and other stakeholders. The new programme for Government commits to the continuing resourcing of the town centre first model and to establish a town centre regeneration team in every local authority. My Department will continue to work closely with colleagues in the national TCF office, local authorities and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ensure the ongoing implementation of the policy and to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages. Importantly, the town centre first approach is also underpinned by a range of capital funding streams that have been aligned with the policy aims of town centre first. These include the rural regeneration and development fund, the town and village renewal scheme, the THRIVE scheme and the urban regeneration and development fund.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I thank both Deputies. As they acknowledged, there is a town centre first officer in Kildare. The town centre first town plan under phase 1, which was announced in December 2021 for Kildare, includes Clane, and phase 2 includes Castledermot. Through the town centre first town team support funds, we are funding teams in Monasterevin, Kilcullen and Ballymore Eustace to do their work locally. I will be visiting Athy later in the year and look forward to seeing all the work that is about to be done. I agree with the Deputies. Deputy Neville touched on Boyle, which is a fantastic example of a town that has been regenerated through State investment and, more importantly - this applies to all of these projects - through community ownership. There is no point in multimillion State investment unless the community owns it. Boyle and Athy are good examples of where the community is driving that investment and taking ownership of the investment but, more importantly, taking ownership of the results of the investment to ensure it is protected and that it delivers the overall regeneration of the town.
Sentiment score: 0.27
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Tá mé chun freagra a thabhairt as Béarla, tá brón orm. My Department makes a significant annual investment in subsidised transport services to ensure our island communities can avail of reliable, affordable year-round ferry and heavy cargo services. In the case of Oileáin Thoraí, there are four separate subsidised transport services provided for the island at an annual cost of approximately €750,000. Comharchumann Thoraí now plays a more central role in monitoring services to ensure they are delivered in line with contracts and that the issues that may arise are addressed promptly. This approach has resulted in a significant improvement in the delivery of all subsidised services to the island. The main daily ferry service provides, at a minimum, two return sailings per day and can carry eight tonnes of light cargo per sailing. It is an important service that supports all aspects of island life, from tourism to indigenous island businesses. Last year, a new fast ferry service that provides two daily return sailings was launched for Oileáin Thoraí. This is an important addition to the existing suite of services as it originates from the island each morning. Residents can now be on the mainland before 9 a.m. each morning without having to travel the night before and, therefore, do not have to incur the extra expense and inconvenience of staying overnight. The heavy cargo service has also seen vast improvements in recent times. Scheduled sailings are now planned in conjunction with Comharchumann Thoraí and the Department. Multiple mainland ports are used to deliver the service depending on the type of cargo being carried. This new flexibility has greatly enhanced the service and has had a beneficial impact on the community. The winter helicopter service, provided in conjunction with the HSE, has been extended to start in October and end the following April. The scheduling of the service is far more flexible and, in particular, can serve residents returning home during busy periods. The current subsidised range of services is meeting a community need. However, I am aware of the situation in respect of Magheraroarty Pier. I intend to visit it over the summer to envisage it. My understanding is that we allocated funding to Donegal County Council to complete a report and we are waiting on that. The Deputy has raised it with me previously, as has Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher. I intend to visit Magheraroarty during the summer and I am happy to meet the Deputy there.
Sentiment score: 0.19
I can assure the Deputy that what we have done is prioritise services into Oileán Thoraí to make sure that they are being delivered, that there is the traditional ferry service and that there is a fast ferry service. They are new services and they are providing a strong service. I have been told there is an issue with Magheraroarty Pier. Donegal County Council was awarded funding to come back with a report on that issue. As I said, I intend to go there to see it for myself but as of now, we are focused on delivering services we have the capacity to deliver, namely, those fast sailings and the more traditional sailings, and I will continue to support those services. I have far greater belief in getting to see something for myself and engaging with the community on the ground when we do that, as I will do over the summer.
Sentiment score: 0.48
I certainly look forward to the visit but want to be straight with the Deputy that as of now, the intention is to examine those existing services. I will sit down with the Deputy, Deputy Gallagher and the comharchumann to look at it because I want to get a full understanding of it and see for myself how the service works. I will not just go to Magheraroarty; I will go on to the oileán freisin.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I thank Deputy O'Hara for his question on this project. As he will be aware, the RRDF is a major capital investment programme seeking to support large-scale, ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, the RRDF has allocated €588 million for 243 projects across the country. A fourth call for category 2 applications was launched in October 2024. Typically, projects deemed successful under category 2 can access funding of up to €1 million per project to cover the initial costs of planning, design and technical work which will enable later large-scale development. The closing date for applications under this call was 14 March last. I can confirm that an application in respect of the project referenced by the Deputy has been received. The selection of projects for funding under the RRDF is subject to an assessment process, which is under way. The type of projects supported by the fund, and the level of investment likely to be considered, is large scale and ambitious and each application received must be given the appropriate time for consideration and appraisal in line with the requirements of the Department's programmes, but also with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform's infrastructure guidelines. As this assessment is under way, I hope to be in a position to make an announcement later this year. I remain committed to ensuring that the RRDF can continue to support high-quality and ambitious projects across rural Ireland.
Sentiment score: 0.36
I have heard the Deputy's case and I note the project from his question. We have to ensure these projects are done properly. The documents have only been with us since 14 March and there will be engagement on the viability of the project. The core aspect about this specific measure is that it opens up potential funding again. There will be engagement with Galway County Council, which is the promoter, and ultimately with the town team, around aspects of it. It is a competitive process. However, we also have significant investment through the RRDF across Galway and that will continue. There is €3.3 million in Athenry, €1.7 million in Tully Cross, Connemara, €1.19 million in Portumna Vision 2030 and €4.2 million in Loughrea. There is considerable commitment to projects in County Galway and that commitment will continue.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I completely hear the Deputy. Many of the projects we have involve older buildings that people are seeking to repurpose. The process is designed to protect those buildings but also to protect the investment and to ensure that the investment we make at this stage will unlock potential future investment. There is no point in us opening up an expectation in respect of investment that we may not be able to reach, particularly for older buildings. I will engage with the Deputy and his office on the project and the timelines under the current assessment phase. We have our own demands and standards within the Department. We have to ensure they are in line with the standards of the Department of public expenditure. I will come back to the Deputy with an update on it.
Sentiment score: 0.22