The Deputy is a super sub today. Under my Department’s rural development investment programme, a range of schemes provide capital funding with a focus on the economic and social development of our rural areas. The schemes do not, however, include a specific focus on the provision of hotel accommodation. A limited number of projects have been supported by the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, and the town and village renewal scheme, which have seen short-stay accommodation facilities included, as part of a wider, multifunctional project. Similarly, while LEADER does not generally support hotel-based projects, it has supported projects related to tourist accommodation, for example, through support for glamping projects and other tourism-focused initiatives. In all cases in terms of funding, many of those tend to be towards community, co-operative-based initiatives. More widely, the sustainability of rural businesses including tourism and hospitality is clearly enhanced by the provision of public and community infrastructure. The funding made available by my Department through a range of schemes such as RRDF and the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, ORIS is clearly having positive impacts in this regard. At cross-governmental level, responsibility for business enterprise and tourism resonates with my colleague, Deputy Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. This includes responsibility for the national tourism policy statement, A New Era for Irish Tourism, which was published in December 2025 and sets out the Government's long-term approach to the development of tourism. I can confirm as part of my Department's ongoing work developing the successor policy to Our Rural Future, my officials are engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in respect of its remit. My officials are engaging with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment in respect of its remit. The next iteration of Our Rural Future will include a focus on both rural tourism and rural enterprise generally. Work on the development of the policy is ongoing. It is drawing on a wide-ranging consultation process and I hope to be in a position to publish it before the summer.

Sentiment score: 0.23

We want to try to promote enterprises and improve and promote the attractiveness of rural areas so we have developed the specific outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme. This is one of the schemes for enhancing the attractiveness of trails and of visitor attractions that in turn make a rural area more attractive or more feasible for hotel investment. Since 2020, we have invested €110 million in over 1,300 outdoor recreation projects across the country. Through LEADER, we invested over €52 million across the country, and over €9 million of that was invested in tourism-related projects and rural tourism and recreation projects. We are having discussions with the Department of tourism in the context of the preparation of the next Our Rural Future. Fáilte Ireland has a very strong capital programme to role out at major visitor attractions. For instance, in the Deputy's constituency, the Waterford greenway is seen as the standard for greenways nationally. That has probably opened up a huge number of opportunities in the more rural parts of his constituency. That is the kind of thing we want to do. The investment in infrastructure opens up the investment for enhancement and attractiveness for tourism investment.

Sentiment score: 0.36

I agree with the Deputy. In our engagements with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment we are looking at how we can maximise it. Deputy McGuinness referred to making an area more attractive as tourism accommodation comes back on stream. I do not see the Department getting involved in investing in commercial hotel projects. I would not like to create an expectation that there will be that kind of investment. Many hotels have reinvested the proceeds they received under the various international protection contracts back into facilities. What we will do is invest in the community-led infrastructure that makes it attractive for an operator to invest. I am looking and I am interested. We have a number of projects that are community-led and community co-operative-led. The Deputy mentioned glamping. We are looking at that kind of process, which might work in terms of social enterprise in the more rural areas. I am certainly anxious to do more in that space around community-led tourism projects and community-led tourism conservation projects.

Sentiment score: 0.13

I thank the Deputy for her question and her ongoing interest in this area. In line with commitments in Our Rural Future, my Department supports a wide range of strategic capital investment schemes, ringfenced under the rural development investment programme, to transform rural towns and villages, making them thriving places to live, work, raise families and build enterprises. These schemes include the rural regeneration and development fund, LEADER, and the town and village renewal scheme. The scheme was introduced in 2016. It is designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme, more than €210 million has been allocated to over 1,900 projects. While applications for towns with populations of up to 15,000 people are accepted in certain circumstances, the scheme specifically targets funding at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. I am anxious to ensure that the design of schemes such as the town and village renewal scheme ensures that we are using available funding in the most efficient and effective manner. With this in mind, the terms and conditions of each scheme are reviewed each year. In advance of the launch of the next iteration of the town and village renewal scheme, I will examine the approach to eligible towns, including smaller villages in the Dublin West region as referenced by the Deputy. I also of note that, under the umbrella of the town centre first policy, funding is also available to local authorities to support larger and more urban settlements. This includes the Thrive scheme and the towns and cities regeneration investment fund, which was recently announced by my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This fund, which is currently open for applications from those towns with populations of over 9,000, builds on the success of the previous URDF. We have also been in a position to fund some of the rural parts of Dublin, in Fingal in particular, through the town and village scheme and through the outdoor recreation investment scheme, ORIS. I would be happy to engage with the Deputy, with South Dublin County Council and with our colleagues in Fingal County Council around how we are able to do that and the kinds of projects that we fund, which goes back to our previous discussion on enhancing town centres.

Sentiment score: 0.27

I agree with the Deputy. While the primary focus of the rural development scheme is going to remain on rural areas we have funded projects in Fingal and in south Dublin under the outdoor recreation scheme. Under the town and village scheme in Fingal, we were able to fund the development of new walking and cycling facilities and associated streetscape enhancement measures. In Balrothery, Donabate, Rush and Ballyboughal we approved over €218,000 for village centre seating enhanced public lighting and the creation of a wayfinding strategy to include a new Fingal camino route. Where local authorities in Dublin engage with us and with the ethos of the schemes we are more than happy to engage with them. Given that Castleknock is in the Fingal area, there is huge potential particularly in the more rural parts of Dublin West, of which there are some.

Sentiment score: 0.35

The more the Deputy can engage under town centre first principles, the stronger the case, and we will work with her. The Minister of State, as a Deputy in a city constituency with similar villages, is strong on this. Working collectively, we will work with the Deputy, Fingal County Council and our colleagues. If it can be done under the town centre first principles, something we align funding to in a lot of rural areas, the more it can be done with community ownership. I welcome the initiatives undertaken in Castleknock and the other areas. If there is community ownership rather than it coming top down from the local authority or from this House, then all the better. We will engage with the Deputy. We are currently reviewing the town and village renewal scheme for 2026. It will more likely be a 2027 initiative, but we will engage with the Deputy on it. I point her and the groups she is working with to some of the good work being done in rural parts of Fingal to get examples of protecting traditional villages amidst the growth of the city.

Sentiment score: 0.37

The rural regeneration and development fund is the major capital investment programme to support large-scale ambitious projects to achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, the fund has allocated over €614 million to 273 projects across the country, which includes over €43 million since 2018 allocated to 27 projects located throughout County Cork. These projects are being delivered by the local authority and other publicly funded bodies including our local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta. Ten of the 27 projects have been completed in County Cork to date. Examples include the first phase of the Kanturk regeneration plan and the Ballydesmond village public realm and place-making enhancement project. There are 17 active RRDF projects, which includes four projects in Castletownroche, Crosshaven, Skibbereen and Fermoy, which were successful in the latest category 2 call for proposals announced in October 2025. Last month, we were delighted to announce a call for proposals for category 1 applications. This call will focus on strategic, large-scale build projects that are ready to commence. These projects must have a lasting impact on the towns and villages and deliver on the objectives of Our Rural Future, which is our rural policy. We are inviting applications for well-developed proposals from our local authorities and other State-funded lead bodies that work in partnership with local communities and stakeholders. Full details of the call are available on my Department's website.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I thank the Deputy for that overview. I acknowledge that Cork County Council and the team that deals with our Department's delivery of projects, is one of the stronger performing local authorities. The delivery by our partners on the ground can be a frustration generally in relation to RRDF. It is not in Cork. To that effect, we are engaging with local authorities and delivery bodies around the country on delivery of RRDF projects. As we have an open call, the advice needs to go out. It is all very well preparing an application. We have been having the discussion this morning about the pressures of preparing an application. We also have to be able to deliver the application if it is successful. We are engaging with local authorities on that. We may have to make some tough calls on projects that have been on the books a long time. I have funding for counties such as Cork, which are hungry and anxious to succeed. I encourage every Deputy, particularly those in rural areas, to engage with the current call and with information programmes on that. There may be communities that want to engage in a major programme and the facilities are there to do that. I also thank the Deputy for his support and for the committee's support for these projects. It is important that we have cross-party support. We get that from the committee.

Sentiment score: 0.24

That is exactly the kind of project we want to do under the RRDF. It is a project that would not have been done previously and for larger towns of 9,000 plus, there is the URDF and its successor scheme. It is important that project is done in conjunction with the community and that there is community engagement in it. One of our challenges with projects such as this is that sometimes the communities may not have been involved at the outset and as the project rolls out, there can be challenges with parking spaces and other issues people need to be informed about. We have a significant investment in what we call our capital delivery team that works with local authorities to deliver on this projects. We also have our own quantity surveyor in the Department. That examines all of the applications to ensure the costings are adequate and relevant to the current market. We also have systematic engagement to ensure delivery. There is no point in the Minister of State and I announcing projects such as that in Charleville unless they happen. We will be with the Deputy in Baile Bhuirne in April for the opening of the Coláiste Íosagáin campus, which is a significant investment. It also shows what can be done in rural Ireland with support from the RRDF and other bodies coming together.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I thank the Deputy for his question. LEADER, as he knows, is a community-led approach to local development that has been operating for just over 35 years. We marked the 35th anniversary of LEADER just last weekend. It was introduced by the EU under the then Commissioner Ray MacSharry. The programme has evolved through successive programming periods and in 2007 it was mainstreamed into the Common Agricultural Policy and became a key intervention within Ireland’s rural development programme. Since 2007 the total amount of EU and Exchequer funding allocated to LEADER on a national level has been over €876 million. Of this, the local action group in Offaly has received a total allocation of approximately €27.5 million. This total allocation is broken down over a number of programming periods with the most recent allocation in Offaly totalling €6.2 million in respect of the current 2023-27 LEADER programme. In keeping with the multi-annual nature of LEADER, all allocations are made at the start of each programming period and funds are drawn down from my Department as projects are completed. This approach ensures local action groups have the flexibility to manage LEADER support flexibly and in line with specific local needs. To date, 49 projects have been approved in Offaly under the current programme and I expect further projects to come on line as we progress through the programming period. LEADER has a commendable track record in delivering locally driven projects that have delivered real benefits in Offaly and all across the country. I continue to advocate for a strong and well-funded LEADER programme. l am working closely with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, on the future of LEADER in the context of the CAP talks at the moment. I am confident the bottom-up approach of LEADER can continue to support valuable projects in Offaly for years to come.

Sentiment score: 0.26

I agree with the Deputy. When the Minister of State and I visited Moneygall, the local development company put on a fantastic display. During the ploughing championships last year, it really showcased what LEADER can do across a county and the interventions it can make. On the future of LEADER, we are working, as I said, with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and his Department. The CAP consultative committee includes my Department and other rural stakeholders. I am also engaging with Irish MEPs to discuss a range of issues. I encourage Deputy Clendennen and every other Deputy to engage with MEPs in their respective groups to ensure LEADER is properly funded within the next multi-annual financial framework. We are under no illusions. The CAP budget is under particular pressure given the competing demands. We must ensure, within those competing demands, that LEADER is progressed. It has a really strong basis. As I said, we marked 35 years of LEADER the weekend before last. The impact it has had has been transformative and we need to make sure we continue with it and it continues to grow.

Sentiment score: 0.25

I do not disagree with the Deputy's analysis. That would be a good investment of EU funds. LEADER is not the only show in town. Since 2020 my Department has allocated in the region of €65 million in funding to Offaly. In 2025 alone we invested €1 million under the LIS, €1.2 million under the town and village renewal scheme, €1.4 million under the community service programme, €420,000 under CLÁR and €440,000 under ORIS. We are investing €12 million under the RRDF to redevelop a site in Edenderry as an art space, community library and youth space. We were with the Deputy in Moneygall for the community centre investment fund investment of €1.8 million. It shows the impact of LEADER, which was the forerunner of many of these funding programmes. The important thing is it has community involvement. It is a bottom-up approach and it is important we protect that ethos. I reiterate the necessity of every Deputy being involved with their MEP colleagues in ensuring LEADER is prioritised in the MFF discussions.

Sentiment score: 0.13

Tá scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge á riar ag mo Roinn ar mhaithe le tacú le deiseanna sealbhaithe agus saibhrithe teanga sna réigiúin Ghaeltachta do fhoghlaimeoirí, idir scoláirí dara leibhéal, mic léinn tríú leibhéal agus daoine fásta ó áiteanna ar fud na tíre. Tagann an scéim le cuspóirí an Rialtais i leith na Gaeilge, mar atá leagtha amach sa Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030, agus is í an scéim an príomhbhealach ina dtacaíonn mo Roinn le hearnáil na gcoláistí Gaeilge. Is ar na teaghlaigh Ghaeltachta a chuireann lóistín ar fail don chóras a bhíonn cúnamh na Roinne dírithe, mar is iad na teaghlaigh sin cnámh droma an chórais. Cuireann mo Roinn cúnamh suntasach ar fáil ar bhonn leanúnach faoi scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge agus tá an tacaíocht seo á cur ar fáil le tamall de bhlianta anuas chun tacú tuilleadh le hearnáil na gcoláistí Gaeilge. Tá ardú ceadaithe ar an bhfóirdheontas a íoctar le teaghlaigh Ghaeltachta agus coláistí cónaithe a chuireann lóistín ar fáil le roinnt blianta anuas. Go deimhin, anuraidh cheadaigh mé an cheathrú ardú ó 2022 ar an bhfóirdheontas nuair a d'ardaigh mé an deontas aon-oíche do theaghlaigh ó €13 go €14.50, agus an deontas aon-oíche do bhrúnna agus coláistí cónaithe ó €9.50 go €10.50. Is ionann é seo ar fad agus ardú 45% ar an ráta fóirdheontais a íoctar le teaghlaigh agus méadú i gcomhthéacs na mbrúnna agus coláistí cónaithe ó 2022 i leith. Anuas air sin ar fad, tá ardú tagtha ar na tionscnaimh eile a cheadaítear faoi scéim na bhfoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge, lena n-áirítear an scéim DEIS Gaeltachta. Cuireadh maoiniú €900,000 ar fáil don scéim DEIS Gaeltachta in 2025. Is ardú suntasach é seo ar an gciste DEIS Gaeltachta ó 2024, le leithdháileadh de €400,000. Tá ardú tagtha chomh maith ar an bhfóirdheontas a íoctar faoi na beartais scéim Erasmus Gaeltachta. Leis na beartais seo, tá muid súil le gach cineál cabhrach a chur ar fáil do theaghlaigh sa Gaeltacht. Mar atá leagtha amach sa chlár Rialtais, leanfaidh mé ag tacú leis an earnáil seo le linn théarma an Rialtais. Mar is eol don Teachta, fuair mé an t-ardú is mó i mbuiséad Roinn na Gaeltachta sa bhuiséad is déanaí. Rachaidh an t-ardú sin i dtreo infheistíocht i scéimeanna cosúil leis an gceann seo.

Sentiment score: -0.12

Tá sé soiléir ón ardú a bhí ann anuraidh go bhfuilimid dáiríre faoi seo. Táimid dáiríre faoin 29,000 scoláire agus beagnach 530 teaghlach Gaeilge a aithint. Táimid ag obair leis na mná tí agus leis na coláistí. Anuraidh, d'fhógair mé scéim aonuaire do theaghlaigh sheanbhunaithe chun tacú tuilleadh leis an gcostas chun troscán nua a cheannach. Is deontas suas le €2,000, nó 80% den chostas, a bhí i gceist leis sin. Fuair níos mó ná 200 teaghlach an tacaíocht seo. Is slí eile é sin ina bhfuilimid ag cuidiú. Táimid ag staidéar le haghaidh na bliana seo. Mar a dúirt an Teachta, tá suim mhór sna coláistí samhraidh. Táimid ag ceapadh go mbeidh 29,000 scoláire ag dul chucu i mbliana. Táimid ag staidéar é sin. Táimid ag obair le CONCOS. Tuigim go mór an brú costais atá orainn. Táim an-dírithe ar an taithí sin a chosaint. Is taithí an-tábhachtach é do scoláirí dul go dtí an Ghaeltacht agus a bheith ina gcónaí inti. Táim ag obair chun an taithí sin a chosaint agus a fhorbairt.

Sentiment score: -0.17

Tá tuiscint ag gach cuid den Rialtas ar cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an taithí seo agus cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an Ghaeltacht. Tá an t-ádh linn go bhfuil an tAire caiteachais phoiblí ina iarAire Stáit sa Roinn seo. Tuigeann sé cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé. Bhí sé sin an-tábhachtach agus muid ag iarraidh buiséad na Roinne a ardú. Ní fiú ardú mór sa bhuiséad muna bhfuil sé á chaitheamh ar an nGaeltacht. Tá sé ar intinn agam é a úsáid chun infheistíocht a dhéanamh, go háirithe sa saghas taithí is fearr, is é sin taithí shaoil sa Ghaeltacht le teaghlach Gaeltachta le haghaidh dhá nó trí seachtaine. Beidh mé ag obair le CONCOS ar an infheistíocht sin agus ar an scéim sin a chosaint.

Sentiment score: -0.27

I thank Deputy Burke for his question. The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced by the former Minister, Heather Humphreys, to provide high-quality community facilities that are available to all groups in both urban and rural communities. Through the CCIF, to date some €111 million has been allocated for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres where such a need has been identified. This is an unprecedented level of investment but there continues to be a need for further investment. The programme for Government makes a commitment to do this. I am delighted to say that this morning, my Department launched the 2026 CCIF, which will support the refurbishment of existing community centres. There are two categories of funding under the 2026 scheme. Category 1 will provide funding up to €25,000 and category 2 will provide funding of up to €100,000. The scheme will open for online applications at the end of May and all successful projects will be announced before the end of the year. I encourage any community group interested in enhancing its community centre to use the coming weeks to decide on its funding priorities and begin preparing its applications. To that effect, there are a range of resources available to assist potential applicants. There will also be a number of information sessions provided, the first of which will be held on 8 April. Full details of these resources, information sessions and the fund are now available on the Department's website. In regard to new builds, we are currently trying to complete the programme of new builds that was announced in 2024. I hope, subject to budget allocations, to have a new-build allocation in 2027. Our priority at the moment is to complete the 12 projects that were announced in 2024 and we are working through that as we speak. There is such a demand for refurbishment. The indications we have to date are that some of the community centres that have had investment in refurbishment have seen activity levels increase by up to 90% and we want to continue to do this.

Sentiment score: 0.20

I know from speaking to those involved that one of the motivations behind the approach taken during Heather Humphreys' time in office was the need to help the exact kind of community that Deputy Burke has spoken about. There was massive development back in the seventies and eighties. Perhaps there are three of us in the Chamber who are old enough to remember AnCO. I will not say which three people I am thinking of. Through AnCO and through the skills of the people involved at the time, many community centres were built across the country in the seventies and eighties. When it became very apparent that they needed substantial investment in terms of energy and facilities, that was the initial intention of the CCIF. Some €30 million was then approved for 12 new community centres in nine counties. Eight of those projects have construction workers on site and the remaining projects are going through tender and design. I hope that, subject to budget, we will be in a position in 2027 - the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer shares this priority - to focus again on new builds and on new communities such as those referred to by Deputy Burke. It will be competitive. One of the biggest topics we hear about in terms of community centre investment is the need for new builds. We will have a very competitive process. New communities that do not have facilities and need the kinds of facilities that a community centre can give and the kind of hub that a community centre can give will be the focus. Subject to budget, I can assure the Deputy that will be the focus for the 2027 scheme.

Sentiment score: 0.19

I was out yesterday with Deputy Currie and the Minister, Deputy Chambers, in Castleknock at the community centre to see the work it is doing with community employment and Tús. A community centre is not just a building; it is a hub and a magnet for activity. It is really the heart of activities. That is why we want to support the programme to ensure facilities are improved in existing centres as well as new ones. Some 190 CCIF projects have been approved in Cork since 2022. The Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I were in Rylane in December to see the sod-turning of a new build. I endorse what Deputy Burke said in relation to local authorities and their responsibilities particularly in areas that are growing. We had this discussion earlier, which the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, led. They should be identifying in their development plans space for recreation and community centre activities. We have the funding streams in place. They should work with us to do that. We will be happy to engage - we are engaging with local authorities. I praise what is happening in Cork with the proactive local authority working with us. We work with them to provide the funding. If they provide the sites, we work with them in relation to the funding.

Sentiment score: 0.22