James Browne
Question:34. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has examined ways to address rural isolation and loneliness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8511/18]
Other Questions
Question No. 33 replied to with Written Answers.
Action Plan for Rural Development
I wish to ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his Department has examined ways to address rural isolation and loneliness
The Government's Action Plan for Rural Development includes a range of measures which will contribute significantly to addressing isolation and social inclusion in rural areas. Specific examples of actions in the plan that will help those who feel isolated or vulnerable in rural areas include significant investment in the seniors alert scheme, which facilitates valuable community-based support for vulnerable older people living alone. I allocated €2.7 million to this scheme in 2017 and over 10,000 installations were completed in 2017.
There will be investment of €46 million in the Garda fleet to ensure that gardaí are mobile, visible and responsive in order to prevent and tackle crime. There will be support for the 450 men’s sheds across rural Ireland. These provide safe spaces where men can gather and participate in their communities, develop social networks and potentially gain new skills and access information. I recently provided a small grant to the Irish Men's Sheds Association to support the expansion of its network.
We will maintain the network of senior helplines in operation throughout the country. Such helplines offer a listening service for older people to help address issues such as loneliness and isolation in rural areas. There will be continued support and prioritisation of community crime prevention through schemes such as neighbourhood watch and text alert. In addition, there will be continued improvements in the rural transport programme, including the provision of new routes.
My Department is currently finalising the second six-monthly progress report on the implementation of the Action Plan for Rural Development. I expect that it will be published in the coming weeks. The report will provide updates from all Departments on their actions, including those that are helping to address the issue of rural isolation.
I raise this issue not to criticise but rather to challenge and help to create awareness around the growing problem of social isolation and loneliness in rural Ireland and the importance of checking in on relatives, neighbours and friends. Despite significant advances in communications and technology in recent years, many communities are more isolated than ever, leading to an acute crisis of loneliness which affects the mental health and well-being of people living in rural and urban areas. Communities are becoming increasingly disconnected and it is no longer the case that everybody knows his or her neighbours. There is an increasing problem of villages lying empty between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. because people are commuting to and from work, a problem which is exacerbated in rural Ireland. A survey carried out 18 months ago showed that 53% of farmers have been affected by suicide and 16% of farming families have some experience of suicide.
The Deputy has identified a very serious problem and one which my Department is examining. That is why I established the senior alert scheme with funding of €2.7 million. The UK recently appointed a Minister for loneliness, which shows that this is not just an Irish but also a European problem. The Deputy is quite correct. That is why we have active retirement groups, men's sheds, the Irish Countrywomen's Association, ICA, and other such organisations. Many organisations are being funded by my Department at a national level to make sure they establish schemes to try to help and support people living alone. In the past, many groups kept an eye on elderly people. People are busier now and do not have the time to do so. More people are lonely now and all they are looking for is somebody to talk to and make contact with them. I will talk to all of the community groups, particularly national organisations, when allocating funding. I will take this point up with them. I would like them to consider the schemes they could put in place to try to visit and support people who are living alone and are isolated.
I am glad the Minister referred to the fact that Prime Minister May has appointed a Minister for loneliness. It is reflective of the epidemic of loneliness across the western world due to the fact that there is no longer physical connectedness. People are too busy. That is not necessarily their fault. Many of the traditional means whereby individuals stayed connected have changed. Party meetings in rural areas would have been packed years ago, but that is no longer the case. This is reflected in other areas of society. People no longer become involved with organisations. We need to find ways to encourage them to get involved and reach out to others. Older people in particular find themselves very isolated because they are not as experienced with the modern pace of life and technology as others. I encourage the Minister to act. As I said, my question is not to criticise but rather to challenge. Perhaps the Minister is in an ideal position to address these core issues.
That was one of the reasons we set up the Local Link service with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport last year. It enables people to at least come in and pick up their pension on a Friday. It allows them come into their town to shop. It is a very serious problem that affects society when people are busy and do not have the time to help others. I will speak to representatives of the organisations that we fund. To be fair, groups like the GAA and soccer and rugby organisations, as well as other sporting bodies, can be relevant here. The GAA is probably the most popular local organisation, as there are community, town and village teams. Maybe I should sit down with the GAA and soccer organisations to see what we can do to try to support people who are lonely, isolated and feeling vulnerable. I put much money and effort into the seniors alert scheme last year because I wanted people to at least feel safe in their own homes.
Local Improvement Scheme Funding
Pat Deering
Question:35. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to announce a new local improvement scheme in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8514/18]
When does the Minister intend to introduce a new local improvement scheme for this year? He knows that last year, up to €17 million was allocated for what is one of the most important schemes in rural Ireland. We regularly hear about the demise of rural Ireland but the local improvement scheme is one of the most important initiatives that have been resurrected in the past number of years.
I thank the Deputy for his question. The local improvement scheme, LIS, is a programme for improvement works on small private and non-public roads and it has been funded in the past by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Funding for the LIS was limited in recent years due to constraints on the public finances. However, I was very conscious of the underlying demand for the scheme in rural areas throughout the country. I therefore announced the provision of €10 million to local authorities for a local improvement scheme last September. Based on demand and the capacity of local authorities to complete works before the end of 2017, I allocated an additional €7.4 million to local authorities for LIS roads at the end of November. The LIS provided much-needed support in rural areas in 2017 and I have allocated a further €10 million for the scheme this year. I intend to announce details of the scheme, including the allocations for each county, later this month.
I thank the Minister for the answer and welcome his indication that he will announce the allocation for this year later this month. I have a minor criticism, which is that last year, he announced the allocations in September and December, which is very late in the year to get work done. There is bad weather etc. so councils are rushing to get work done at the end of the year. It is welcome that this year's allocation will be announced earlier.
This scheme should not be underestimated, as it provides valuable access for people in rural areas who cannot get to a main road. Generally speaking, the local authority would not be in a position to fund repairs to such roads. I found myself on a lane in the past number of days that had approximately ten people living on it. An old person lives at the very end of the lane but the local doctor and public health nurse have not been in a position to visit the person at the end of the lane, who was sick, because the surface is so bad. I hope there will be an opportunity for the scheme to fix such examples this year. Will there be different criteria for allocations this year?
I also welcome the injection of capital into our country roads and laneways. Throughout County Clare, we benefitted by approximately €867,000 last year and I welcome the confirmation that a new €10 million fund will be announced this year. A number of constituents who have benefitted from the LIS have said to me that some roads are falling into a state of disrepair because they are ten or 15 years old. Will the Minister consider putting aside funding to carry out repair works on roads that may be five years old? Those roads could be upgraded and the term "a stitch in time saves nine" comes to mind.
I thank the Deputies for raising the matter. As I stated, this was under the Departments responsible for transport and the environment previously. I can see all the rural Deputies in the House and this is a very important scheme for rural Ireland. I looked at it because I want to do something and I come from a rural county. I listen to people on a daily basis. The Deputies made their points and people in these areas pay water charges, motor and property tax. They should be entitled to get some work done on their roads and that is why I set up the scheme.
Deputy Deering made a valid point with which I agree. I opened the scheme last year and it was late but that is why I intend to announce the scheme in the next few weeks. I will ask the local authorities to have the money spent by the end of or into August. If I have any further funding, I will tell local authorities to be ready for a further scheme at the end of the year.
It is very welcome that the scheme will be announced early in the year. One big problem for local authorities in the past was they were unsure whether funding would be available. Having a funding stream on a continuous basis is very welcome. The authorities will be able to plan for the future and in Carlow's case, there has been a programme in place for a number of years. From four years onwards, it should be able to complete the lanes in the process. Will some of this funding be used in smaller villages or small housing estates that may fall into disrepair?
The Minister might give clarity on the establishment of a fund for LIS roads that fall into disrepair. These roads could be 15 or 20 years old and there is no access to county council funds to repair them. If a fund was created, local groups could apply to it and carry out repair works. I urge the Minister to give that consideration.
I would not like the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, to fall out with me. I would like him to do his job with the rural roads. He has made an allocation for roads this year and it has been increased.
I specifically refer to LIS roads.
I have dealt with LIS roads and provided funding. There was €17.4 million expended last year and €10 million will be allocated this year. The Deputy has made the correct point that the scheme will be open and local authorities know it will be there for the next number of years. With the increasing budgets over the next number of years, I will be able to put further allocations into LIS. The Deputy is quite correct and it is a very important scheme. Deputy Deering asked about rules and they will be the same as last year. I reduced the local contribution from 20% to 15% where a road has five or more houses and it is 10% for roads with five or fewer people. Along with people getting money for roads, they also make a contribution, so I do not want people to think the scheme is for nothing.
Departmental Schemes
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:36. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the requests for submissions that have been sought from bodies in 2018 under the local improvement, village and town renewal, national rural development and CLÁR schemes; the projects approved to date under these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8715/18]
The question is very straightforward and I hope I get a straightforward answer from the Minister. It concerns the requests for submissions sought from bodies in 2018 under the local improvement, village and town renewal, national rural development and CLÁR schemes. I also seek the number of projects approved under these schemes. Two months are gone in the year, ten months are left, the clock is ticking and nothing is happening.
The clock is ticking here as well.
The Department implements a suite of measures aimed at providing direct financial support for the sustainable development of rural areas. These programmes were highlighted in the Action Plan for Rural Development, which focused on supporting sustainable communities, enterprises, employment and creativity while maximising our rural tourism and recreation potential and improving rural infrastructure in communities.
The national rural development programme measures include the town and village renewal scheme, the CLÁR programme, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme and the local improvement scheme. The objective of the town and village renewal scheme is to encourage projects that have a sustainable and visible impact on the town or village and its environs and which can demonstrate significant job creation potential. The 2017 CLÁR programme provides support across four measures, including support for schools and commercial safety measures, play areas, targeted community infrastructure and the first responder scheme. The outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreation infrastructure or the necessary maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure in Ireland. The scheme was implemented in 2016 and 2017.
It has facilitated the development of numerous greenways, blueways, walks and other trails throughout the country. The LIS has provided supports for improvement works on private and non-public roads. There is underlying demand for further LIS funding. No dedicated funding stream has been available for such works for several years.
To date, submissions in respect of the schemes outlined have not been sought for 2018 because the criteria for this year are being reviewed. The Deputy should note that I recently wrote to all local authorities advising them of an initial schedule of scheme launch dates for the LIS, the CLÁR programme, the town and village renewal scheme and the rural recreation scheme. Submissions will be sought from the relevant bodies as the schemes are launched. It is intended that these schemes will continue to support important local, regional and national projects in 2018 and beyond.
I wish to ask the Minister a question. Is he listening? Why are we getting this big word "review" again? Why did the Minister not simply say that nothing has been sorted yet and that no projects have been approved? Is that the situation after the long rigmarole of an answer he just gave? Is this exactly what the Minister told me at the end: nothing has been sorted or approved? Can the Minister confirm that?
First, I will be announcing the LIS shortly. Not alone will I be announcing the scheme, I will announce the funding as well. The CLÁR programme will open shortly. The rural and recreation scheme and the town and village scheme will open at the end of May. I intend to have projects in for July, probably, and I will make the allocation later in the year.
Deputy Ó Cuív knows and I know that since I came into the job, I have opened the CLÁR programme. I have not yet been in office for a year. I have all the other existing schemes, including the LIS. I can tell the Deputy one thing, namely, that I want to have these schemes open. I want to have the applications in and assessed by the Department. I want the schemes to be announced and I want local authorities, or other agencies that I am now considering, to deal with some of these schemes – I wish to put that on the record of the Dáil. I have some things in mind such that I do not have to give all the work to the local authorities. It is fine if they believe they can do the work. However, if they cannot, then I have to start looking at other ways and means. Deputy Ó Cuív can take it that these schemes will be open and announcements will be made. The funding is in place. I have opened the schemes and I am very pleased with them.
Time is running out so I will ask a short question this time. There are two parts to it. Will the Minister explain to me what the term "shortly" means in this instance? Is it weeks or months? Who was the Minister of State with responsibility for rural development before the Minister became Minister for Rural and Community Development?
I want to tell the Deputy something. He knows who was Minister of State. I have reopened all the schemes he closed down when he was Minister.
Hear, hear.
I know Deputy Ó Cuív was happy with that. I reintroduced all the schemes that Deputy Ó Cuív and the Government of which he was a member closed down.
I used the term "shortly" in my reply. I have set out a deadline for the local authorities. I have written to them. I have set out a schedule for when the applications will come in, when they will be dealt with and when grant aid will be approved. I will do that. I cannot deliver the schemes but my Department will play its part. I assure Deputy Ó Cuív that I will have all these schemes open. The CLÁR programme will reopen in the next couple of weeks. I have written to the local authorities and they are getting the projects ready. I will have the schemes opened and I will implement them. What happened last year will not happen this time.
The next question is in the name of Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív.
I take it that the name of the Minister of State with responsibility for rural development before the office of Minister for Rural and Community Development was created was one Deputy Michael Ring.
That is correct - and a good one he was.
The suggestion to the effect that "I was not there" does not stand up. The Minister was there. I thank the Minister for clarifying the position.
Action Plan for Rural Development
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:37. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the new measures he plans to roll out under the Action Plan for Rural Development in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8718/18]
I will ask the Minister the next question. The Minister need not go with all the rigmarole. Can he simply get the answer and cut out the crap?
The Deputy should mind his language.
I apologise.
Apology accepted.
Will the Minister cut out all the waffle? I think that is an acceptable term in the Parliament.
That is perfectly acceptable. I thank the Deputy.
Will the Minister tell me what new schemes he is rolling out this year in the rural development sector?
I do not talk raiméis, unlike the Deputy across the way, and I want to put that on the record as well. The schemes I will roll out include the CLÁR programme, the rural recreation scheme, the town and village scheme and the local improvement scheme.
Deputy Ó Cuív is the very man who doubted me in the context of my budget. He kept criticising the budget. Why can he not be positive? Why can he not accept that I have opened the schemes and delivered on them? What about all the projects delivered in the past 18 months under the town and village scheme, rural recreation scheme, CLÁR programme and the LIS? Can Deputy Ó Cuív not be positive for one day and admit that I got a good budget, a 60% increase in the budget for next year? Over the next year, I will oversee almost a 100% increase in the budget for this Department. This will be a good Department. It will support and help rural Ireland.
Can the Minister be a little more specific on the schemes he will roll out this year under the rural development plan? Are there no new schemes under the CLÁR programme? Will there be more walkways? What new schemes will emerge? The Minister should not give me generic answers. They reflect badly on him because it is obvious that he does not know what he is doing.
The Deputy knows the plan was published on Friday last. He knows we got €1 billion extra for rural development over the next ten years.
The figure is €312 million.
The Minister for Finance and I will sit down together in the coming weeks. The existing schemes are all staying. I will be looking at opening new schemes and programmes. We intend to have the announcement ready for July. Deputy Ó Cuív knows the announcement was made on Friday - he was a Minister for long enough. He cannot expect me to have the plans drawn up and ready to go to the public by the following Wednesday. This will happen. I will have the scheme opened by July. I intend that we will have applications and that the funding will start rolling in early next year.
Will the Minister be rolling out new measures under CLÁR this year?
For the first round of the CLÁR programme, I will use the existing rules and schemes from last year. However, I will look at the extra funding. I am looking now at new schemes now that I know I have a budget for next year, the year after and the year after that. Now, I will be able to put these schemes in place.
Deputy Ó Cuív should give me a little time to sit down with other Ministers. There is one thing I do not want to see. Deputy Ó Cuív knows this because he was long enough there. He knows what I do not want to see. I have no wish to operate schemes for the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport or the Department of Health. They will have to match funding for some of the schemes I will put in place. I do not want to supplement them. That is why I would love if I could get the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to put a further €10 million into the LIS. Then we would have a €20 million scheme. I have done my part. What I want to do now is ensure that I do not take on work from other Departments. Deputy Ó Cuív saw this happen before. If I did that, they would move back and not do anything. I need to sit down with them. I need a little time. I need to formulate schemes. I need matching funding for these schemes. These Departments will have to come up to the plate as well.
Seniors Alert Scheme
Peter Fitzpatrick
Question:32. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to set out the financial allocations in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 for the seniors alert scheme; the take-up in respect of the scheme since 2016; the changes made to the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8504/18]
Martin Heydon
Question:38. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to outline the details of the new version of the seniors alert scheme; the way in which it can be accessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8739/18]
My question has been grouped with a question tabled by Deputy Fitzpatrick. The seniors alert scheme is good and popular scheme, especially among those living in rural areas and people living alone or in isolation. Can the Minister outline the details of the new seniors alert scheme coming into play?
Several questions have been skipped so we will give the Minister an opportunity to prepare the answer.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 38 together.
I thank the Deputies for posing these questions. I launched a new seniors alert scheme that took effect on 1 November 2017. A successful nationwide public awareness campaign aimed at older people and their extended families and friends who may not have been aware of the scheme was rolled out.
The key features of the new scheme include: a self-declaration of limited means for eligibility; a person no longer has to be living alone to qualify; free monitoring of the alarm service for the first year; and an increase in administrative payments to community groups involved in rolling out the scheme.
I am pleased to report that demand for the new scheme has been unprecedented. Applications are up 70% on previous years. Spending in 2017 amounted to almost €2.7 million, compared to the €1.8 million spent in 2016. During 2017, over 12,600 applications were approved and more than 10,100 installations were completed. I expect this increased level of demand to continue in 2018.
I encourage anyone who is interested in the seniors alert scheme to contact Pobal, which operates the scheme on behalf of my Department, for contact details of the registered community organisation operating in each area.
I thank the Minister for the positive news on the improvements to the seniors alert scheme. The scheme is very important. In light of its popularity, will the Minister focus on further take-up of the scheme? It still has more potential. The fact that it is free for the first year is an important element. How are the groups that administer the scheme chosen by Pobal? Will it be open to other groups in the future? Also, in light of changing technology, is the link with the landline still locked in? If there was a move away from the landline more people might be able to use the scheme in the future. Could that be considered as well?
I was really pleased by how the scheme worked last year. It is a scheme for the most vulnerable in society, people living in rural areas who were frightened in their own homes. I put the funding in place to ensure that the scheme would work. The Deputy asked about Pobal. It asked people to make applications and it dealt with that process. I did not get involved in it. I made sure the funding was provided. In fact, I had to allocate a further €400,000 last year for the scheme. It is unbelievable how people bought into it. We carried out serious advertising both nationally and locally, including on local radio stations. We asked people to try to help people living alone to participate in the scheme. There was a tremendous result in terms of the number of people who drew down the scheme. There were 12,600 applications and 10,100 installations. I am now considering what other things we can do under the scheme. The Deputy is aware of the pendant, but technology is changing every day with new and modern ways of doing things being introduced. I hope we will be able to examine ways and means of updating the scheme.
I thank the Minister for that. The area that would allow it to grow further is if there is technology outside the landline. That is definitely worth investigating and I am glad it is being considered. In general, however, I welcome the fact that the number of applications increased by 70%. The increase in funding from €1.8 million to €2.7 million in a year is phenomenal. I look forward to seeing that growth continuing for this vital scheme for people.
Some 643 people in Louth and over 60,000 nationwide have received a free personal alarm under the seniors alert scheme since 2015. These senior citizens have peace of mind in their homes and a feeling of security. What was the financial allocation for 2016 and 2017 and to date in 2018 for the scheme? What has the take-up been since the scheme was introduced in 2016 and what changes have been made to the scheme?
There is an allocation of €2.7 million for the scheme this year. I will monitor the scheme during the year and if demand is outpacing the funding available, I will examine ways of increasing the funding. Some of the changes we made to the scheme helped. People no longer have to be living alone, there is free monitoring for the first year and there is self declaration of limited means. I made it easier for people to use the scheme. I am happy that the scheme is working. It gives people peace of mind. I must compliment Pobal. It conducted roadshows in communities throughout the country and the communities bought into it. The scheme is working very well.
Departmental Expenditure
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:39. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps he has taken to ensure a full spend of capital funds provided to his Department in the 2018 Estimates and from the carryover of €7.7 million from 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8716/18]
I am sorry to have to criticise the Minister again but there was a massive underspend in his Department last year. A sum of €7 million that was not spent last year is being brought into this year and €19 million was given back to the Exchequer. Two months of this year have passed and no schemes have been announced. Nothing is happening. What plans does the Minister have to ensure he will spend the full capital allocation this year, rather than end up with the same situation as last year?
The Revised Estimates for Public Services 2018 provide for gross expenditure of €231.5 million, comprising €144 million current expenditure and €87.5 million capital expenditure, in respect of the Department of Rural and Community Development. An additional €7.7 million in capital funding is carried forward from 2017 to supplement capital spending.
My Department has been working closely with the local authorities to encourage progress on their projects and to communicate plans in respect of 2018 schemes in order to facilitate enhanced readiness for delivery.
My Department will continue to work with key stakeholders including local authorities, community and voluntary groups, and dedicated agencies to support job creation, attract tourism investment and contribute to sustainable economic development in rural Ireland. The Department will ensure that maximum use is obtained from the resources allocated and that value for money is delivered in respect of the 2018 allocation.
How much capital has the Department spent to date? Would it be €15 million? That is the pro rata spend that should have occurred at this stage, particularly since projects that were approved before the end of last year can be implemented this year. Can the Minister indicate whether the spend is on target or behind it at this point?
I do not have that information to hand. I can give it to the Deputy before the committee meeting next week. We will be discussing our Vote at that meeting and I will have all that information. The Deputy referred to the underspend last year. I will not get into another political row but the Deputy understands underspends. During the good times there were major underspends in the Deputy's Department when he was in office. There was a €40 million underspend in 2010 and a €38 million underspend in 2008. I guarantee that there will be no underspend in my Department this year. I was in the Department for six months last year. I introduced the local improvement scheme and the schemes for the shows and the Tidy Towns. I introduced many other schemes. The underspend was €17.7 million. We were able to carry over €7.7 million so the underspend was only approximately €10 million. When the Deputy was the Minister in the Department in the good days, and it was a new Department, he had major underspends. He knows that underspends happen in Departments but I can give him a commitment that it will not happen this year.
I should point out that there were Exchequer cuts half way through the years the Minister referred to so we were not allowed to spend the money allocated to us. The first year of the downturn was 2008 and with regard to 2010, the Minister was constantly telling us how bad the economy he inherited was. He is getting that wrong again, like he gets most things wrong. How much capital was spent in January? I know the answer because I got it from the Exchequer returns. Can the Minister tell me how much money he spent in capital expenditure in January?
I do not have that information.
I have it here.
If the Deputy has it I do not know why he is asking for it-----
I wanted to check if the Minister knew-----
-----but I will get it for him.
-----and if he does his homework.
Why is the Deputy wasting Question Time if he knows the answer? That is not the question tabled today but if he wants the information I will get it to him later. However, as I said, I guarantee that there will be no underspend this year. I will ensure the money is spent.
Questions Nos. 40 and 41 are in the name of Deputy McLoughlin who is not present and Question No. 42 is in the name of Deputy Connolly who is also not present.
Questions Nos. 40 to 42, inclusive, replied to with Written Answers
LEADER Programmes Data
Question No. 43 is in the name of Deputy Ó Cuív.
On a point of order, Deputy Ó Cuív has had four oral questions today. More power to him but I understood that only two oral questions per Deputy were allowed.
Spokespersons get five.
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:43. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the approvals to date by the local action groups of funding for projects under the Leader programme, by local action group; the amount of expenditure to date on projects by local action group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8717/18]
This refers to another programme where there is underspending. How much has been spent on projects in the Leader programme to date?
Leader is a multi-annual EU co-funded programme to support rural development. Ireland has an allocation of €250 million under the programme over the period 2014-20, including both national and EU funding. The programme is administered by local action groups, LAGs, which deliver funding in accordance with local development strategies that have been agreed for each LAG area.
As of 16 February 2018, some 738 projects with a value of over €20.8 million have been approved for Leader funding by the LAGs.
A further 318 projects requesting over €16.1 million in funding are at various stages in the approval process. This funding will be drawn down as projects start to incur expenditure and submit payment claims. Overall expenditure on Leader in 2017 amounted to €14.42 million. Project payments amounting to €993,656 have been made to date. I am providing a breakdown of approvals and expenditure by local action group to the Deputy. While the pace of approval varies between local action groups, LAGs, I am confident that the progress made by the LAGs going forward in 2018, along with the administrative improvements which my Department introduced last year, will result in a significant increase in project approvals and payments under the Leader programme over the coming months.
Did I hear that rightly? There should be approximately €200 million for projects under Leader. Is the Minister telling me that, to date, all that has been approved is approximately 10% of that, €20 million, with all that has been paid out being €933,000 of the allocation for projects of more than €200 million? Will the Minister confirm that I picked up the figures rightly? The Minister read it out very quickly and stumbled over some of the words. It was hard to grasp fully what the Minister was trying to tell me. Am I right that €933,000 is all that communities have got out of this great scheme? Perhaps the Minister will tell me what has been the total administrative expenditure under Leader to date.
I will speak slowly because I would not like the Deputy not to be able to understand what I am saying. They understand me everywhere else but just in case the Deputy does not understand what I am saying-----
The Minister is still only going to get the minute.
That is okay. I will give him ten minutes if he wants. I have no problem with that at all. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle can give him as long as he wants to give him. The Deputy knows better than anybody else that people make applications to Leader companies, which approve them. They then come to my Department where they submit receipts and bring in the paperwork. I cannot do any more than I have done with the Leader programme. I have made 31 changes to make it easier for people to make applications to the Leader programme. I met the groups, have listened to people on the ground and want to see this money being spent. Some 63% of this is coming from Europe with 37% coming from the national Government. I want to see this funding spend but I cannot do the jobs of the Leader companies. Deputy Ó Cuív should check his own county, Galway. It has two Leader companies. They have not approved one project and they have no applications here. I can only make the payments as the applications come in to me. I have done everything I can to make it easier for this funding to be drawn down.
Will the Minister confirm the figure of €933,000? I will take it, if the Minister does not correct me, that €933,000 has been spent nationally on projects. Will the Minister give me the total figure to date for administration and will he tell me why the onus is not on the Department to ensure that Galway gets projects approved? The Minister knows what the delay was in Galway. The system by which the LAGs were appointed caused the delay in Galway. Specifically on Galway, what will the Minister do to ensure that the ordinary people of Galway get the money to which they are entitled?
To date, 738 projects have been approved, to the value of €20.8 million. A further 318 projects seeking €16 million have been approved. I sat down with Deputy Ó Cuív and Deputy Kyne. We met the group there and, to be fair to them, they wrote to me afterwards to tell me that they hope to spend and to have the programme up and running shortly. I hope that they will. I want to see the funding spent. I made the changes. I made it easier for these groups to make applications. I cannot do any more about the Leader programme. I will bring in the national organisation again next week. If there are other difficulties and other changes that it wants me to make, I will make them.
Before we move on to the last question from Deputy Carey, I remind the House, since we have more than a quorum here now, that we lost ten minutes this morning because we did not have a quorum. That slippage represents almost two questions.
It is the Government's responsibility.
It is the Government's responsibility.
It does not matter. I am just making the point. I know that the Minister, Deputy Ring, wanted to take more questions.
Maybe the Minister could have brought somebody in.
Regional Development Initiatives
Joe Carey
Question:44. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the type of support he is providing to develop the Atlantic economic corridor; if he will report on the engagement with stakeholders regarding this initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8503/18]
I submitted this question to establish the type of support the Department is providing to develop the Atlantic economic corridor. Will the Minister report on engagement with stakeholders about this initiative?
I thank Deputy Carey for the question. A Programme for a Partnership Government and the Action Plan for Rural Development both commit to progressing the concept of the Atlantic economic corridor, AEC. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ring, established the AEC task force in March 2017 to progress this proposal and I now chair this task force. The role of the task force is to provide strategic oversight and direction in developing the AEC concept, which was initially brought by local chambers of commerce along the west coast and the American Chamber of Commerce. A key objective of the task force is to ensure that the existing resources and skills within the region can be supported and assessed. The task force includes representatives from the business sector, key Departments and Government agencies, local authorities and third level institutions. It is the key mechanism for engaging with and building collaboration between stakeholders. Two subgroups of the task force are now in place, one considering infrastructural investment priorities and the other covering the issue of enterprise property capacity in the region. A third group, covering communications, has also been established. These task groups are composed of members of the task force itself and provide a more focused platform for consideration of key issues relating to the development of the AEC.
The Government's Project Ireland 2040 plan, published last Friday, fully supports the development of the AEC, which I welcome. It specifically highlights the contribution that the AEC can make to achieving the regional growth objectives of the national planning framework. In order to further support the AEC proposal, I have offered to co-fund the appointment of an AEC officer in each of the local authorities along the corridor. That will include the local authorities in Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway city and county, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo and Donegal. We have written to the chief executive officers, CEOs, and local authorities in that regard. This will provide a dedicated resource in each local authority to support the work of the AEC task force and its subgroups and to promote the AEC concept within each local authority area and across the region as a whole. I welcome the AEC initiative. We all know there is a great capacity in the west coast as a counterbalance to the Dublin region and it was welcome to see that that was key to the national planning framework and to Project Ireland 2040, published last Friday.
I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I support this initiative. It is doing wonderful work. The Minister of State has confirmed that he made an offer of €300,000 to co-fund the appointment of officers in each local authority along the western coast. What type of response has the Minister of State got back from the chief executives of the different local authorities? Will they get on board with this initiative and make those appointments? The Minister of State might inform the House in that regard.
We wrote to them in the last week or so. I know that the County and City Management Association, CCMA, has fully briefed the relevant CEOs over the last period and I am confident there will be buy-in. I know there will be buy-in. There have been preliminary discussions and we made a formal offer in the last week or so, so we expect positive responses from the local authorities over the next period. The work to date on developing the concept of the Atlantic economic corridor has been positive. The CCMA is represented on the AEC task force. We have had a number of meetings. The next will be within the next couple of weeks and will take place in Limerick. We have had work to do over the last while to get this into the mindset of local authority members, Departments, agencies and all bodies along the west coast that have involvement in developing and growing the job creation potential of the region, including the universities and institutes of technology. I believe that buy-in is happening and am confident that the CEOs of the local authorities in question will play their part and fully engage with this proposal.
Voluntary Sector
Carol Nolan
Question:45. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to increase funding for volunteer centres and to upgrade hosted volunteer information services to autonomous volunteer centres. [8720/18]
Deputy Carol Nolan can introduce Question No. 45 in the 30 seconds remaining but we will not have a chance for a response.
I would like to ask the Minister about his plans to increase funding for volunteer centres and to upgrade hosted volunteer information centres to autonomous volunteer centres.
My Department provides a cohesive framework of supports for the community and voluntary sector.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
In 2017, €3.5 million was provided under this programme to support volunteer centres in 21 areas nationwide, volunteer information services in areas not served by volunteer centres and a number of national organisations such as volunteer Ireland.
This funding represented an increase of €0.3 million over the 2016 provision and this increased level of funding has been maintained this year. The funding of all these organisations is designed to strengthen and foster volunteerism in Ireland, building a support structure for volunteering locally from the bottom up.
This year, some €100,000 is being made available in respect of the eight volunteer information services. I am generally supportive of proposals to upgrade volunteer information services to volunteer centres, however any proposals in this regard must be considered in the context of the funding available to my Department.
A submission on this matter from the national network of volunteering services has recently been received and a meeting between my officials and representatives from this network to discuss these proposals will be held shortly.