Written Answers Nos. 436-439
436. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will consider providing funding under the CLÁR programme, in tandem with the OPW and the Department of Transport to deal with the recurring flooding problem occurring on some county roads near the coast due to rising tides; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5452/23]
View answerThe CLÁR programme provides funding under a number of different measures for small-scale infrastructural projects in designated rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population over a defined period.
Since the CLÁR programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures. Funding of over €57 million has been approved for almost 2,100 projects.
Under the CLÁR 2022 programme, funding of over €12 million was approved for almost 300 projects. The measures funded were:
- Developing Community Facilities and Amenities (Measure 1)
- Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport (Measure 2)
- ‘Our Islands’ (Measure 3)
Maps of the relevant CLAR areas can be viewed on the Department's website. The village of Ballycumber, Co. Offaly is not located within a designated CLÁR area so therefore projects from this area are not eligible for funding under the programme.
My Department has an array of other capital funding streams which are open to communities across rural Ireland including the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, Town & Village Renewal Scheme, Community Centres Investment Fund, Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and the LEADER Programme. Further details of funding under the various schemes are available on my Department's website.
437. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she will provide information on the funding streams available to assist in financing a building project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5464/23]
View answerThe Government is aware of the challenges facing community and voluntary organisations and I was delighted to secure €20 million in funding under Budget 2023 to continue the Community Centres Investment Fund.
This builds on the €15 million which was announced under the fund in 2022. The huge interest in this fund shows how important community centres are for communities throughout Ireland. This Government is committed to providing funding to improve and upgrade these centres which will allow them to continue to provide services for communities to come together.
It is intended that the 2023 fund will be targeted primarily at new build community centres. The details of this scheme are currently being developed by officials within my Department and I hope to announce further details in quarter 1 of 2023.
438. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of dog wardens employed by local authorities in each of the years since 2018, by local authority, in tabular form. [5527/23]
View answer439. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of fines issued under the Control of Dogs Act 1986 in each of the years since 2018, by local authority, in tabular form. [5528/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 together.
My Department publishes annual statistics in respect of a range of the dog control responsibilities of local authorities. Information up to and including 2021, by county and in tabular form, is available on the dog control statistics page on gov.ie. The 2022 dog control statistics are currently being collated and when checked and verified will be published on gov.ie.
Page 1 of the 2021 dog control statistics indicates, by county and in tabular form, that there were 50 full-time dog wardens and 21 part-time dog wardens in 2021, equating to 59.55 full-time equivalent posts. While Section 15(1) of the Control of Dogs Act 1986 states that every local authority must employ at least one dog warden, it is a matter for each local authority to determine if more than one dog warden is required to carry out the necessary functions of the dog warden service in their local authority area.
The statistics also indicate that 1,654 on-the-spot fines were issued in 2018, 1,749 in 2019, 1,069 in 2020 and 924 in 2021. In addition, 176 prosecutions were taken by local authorities in 2018, 182 in 2019, 82 in 2020 and 97 in 2021. These fines and prosecutions cover all aspects of the Control of Dogs Acts. While the number of prosecutions in 2020 and 2021 were down on previous years at 82 and 97 respectively, it is accepted that the impact of Covid-19 and Level 5 lockdowns had an effect on the enforcement regime of local authorities.
