Dara Calleary
Mayo · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Agriculture is the backbone. We have all been in the Mansion House today, or everyone has said they were anyway. Energy security is key and crucial. Everybody wants energy security but nobody wants wind energy. We have to strike a balance and get a real discussion, but food security is most important.”
“While we have gaps there, we are addressing them. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has announced the minor injury units, which will take the pressure off major hospitals and ensure services are available.”
“Recent figures from the CSO show that there is a 5.8% increase in the number of people living in rural areas between 2016 and 2022. In areas classified as highly rural and remote, the increase was 6.4%.”
“Enterprise Ireland is investing in Irish-owned, Irish-founded companies. Similarly, 59% of IDA investments were located outside the Dublin region. We will continue to work, looking at the progress we can make through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and, as Senator O'Loughlin said, through supporting our local enterprise offices.”
“That is something we do daily and they are used where is necessary. The plan will be supported by ambitious, clear, practical and measurable actions. I have spoken to some of the funding programmes available within my Department.”
“Táim tar éis cuairt a thabhairt ar gach ceantar Gaeltachta chun plé fairsing a dhéanamh leis na pobail sin chun a fháil amach uathu féin cén cineál tacaíochta ar féidir a chur ar fáil dóibh chun cabhrú leo. Táim chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair sin sa bhuiséad le teacht agus na buiséid eile.”
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“Tá sé iontach a chloisteáil go bhfuil obair ar siúl ar chúrsaí AI agus cúrsaí eile digiteacha. Beidh an obair sin an-tábhachtach ag coimeád an t-údarás agus muintir na Gaeltachta páirteach i ngach rud atá ag tarlú i gcúrsaí digiteacha. This work will keep Údarás na Gaeltachta at the cutting edge of job creation, attracting businesses and ensuring Gaeltacht communities have opportunities in this area. I am currently progressing the Údarás na Gaeltachta Bill through the Houses. I look forward to coming back to the Seanad to debate it. Delivering on our ambition requires robust governance and strategic co-ordination at regional and local level.”
“In 2024, chruthaigh an t-údarás beagnach 900 post nua sa Ghaeltacht. Tá beagnach 10,000 duine anois fostaithe i gcomhlachtaí a gcuidíonn an t-údarás leo. Tá an network Gteic, a bhfuil 30 hubs aige i ngach cuid den Ghaeltacht, ag déanamh obair an-mhaith agus an-láidir sa Ghaeltacht. The Gteic network, with approximately 30 digital hubs in Gaeltacht areas, provides modern infrastructure for remote workers and small businesses. These are examples of tangible benefits that the team in the údarás are delivering every day. Through strategic investment, innovation and local partnerships in all our Gaeltacht regions, Údarás na Gaeltachta is ensuring employment and development opportunities are available in rural and more peripheral areas. I had a really strong meeting with the executive of údarás on Friday last.”
“Since being appointed as Minister in January, I have made the islands a priority. I have already visited some and I am fully committed to visiting all of them during my term as Minister. It is a great honour for me to be Minister with responsibility for the Gaeltacht. Ní mise an chéad duine as Maigh Eo lena bheith mar Aire. I am following in the footsteps of the late Denis Gallagher and the recently deceased Paddy O'Toole, a former Member of this House. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha. One of the former Minister, Denis Gallagher's many legacies is the formation of Údarás na Gaeltachta. One of the core functions of the údarás is supporting balanced regional development. It has a mandate to support the economic, social and linguistic development of the Gaeltacht and it has done so with terrific success.”
“These projects matter, because if we want to attract the best people to the best jobs in every region of Ireland, we need the best facilities. We know that a key driver for people choosing where to live, work and rear their families is increasingly outdoor facilities and access to the amazing scenery we have in rural Ireland. Over the period 2021 to 2024, my Department has allocated a total of over €1.5 billion for rural and community development projects and initiatives and I can assure the Cathaoirleach that we are not done yet. We will continue to support projects and invest in communities to secure effective regional development. My Department also oversees the implementation of Our Living Islands, the Government policy and action plan aimed at supporting the sustainability and vibrancy of island communities off our coast.”
“The RRDF is a major programme that seeks to support large-scale ambitious projects that can achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. It has allocated €588 million to 243 projects across Ireland to date. The town and village renewal scheme was introduced in 2016. It is one of a number of measures designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since the launch of the scheme, over €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects. The outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme, ORIS, provides funding for the development and enhancement of outdoor recreational infrastructure such as walking trails, cycleways, blueways and mountain access routes in rural areas. Last year alone, funding of over €20.3 million was announced for 221 projects.”
“Later in the year, I will be inviting the public, organisations, community groups and stakeholders to make written submissions. I encourage every Member of the House to communicate this to their constituents and to interest groups in their constituencies. I recall the work the Cathaoirleach did on local government in the previous Seanad. It would be beneficial and useful to the Our Rural Future consultation process if the Seanad Public Consultation Committee were to engage with it. The Our Rural Future policy is housed in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and is backed up with real investment and proof of delivery. Schemes such as the rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, the town and village renewal scheme, the outdoor recreation investment scheme and LEADER are delivering for rural Ireland.”
“Importantly, Ireland’s rural development policy, Our Rural Future, has provided significant investment and supports, strengthened local economies and improved the lives of many people in rural communities across Ireland. The evidence of this is becoming clear and tangible across towns and villages. Our Rural Future clearly identifies the importance of balanced regional development as a requirement for our overall national development. The programme for Government includes a commitment to build on the momentum achieved under the policy by publishing and implementing the next iteration of Our Rural Future from 2026. Work on Our Rural Future 2.0 is firmly under way, with public consultations taking place today in Tullamore, yesterday in Cork and next week in Connemara. This follows an online survey earlier this year.”
“This commitment is further embedded through the recently revised national planning framework. Ireland’s population is to increase by approximately 1 million people in the period to 2040 and the Government believes that the needs and wants of the population are better served through fairer and more dispersed growth across the country. The revised national planning framework, NPF, allows us to sustainably plan for this growth and to achieve a more even distribution of population, housing, jobs and infrastructure across all regions. This ongoing shift to more regionally balanced growth is the focus of whole-of-government policies across a range of areas. It is critical to achieving long-term regional resilience and sustainability.”
“Gabhaim buíochas le Ceannaire an tSeanaid, an Seanadóir Seán Kyne, as an gcuireadh chun a bheith anseo inniu chun cúrsaí réigiúnacha a phlé. I thank the Leader of the Seanad for the invitation to speak with the Members today on the importance of balanced regional development. Responsibility lies with all of us in Seanad Éireann and Dáil Éireann to help shape an Ireland where opportunity, investment and quality of life are shared fairly across all villages, towns and cities. This Government is committed to balanced regional development and supporting an Ireland where all regions and communities, both rural and urban, have equal opportunities to thrive. We have enshrined in the programme for Government a commitment to driving balanced regional development and supporting rural communities.”
“I move: That the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Act giving effect to this Resolution to provide that amounts to be paid on the bereaved partner's contributory pension and the bereaved partner's non-contributory pension under the Social Welfare Acts are to be deemed to be earned income for the purpose of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 and subject to taxation in accordance with section 126 of that Act.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will shortly be announcing the results of the local enhancement programme for 2025. SICAP supports women's sheds, and for major capital, LEADER is also available. I encourage every local shed to engage with its public participation network and its local development company. I know we ask volunteers to do a lot. I really appreciate all those who take on the mantle of organising sheds. There are so many people who want them but not too many who are willing to take on the mantle of organising them. We are not insisting on the structure for the sake of it, but it is our experience that a national structure is a much more effective way of funding. It is not for the want of funding, but to get the structure in place. I look forward to working with Senator Byrne to do that.”
“I thank the Senator. I certainly will take her up on that offer. I will ask somebody from my office to engage with her. As I said, we have had meetings and both the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will be having further meetings. In our Department, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Foley, the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, are focused on assisting. We will take the Senator up on her offer. It is also worth noting, however, that there are other funding streams. Women's sheds are able to apply to the local enhancement programme, which will be worth €7 million in 2025, for running costs as well as small capital works.”
“Both Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will be focused closely to ensure we have the development of a women's sheds network alongside its men's equivalent to get funding in place for the women's sheds.”
“Last week, a representative from my office met with members of the women's sheds national forum in Athlone to start this progress. I am absolutely committed to supporting women's sheds to ensure they can benefit from having a strong national representative body to advocate on their behalf in order that they have the correct structures and procedures in place to allow my Department to engage with them on funding opportunities. I can confirm to the Senator that officials from my Department along with colleagues from the Department of Health will be meeting with members of the national forum of women's sheds in the coming weeks to discuss how they might be supported to grow the organisation.”
“They have the potential to become even more powerful community hubs to promote lifelong learning, a strong support network and reduce isolation. The programme for Government contains a commitment to continue to fund men's and women's sheds. As Senator Byrne said, I was delighted to announce last week, along with Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, funding for the Irish Men's Sheds Association, which it will distribute to its member men's sheds throughout the country. Due to the women's sheds being a much newer type of organisation which is still in the early stages of getting structures and procedures in place, I was not able on this occasion to provide funding to women's sheds in a similar way. I am, however, committed to working with women's sheds to help them on this journey.”
“Beyond the social benefits, community involvement contributes to mental well-being, social connection and a sense of belonging. Women's sheds have emerged as an important part of the social inclusion landscape by providing a space where women of all ages and all backgrounds can meet regularly to share and learn new skills, work on meaningful projects, take part in activities, connect with their communities or, as Senator Byrne said, meet, have a chat and combat loneliness. Sheds are welcoming and supportive spaces, a place where women feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, sharing their experiences and, most importantly, connecting with each other. It is estimated there are now approximately 120 women's sheds across Ireland. The movement has been accelerating and gaining momentum in recent years.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important issue regarding Women's Sheds. I acknowledge the huge work she has put into this issue over many years and join her in acknowledging the fantastic work being done by women's and men's sheds throughout the country. This area of women's sheds is an important issue to many colleagues across government, in particular, the Minister, Deputy Foley, has been working strongly with me regarding women's sheds. As Senator Byrne said, women's sheds provide a space to women of all ages to come together regularly in a safe, comfortable, inclusive and collegiate environment. Ireland has long been known for its strong sense of community. With one of the highest rates of volunteering in Europe, community groups play a vital role in people's lives, especially in rural areas.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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 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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Within the allocations under CLÁR, I will emphasise support for programmes and recreational facilities not just for children but people with disabilities.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”