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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“The rural regeneration and development fund is a major capital investment programme which seeks to support large-scale ambitious projects to achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. Since 2018, €588 million has been allocated to 243 projects. The development of community facilities can also be funded under the LEADER programme, which is currently up and running across the country until 2027. There is a huge range of supports available and I am committed to further growing this support in line with the commitments made in the programme for Government.”
“The community recognition fund, first introduced in 2023, has supported a range of community infrastructure projects, and recognises the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland. A total of €100 million was allocated under the two iterations of the fund. The town and village renewal scheme, which is currently open for applications, is designed to support the revitalisation of rural towns and villages. The scheme enables the provision of funding for projects designed to rejuvenate town centres and includes projects to renovate and refurbish multipurpose community spaces. Since its launch, more than €177 million has been allocated to almost 1,800 projects across Ireland.”
“I thank Deputy Burke. In his previous role as Minister of State, he did much work on rural isolation and rural loneliness role and I acknowledge that. Regarding the Deputy's question, the development and enhancement of community facilities is a priority for me and full details of the capital supports available are on my Department’s website. The community centre investment fund has provided in excess of €109 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. Under the 2024 iteration of the fund, more than €33 million has been approved to support refurbishment works on more than 770 projects nationwide.”
“The men's shed movement has done huge work, particularly in targeting rural isolation among older men. Everyone in this Chamber at present is a rural TD and we know that is a challenge. I thank the men's sheds for doing that. Regarding Local Link, 148 new services have been progressed by the National Transport Authority, NTA, in recent years, connecting 190 towns and villages to the bigger public transport network. That connection was not there previously. As I said, through CLÁR, we are funding specific interventions on transport to allow for meals on wheels, community organisations and medical transport across the country, which are making a big difference. There is much work under way in different strands. We might need to tidy it all up and look at how it is addressing rural isolation and loneliness.”
“There is nothing I disagree with in either Deputies approach. I met the postmasters last week and the post office report is a very solid report. It is not only about the post office but about the postmen and postwomen who go out to communities and houses. For many people, this is the only contact they may have, and let us be realistic about it. As I said, through the community services programme, we are supporting many organisations across the country, including in Waterford and Offaly, that are driving meals on wheels, which is again human interaction. We are working to support our men's sheds and the growing number of women's sheds, but men's sheds in particular because they are focused on older men or men who have retired and getting them into a group gathering.”
“This will target rural areas experiencing decline, including transport provision and funding organisations to acquire buses to bring people into centres or to deliver meals to people. We will definitely be looking at a specific isolation and elderly strategy because the Deputy is absolutely right that our figures are increasing but there is flexibility within all our programmes.”
“The Deputy makes a good suggestion and we will certainly look at it. The potential in the new Our Rural Future document is there to highlight rural isolation and what is happening. I encourage Deputy McCormack to attend the new in-person public consultation event on 17 June in Tullamore for Our Rural Future. As I said, we have a range of schemes and there are schemes within the Department. For instance, the community centre investment scheme, which is not specifically an isolation or older persons intervention, provides a physical structure communities can use to build programmes and plans to get people into it. Through community centre investment, we were able to allocate €100,000 for Mucklagh community centre and €89,000 for Kilcormac community centre. As I said, the CLÁR programme is currently open.”
“These and a range of other supports, including those which help community centres and community facilities with capital investment, are aimed at helping to ensure communities are inclusive places to live in and are equipped to reduce social isolation and loneliness.”
“My Department provides financial and other supports to organisations throughout the country to address rural and urban isolation, including through the seniors alert scheme, which provides monitored personal alarms for elderly people; the community services programme, which supports a range of services, including meals on wheels; the local enhancement programme, which supports a huge variety of community groups, including social clubs, sports groups and local choirs; and support for men’s and women’s sheds, which provide a community setting for men and women to come together to learn, share skills, make friendships and break the cycle of isolation.”
“Both strategies are underpinned by funding through the rural investment programme and community development programme, the latter of which supports projects and schemes across both rural and urban communities.”
“The issue of rural isolation, especially among the elderly, is relevant to the work of several Government Departments. It is a complex issue and can undermine the physical and mental well-being of people in both rural and urban settings. Loneliness requires a wide range of responses, including health interventions, community policing, rural transport, which we discussed earlier, tackling social exclusion and addressing disadvantage. Our Rural Future is my Department’s whole-of-government strategy for rural development with actions to support rural communities, including addressing rural isolation. Within my Department, this issue is also addressed by the sustainable, inclusive and empowered communities strategy.”
“The schemes do superb work. I compliment the Deputy and all the volunteers who run them and are on the boards. I have the report into the future of the rural social scheme, which I am considering at the moment. We will be making some announcements imminently around that. Again, on making it easier to get participants, I believe, as I have discussed with the Deputy previously, that the schemes have changed. They are no longer entirely labour market activation schemes. They are much more community social support schemes. The changes I am looking to make will reflect the change of that scheme. It is important we give people the chance to support local communities. It is a matter of pride for them and a matter of identity for many people. We must review how we look at the schemes and approach them.”
“As I said, with my social protection hat on, we are looking at what we can do to enhance the schemes to make them more attractive for participants. Schemes are totally dependent on their supervisors. I acknowledge the amazing work of supervisors on CE schemes, RSS and Tús. I am happy that we secured some pay awards recently in that space and we will continue to grow the impact of the schemes.”
“Despite all our GAA talk, we had managed to avoid last weekend until the Deputy's intervention. That suited me anyway. We have made announcements this week under the growing social enterprise fund. Borrisoleigh Community Centre in Tipperary has been awarded €15,000 for solar panel installation. Canon Hayes Recreation Centre, with which the Deputy is familiar, has been awarded €11,559; Cloughjordan has been awarded €15,000; the Newport development association has been awarded €3,800; and €45,000 has been awarded to the Millennium Family Resource Centre, FRC, in Tipperary to assist it in its work. These kinds of specific interventions are assisting local groups in the county to continue the work and grow the expansion of the service.”
“Funding from my Department to the volunteering sector has increased from €3.1 million in 2020 to €7.3 million in 2025. We are aware that challenges remain, especially in the schemes referred to by the Deputy. I am working in the Department of Social Protection to make changes to those schemes so that we will be able to attract more participants to them and encourage more people to get involved in their local communities through the fantastic work of the community employment scheme, the rural social scheme and Tús.”
“In addition, and in recognition of the higher costs arising from increases in the statutory minimum wage, the contribution towards employment costs for those organisations with medium or high funding needs has increased. The SICAP, as I previously mentioned, is a national programme delivered in both rural and urban areas by local development companies to help those in the greatest need. It aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality by supporting disadvantaged communities and individuals. My Department has contributed more than €47.4 million in 2024 for SICAP and has committed more than €48.9 million for 2025. Finally, Ireland’s volunteering structures are recognised as a model of best practice. More than 1 million people volunteer regularly in Ireland and I am committed to supporting them in this work.”
“I thank the Deputy. This question fits across both of my roles. This Government recognises and values the many contributions made to society by not-for-profit, voluntary and community organisations in Tipperary and I commend the Deputy's work in this space. The Department of Rural and Community Development supports the community and voluntary sector through a number of schemes, most notably the community services programme, CSP, the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, and the scheme to support volunteering. The CSP supports 428 community based organisations, with a budget of in 2025 of €55.4 million. This provides local services through a social enterprise model. In 2023, the majority of CSP-funded organisations were awarded five-year contracts, which has provided certainty in terms of operations and employment.”
“I have figures that show that at the end of 2024, 175 roads in Cork were awaiting repair, 264 have been completed since 2017 and 23 will be done in 2025. The full allocation will be used. That gives the Deputy a sense of the demand in Cork, but it is replicated across the country. LIS roads are very much part of my daily work. The scheme is very important to communities. That is why the eligibility was expanded in recent years, but in expanding it, demand increased. I assure the Deputy that I am working to secure additional funding for the 2026-27 programme to support local authority members who are at the coalface of this and local families and communities.”
“That expansion was needed and was important for supporting local families. I assure the Deputy that Deputy Danny Healy-Rae and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, are working closely with me to secure additional funding for this.”
“I thank Deputy Collins. I would point out that since 2017 Cork county has received €12.9 million for the LIS. It is the third highest amount nationally. It is not the Department's role to select individual roads. That is a matter for each local authority. We are looking at local authorities on the waiting list and the individual expenditure by local authorities on the scheme. I want to make sure that we are getting value for the money we are investing in it and that we are getting consistency from local authority to local authority. Certainly, I will be looking for additional resources. I am already engaging with the Minister, Deputy Chambers, about the national development plan, NDP, review and budget 2026 on that matter. We have also expanded the eligibility of the scheme in recent years so that is definitely adding to demand for it.”
“Significant numbers apply for support, which is why base funding for the LIS has increased year on year since 2021. The programme for Government commits to supporting rural communities, including a commitment to increase funding under the scheme. I am working with the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, to ensure we have funding in place not only to continue the scheme but also to address the backlog that Deputy Collins has referred to. We are engaging with the ongoing review of the national development plan, and within the Department I am monitoring capital expenditure as the year progresses to ensure any savings arising under our capital budget and in other schemes can be reassigned to the LIS. I absolutely know and understand its value. I appreciate its value. It is very important to local families and local people.”
“I thank Deputy Collins. The local improvement scheme is a vital support for rural communities to improve non-public rural roads and local laneways. Since 2017 almost €170 million has been provided by the Government to local authorities under the scheme. I will repeat that figure of €170 million. In April 2024 €40 million in funding was announced for the LIS for all local authorities for 2024 and 2025, with €2.87 million allocated to Cork County Council. While the Department provides funding for the scheme, it is administered by the local authorities which have responsibility for selecting and prioritising roads. It is absolutely clear to me, locally and as Minister, that there is strong demand for the scheme. However, progress has been made, with more than 5,500 road improvements being completed under the scheme to date.”
“The Department is there to support them through the undertaking, not only through funding but also with advice and access to other communities that have undertaken this journey.”
“I cannot comment on the HSE plans for the building as I do not have those details. I will say that this year, the building and land acquisition measure under the town and village renewal scheme allows local authorities to purchase up to three vacant buildings. The total fund available is up to €500,000. I would certainly encourage Deputy Quaide to have a discussion with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on the HSE element. As I have said, there are numerous projects throughout the country. I am more than happy to give Deputy Quaide details if the local committee wishes to visit them to see how successful they have been in terms of taking the journey. I commend the communities which do this and take this on. It is a big undertaking.”
“It is very important that in developing a project such as this there is a relatively good business plan in place, or, for want of a better word, a development plan, so people are very certain of what will be there and that the building will be sustainable. There are dereliction officers in every local authority who are able to assist with the programme. Through the RRDF and the town and village renewal scheme we have funded old Garda stations, old FCA buildings, old schools and old railway stations that are being refurbished into exactly the type of hub Deputy Quaide has referred to.”
“I cannot comment on the exact area of Ballynoe but what Deputy Quaide has described sounds exactly like a prime property for the town and village renewal scheme or the RRDF. For instance, in Drumshanbo in County Leitrim I visited a former Garda station that has been acquired and is being developed into a fantastic facility. Throughout Leitrim on a recent visit I saw former State properties that have been developed by groups such as that mentioned by Deputy Quaide, working in conjunction with the local authority. The first port of call for that group should be Cork County Council, so they can work together. It is exactly the type of scheme we want to see. When the community group works with the local authority they can define the ask and what the new building will look like.”
“The 2025 town and village renewal scheme is currently open and allows for the discreet purchase of land and buildings under the building and land acquisition measure, as well as wider project plans under the main scheme. In recent weeks I have visited a number of these projects throughout the country and I have seen the difference they are already making in towns and villages. This is only because they have the support of their local authorities and, in particular, the support of the local community within that town or village. They are community driven and community owned. When this community involvement is there, the project will be successful.”
“Since 2018, €588 million has been allocated to 243 projects throughout the country. Under the town and village renewal scheme, there is a specific building acquisition measure, which was introduced to support local authorities to acquire derelict or vacant buildings to allow for town regeneration. More than 50 properties have been purchased to date at a cost of €11 million. The main town and village renewal scheme has introduced a new option, which allows local authorities to acquire land to facilitate town regeneration. In addition, the main scheme has supported projects that bring vacant and derelict buildings back into use as multipurpose spaces through the purchase and renovation of vacant and derelict buildings.”
“I thank the Deputy. 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. Central to the town centre first approach is a range of capital support funding that includes the rural regeneration and development fund and the town and village renewal scheme. Both schemes facilitate the acquisition of buildings for community use and have already delivered landmark projects which tackle the issues Deputy Quaide referred to, such as vacancy and dereliction. The rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, allows for the purchase of land and buildings, and provides funding for the development and construction of large-scale capital projects in rural areas, villages and towns throughout Ireland.”
“We are supporting broadband connection points across the country, a major investment on the part of my Department in addition to the national broadband funding. Through Roinn na Gaeltachta, táimid ag cuidiú leis an údarás chun na haonaid Gteic a bhunú, the specific broadband hubs for Celtic areas, Gteic. There is a huge range of initiatives to invest in facilities. We have very much turned the corner on what the Deputy called austerity cuts by investing in rural communities. We are making major capital investments and increasing facilities. I am very focused on housing in rural communities as well.”
“We had a discussion on this with an Teachta McGuinness in our first question. We will work with the Minister, Deputy James Browne, on a range of initiatives on rural housing and increasing supply through local authorities, which have been asked to supply more land through the vacant homes scheme, which is opening up closed-up communities in many rural areas. In May 2024, my Department announced €164 million in funding for regenerating rural communities the length and breadth of Ireland and €20 million for the town and village renewal scheme. That is investment that is going into communities as we speak, including the smallest communities. Some €100 million through the community recognition fund is supporting many GAA clubs in improving the quality of their facilities. The Deputy spoke about remote working.”
“I will work with the uachtarán of the GAA and the national demographics committee as we frame a new rural future. I also encourage local clubs to work and participate in the consultation process, in particular those facing challenges. I look forward to inviting people to the national youth assembly on rural development because it is young people who are at the heart of many of these clubs. That meeting will take place at the end of September 2025 and will be part of the Our Rural Future consultation. I look forward to many GAA clubs sending delegates to that.”
“We can all quote facts. There is a challenge, and I know the challenge in my county. Nevertheless, the CSO figures show a 7% increase in population in highly remote areas between 2011 and 2022. The OECD figures show that many rural and remote areas in Ireland showed some of the highest population growths between 2001 and 2021 within the OECD. I accept that within those figures, there are anomalies and we need to focus on the reasons. We cannot ignore the investment that is happening through the rural regeneration and development fund, the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme and the town and village renewal scheme. In particular, the town and village renewal scheme has an element for local authorities to involve GAA clubs, which are in many cases the drivers as well as the identity point for many rural communities.”
“I am focused on working with clubs and an organisation that has a presence in every parish. It has a contact system that very few other organisations have. I am aware that in many areas we need a targeted approach. Some areas are doing well, but others are not. There was a 7% increase in population across the country between 2011 and 2022, but other areas show a large decline. I want to focus on that. While Our Rural Future is a broad document, I will also look for focused responses.”
“The ethos of these schemes is to put facilities into the kinds of small towns and communities the Deputy referenced. Through Our Rural Future, many GAA clubs have become involved in the consultation process that is under way. I will extend an invitation to the national demographics committee of the GAA to meet me with its proposals from clubs across the country. We are currently involved in public consultations and we have just finished an online consultation in that regard. In recent years, we have invested in the national broadband plan. We have made improvements in rural transport, something I have discussed with Deputy Wall, and we want to continue to do that. Through initiatives under, for example, the community recognition fund, we have made substantial investment in facilities in GAA clubs to make them even more attractive.”
“I thank the Deputy. I heard the report and have seen the work done by many county boards across the country, led by the uachtarán of the GAA. I am very much aware that the GAA works in communities locally and nationally to address this challenge, through its national demographics committee and each county demographic officer. As I said, Our Rural Future contains a wide range of measures that will ensure all rural areas are attractive and viable places for people to study, live, work and raise their families. Our Rural Future has had a number of significant funding investments in recent years, namely, the rural regeneration and development fund, the town and village renewal scheme and the outdoor recreation infrastructure scheme.”
“It makes specific interventions but does not shout about that. We may have to look at capturing that. I will consider the proposal.”
“As I said, it is not a specific focus, but it is very much part of SICAP's work through all its engagement with organisations. Many of the SICAP teams give specific local responses to specific situations and children or family situations in communities, depending on what they work with. They work closely with the Child and Family Agency and the area school completion units. That is one of the strengths of SICAP. It is local and targeted. As part of our overall response to the challenges of child poverty, I will examine how we can engage SICAP. We cannot do that without resourcing it more, and I acknowledge that we have to deliver that. We may ask SICAP to give us more measurement of what it is actually doing. It is doing phenomenal work in this space, a lot of it unseen, as all of us in the House know.”
“In this year's CLÁR 2 stream of funding, we will be looking at supporting organisations that are addressing that transport issue specifically. There is also greater flexibility and greater potential for Local Link to provide services in this space. I will work with my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, to ensure that Local Link is focused in the best way possible, working with the local development companies. Local Link has a very strong working relationship with local development companies in this space. We can fill gaps there using the Local Link provision as well.”
“With my other hat on, we are absolutely focused on those child poverty figures. I am not happy with them. We will be bringing forward a number of initiatives in this year's budget. The Deputy touched on something we need to do a lot more work on, namely, rural poverty, in particular, and hidden poverty. The area of transport is one the Deputy has identified. Under the current CLÁR initiative, we are supporting organisations to acquire vehicles. In the CLÁR 2 programme, which has just closed for applications, we will be looking at supporting organisations to get vehicles to provide rural transport, particularly in the education frame. We have done that over a number of iterations of that scheme. For those with special education needs and disabilities, transport in rural areas is particularly challenging for younger people and children.”
“In that context, services delivered through SICAP contribute directly and indirectly to addressing the priority areas identified by the Deputy, including income supports and joblessness, early learning and childcare, reducing the cost of education, addressing family homelessness and, in particular, integrating our public health and family support services. We will continue to support SICAP. We also provide support through the scheme to many national organisations providing specific local responses depending on the circumstances of a local area.”
“SICAP also features youth as a thematic focus area. It supports development of youth groups, arts and crafts, games, sports, etc. and, in particular, preventative early school leaving initiatives, youth-focused active citizenship and leadership programmes and mental health and well-being programmes. Targeted supports are provided in many SICAP areas for particular groups of young people in specific areas. Collaboration is a critical success factor for services delivered through SICAP. Local development companies that support the delivery of SICAP locally engage with agencies such as Tusla, children and young people's services committees and school completion officers to ensure that relevant and specifically targeted supports are provided for specific children in each community.”
“Within my Department, the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, is the primary social inclusion programme. It aims to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality in Ireland through supporting communities and individuals using community development approaches, engagement and collaboration. I thank and commend our SICAP teams all over the country for their work. Although addressing child poverty is not an explicit target of SICAP, services and supports are typically delivered to children experiencing poverty and disadvantage through other general target groups, including the heads of one-parent families, people experiencing educational disadvantage and those living in jobless households or households where the primary income source is low-paid or precarious.”
“We get a sense of the national planning framework now as local authorities are being invited to submit new proposals for housing in terms of rezoning land. I would also point to the vacant property refurbishment grant, which has opened up houses. The Deputy is a rural TD as well; he can see that houses that were closed for generations have been opened up. In Waterford City and County Council alone this year, 319 applications have been received to date, with 184 having been approved. That is people moving back into homes in areas that were closed for 20 or 30 years or even more. That shows it is a mix of new and existing stock. All of this is part of the work that is under way from the Department of housing in this space.”
“The year 2026 is very different from 2020, and there are huge opportunities we want to maximise as well as addressing the challenges. The opportunities are there, however. We want to take them and run with them.”
“I agree with the Deputy in many respects that there is a rural housing challenge. However, planning permissions have been granted for almost 6,000 one-off homes on average every year since 2020. Over 90% of those are built in rural settings. Within our Department, we have put in place a large number of policies to support the communities around that. Funding of €164 million for 30 rural regional regeneration development projects was announced in May 2024, an additional €20 million for town and village renewal and also €109 million for community centre investment. They are facilities that encourage and sustain communities. We will be working with the Minister, Deputy Browne. I look forward to engaging with Deputy McGuinness as urlabhraí Shinn Féin but also as a member of the committee with regard to what our rural future should look like.”
“We have had a number of public and stakeholder consultations on Our Rural Future policy. Of course, the issues of housing and the necessary infrastructure to support housing development for our rural communities have come up in those engagements. The new Our Rural Future policy will absolutely reflect the importance of rural housing and the many programme for Government commitments in this area. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Minister, Deputy Browne, and his officials but also with the House to provide maximum housing and, most importantly, sustainable communities in rural areas.”
“As part of my Department's role in overseeing the delivery of Our Rural Future, officials in my Department and I regularly engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I will formally meet the Minister, Deputy Browne, next week on a range of issues, including housing agus tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht freisin. This activity includes membership of the cross-departmental steering group on the national planning framework, engagement on the development and delivery of the Housing for All strategy and the delivery of initiatives under the town centre first policy, which is delivered jointly by our two Departments. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is also a key participant in the development of the new Our Rural Future policy, which will take effect from 2026.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht a cheist. Our Rural Future is the Government policy for sustainable rural development in Ireland, putting forward a vision for vibrant rural places that are attractive to people, particularly young people, who wish to study, live, work and raise their families in rural Ireland. More than 170 measures are outlined in the policy to support sustainable economic and social development and environmental and cultural well-being. The delivery of these measures is clearly cross-governmental, with a range of Departments contributing in their own areas of responsibility. In response to Deputy McGuinness's question on housing in rural areas, my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage holds policy responsibility.”
“Déantar leasuithe ar ailt den tAcht um Chosaint Sonraí, 2018 chun a chinntiú go bhfuil na cearta céanna ag iarrathóirí toghcháin Údarás na Gaeltachta agus atá ag iarrathóirí ar thoghcháin eile mar a bhaineann sé le rochtain a fháil ar shonraí ábhartha maidir le toghthóirí. Is rud caighdeánach é seo go mbeadh na sonraí seo ar fáil d’iarrthóirí in aon toghchán sa Stát agus mar sin molaim na leasaithe seo don Teach.”