Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Nov 2023

The local improvement scheme has been very successful in supporting rural communities to repair the key part of the road network, the first couple of hundred metres that people drive each morning and the last couple hundred metres that they travel on as they make it home at the end of the day. It is essential funding on a key part of the road network. Roads have taken a real hammering again with the weather over recent weeks. Is there a plan to release additional funding and improve that scheme so that this part of the road network can be repaired?

I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 12 together.

As part of Our Rural Future, the Government is committed to ensuring the LIS is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution the scheme makes to connectivity in rural areas.

LIS was reintroduced by my Department in 2017 following several years with no dedicated funding. Since then, almost €130 million has been allocated towards repair works on approximately 4,000 non-public roads and lanes, benefiting more than 16,000 landowners and residents in these rural areas. In 2023 alone, I allocated almost €30 million in funding for the scheme. This is the third consecutive year in which funding allocated to the scheme has increased. This reflects the priority that I have afforded to it in recent years.

My Department works closely with local authorities to ensure that allocations are fully utilised each year. While my Department funds LIS, it is administered by local authorities, which prioritise road projects and establish eligibility as per section 81 of the Local Government Act 2001. However, there is a waiting list of roads to be completed nationwide. Some 3,500 roads were listed as on hands by local authorities in June of this year. My officials continue to engage with local authorities on the management of this waiting list. For example, works completed under this year's scheme are not reflected as the end-of-year claims process is ongoing and lists across local authorities are not compiled in a uniform manner.

It is also important to note that not all these road projects can be delivered in the short to medium term. This arises for a variety of reasons, including the availability of contractors to undertake the work and the historical nature of some of the applications on hand.

Recent inclement weather has reminded us about the importance of measures to address the impact of flooding. While my Department is pleased to support efforts to ensure a high standard of roads in rural areas, primary responsibility for the upkeep and repair of public roads remains within the remit of the local authorities and the Department of Transport. Flood relief initiatives and associated schemes are funded via the Office of Public Works and local authorities. I have, however, instructed my officials to provide flexibility on completion dates for LIS works this year for those counties most impacted by flooding issues.

I have continued to engage with my colleague the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in an effort to secure further financial support for LIS from his Department. While the Department of Transport has not indicated that it will make a contribution to the funding of the scheme, I will continue to work with local authorities to ensure the scheme continues to deliver real benefits in rural communities throughout Ireland.

It was very welcome news when the scheme was reopened a number of years ago because it is a very practical scheme, supporting the rural road network. The conditions were modified at that point and they have caused a great deal of difficulty for some people. Even with a cluster of houses on a road there is a requirement for the landowners and herd numbers to be recorded as part of the application. That is not always practical because in some rural communities the land might be let, somebody might be in a nursing home or the neighbours may not see eye to eye. There are umpteen different reasons it may not be possible to get everybody on that road as part of the application. That impedes the application; it blocks them altogether. Is there a way of opening that out again so that the communities living on those roads would be able to have access to that vital funding?

By my estimation, almost one in five of those are in County Kerry. I constantly meet people who were down at 500 or 600 on the list. At the current rate of approximately 25 a year, the Minister and I will probably be long gone from this House by the time those roads are reached. Something needs to be done to address that. I drove around my own parish of Keel last weekend. I drove up a few little roads around Leasa Buí, Boolteens, Gortaneden and Caherfealane. Some of the roads are in dire condition. The people living on those roads work hard and pay their taxes, including their motor tax, but for some reason their roads are classified as non-council. They are public roads used by everybody else. They are used by An Post and other service providers but they are in dire condition. Some of those people are 400 or 500 on the list. It will be years before their roads are reached. The current system will not work for them.

It is an absolute disgrace that the Department of Transport is not chipping in to the fund. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has stepped up to the mark.

The Deputy is right that this year I allocated over €30 million. That is treble the funding that was available for the LIS a couple of years ago. Any time I find savings in my Department, the first place they go is into the LIS. That goes to show my commitment to the scheme. The Deputy knows himself that this scheme was previously funded by the Department of Transport, which has a very sizeable capital budget compared with my Department's. I believe the Department of Transport has a role to play here. If it were to start to provide matched funding, we could start to make real inroads into these waiting lists. I have raised this with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and have not made an awful lot of headway but I will keep trying. The Department of Rural and Community Development is not letting the side down. We have put over €130 million into the LIS since 2017. A lot of counties have their lists well down at this stage, but I accept that Kerry and Cork are big counties and need more.

Deputy Moynihan asked me about the eligibility criteria. I cannot start looking at that until I clear this backlog, and that is being straight with him. There is no point in making the list longer and longer. I will try to clear the backlog first, and then we can look at eligibility.

The recent storms have done so much damage to the rural road network, and right across the country various councils have been doing repair works. They have been applying for top-up funding to carry out those essential works. As regards the local improvement scheme, the council will not do any repair work on those roads at the end of the network. Those roads are just as likely to have taken the same hammering as any other roads around the county. There is an acknowledgment that there is a need for additional funding, and the local authorities have been applying for that. It would follow reasonable logic that additional funding would be made available for that part of the road network, that is, that last couple of hundred metres into people's homes. Irrespective of what badge is on it, whether the Department of Transport, the Department of Rural and Community Development or whoever else, can additional funding be made available for those roads in recognition of the huge damage flooding has done in so many areas?

Tá an scéim seo go han-tábhachtach do bhóithre áitiúla. Tá na daoine atá ina gcónaí ar na bóithre seo ag fanacht rófhada ar fad, go háirithe i gContae Chiarraí, in áiteanna cosúil le Corca Dhuibhne. Tá níos mó airgid ag teastáil uainn, agus caithfidh an Roinn Iompair airgead a thabhairt don Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail chun na bóithre seo a fheabhsú. Níl sé ceart go leor ar chor ar bith. Tá na daoine ag fanacht rófhada agus tá siad ag íoc a gcuid cánach ach níl na seirbhísí ag teacht ar ais. Caithfimid an córas seo a athrú agus caithfimid na bóithre seo a fheabhsú.

I have huge concerns about our minor rural roads in Carlow. I am working with a group of residents in Hacketstown, where there is one such minor road, a public road, that is absolutely unfit for purpose. I welcome the Minister's funding and I know her commitment, but we are now dealing with trees falling, we are dealing with huge climate change, we have flash flooding and we have drains that are blocked all the time. We are seeing this the whole time. I also ask that extra funding come to Carlow for these minor roads. We really need it. I believe we are not getting half as much as we should get.

I agree with what the Minister said that the Department of Transport should play a part in this. This is a huge issue across all counties, and I always feel the smaller counties such as Carlow are forgotten. I believe the Minister's commitment to this, but we have minor rural roads and laneways that really need to be done. They are really in a bad way.

The Minister was in the Cooley Peninsula and Carlingford recently. She saw some of the devastation there. We welcome the supports in the form of the humanitarian assistance fund and the emergency business flooding relief scheme. I hope there will be plenty of flexibility because sometimes we have more questions with every person we see.

Antóin Watters and I were at a meeting yesterday with some of the Minister's party colleagues and a great many farmers. There is a need for something specific for farmers. If we are talking about roads and roads infrastructure, and we have already seen the local authority do some sort of work, I imagine that an element of finance will be required from central government for that. A number of roads would have been dealt with under the local improvement scheme and have been absolutely devastated. We are talking about places that are absolutely impassable. In some cases, the locals have put in place stopgap measures, but we need to look at something specific. Everybody realises there will be huge assessment work done that will involve everyone from Irish Water to the local authorities right through to Coillte to make sure we can carry out what mitigations are necessary so we limit the devastation that may befall people into the future.

Mayo relies heavily on the local improvement scheme and we have a diverse road network like those of County Cork and County Kerry, and I am sure it is the same in the Minister's constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. This is a really important issue that councillors raise with Oireachtas Members. I support the call for the Department of Transport to match-fund any funding that is presented by the Department of Rural and Community Development. This needs to be addressed. Many residents in Mayo are in dire need of this scheme. We need to ensure that action is taken and that the required funding is delivered into each of the local authorities to deliver on this. Also, looking at the cost comparison between the local authority doing the work versus a private contractor doing it, it is extortionate in some local authorities when it goes out to tender. I ask that we also look at that.

I take every opportunity to put any extra resources I have in my Department into the local improvement scheme, and I will tell the House why. When I was growing up I lived on a lane that was one mile long and full of potholes. There was some scheme at that stage as well and eventually the lane got repaired, but I know what it is like. When you are on a bicycle trying to avoid potholes, it is not easy. I have continued to build on the investment we got then. In fact, since 2017, my Department, which is only a small Department, has provided €130 million. All I can say to the House is that the review of the national development fund will be coming up shortly and I will be looking to increase the funding for the LIS. It is €12 million for next year and, as I said, any savings I have had I have lorried into the local improvement scheme because nobody knows better than I do what it is like to live on a long lane. I know what it is like trying to get the milk lorry in to collect the milk and it not being able to get in. I understand, too, the difficulties presented by the flooding, and Deputy Ó Murchú will be glad to know I will be back up in Carlingford again tomorrow.

I was glad to visit there. What happened to the people of Carlingford was terrible. In fairness, my Department of Social Protection really stepped up to the plate and helped them in any way we could. That is what this Government is here to do. We are here to help people when they need help and we will continue to do that.

The town and village renewal scheme has played a crucial role in breeding new life into numerous towns and villages nationwide, and this transformation is particularly visible in my constituency of Mayo. In July of this year the Minister introduced the 2023 town and village scheme, which presents a significant opportunity for communities to secure investment in their local towns and villages. It also aligns with the Government's commitment to advancing rural Ireland as outlined in Our Rural Future. Will the Minister provide an update on the expected notification timeline for successful applicants on this scheme?

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 37 together.

Our Rural Future sets out the Government's vision for the future of rural Ireland, which recognises the vital role that vibrant and thriving rural towns and villages have to play.

With this in mind, I have put in place a range of capital investment schemes as part of my Department's rural development investment programme which rural communities can avail of. I was delighted to secure an overall rural development allocation of over €205 million as part of the recent budget 2024 process.

One of the key schemes in the rural development investment programme is the town and village renewal scheme. This scheme has proved very popular with communities in recent years and is one of a number of measures designated to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. Since its launch, over €156 million has been allocated to more than 1,700 projects supporting towns and villages the length and breadth of the country.

Each year, the priorities and focus of the scheme are reviewed to ensure that funding is targeted effectively to support vibrant and attractive communities and encourage people back to living in our rural towns and villages. This year's scheme has a renewed focus on town centre economic and social vibrancy. This will be achieved through projects focusing on town regeneration, enhancing streetscapes, town parks and recreational spaces, and bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as community multi-purpose spaces through refurbishment and renovation. It also has a specific focus on stimulating economic activity through, for example, providing support for town markets.

The town and village renewal scheme is administered through local authorities, which work closely with local communities and businesses to develop proposals that can make a lasting impact on rural towns and villages. This link between local authorities and communities is essential in developing projects that deliver on the real needs identified in towns and villages, thus helping us to maximise value for money from the investment of public funds.

The closing date for receipt of applications into my Department under the 2023 scheme was last Friday, 10 November, and the assessment process has now commenced. Funding under the scheme is awarded on a competitive basis, with all applications being assessed for suitability against scheme criteria and objectives. Other factors such as the geographical spread of projects will also be taken into account as part of the assessment process to ensure we can maximise the impact of this important funding. I expect to be in a position to announce the successful projects in quarter 1 of 2024 and I look forward to seeing a range of exciting and innovative projects that are selected this year for funding.

I appreciate the Minister's response and her hard work in securing the €205 million in budget 2024. Mayo County Council has shortlisted several projects of significant importance in the 2023 scheme and I brought one such project to the attention of the Taoiseach last week with regard to the urgent need of the Order of Malta in Castlebar to demolish and rebuild its headquarters. It has submitted a funding request of €500,000. This group has been serving the community in Castlebar for the past 80 years. Securing this funding would enable the order to hold more events, enhance its training facilities, maintain the highest standards possible and ensure its ambulances and critical equipment are available at all times, even during peak times.

Other projects which have been shortlisted include the renovation of Kilmaine's community centre. This very active community is seeking €125,000 to fund the upgrade of these facilities. I understand the Minister cannot make any commitment tonight but I urge her to consider the invaluable contributions of these communities when allocating funding to projects. Her support would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, I am substituting for Deputy Farrell. I thank the Minister for what she has done to date, including on the local improvement schemes. She has somehow found money and pumped it into the town and village renewal scheme, which is very important. I remember that in my time in the House between 2011 and 2016 one could not get a penny for anything like this. There was not even a remote chance of getting the type of funding that is now available.

In the summer, I looked at the broad range of criteria for the 2023 town and village renewal scheme. The Department has shown great initiative with regard to the number of projects and ideas which can be covered by the scheme. I want the Minister to ensure that as many projects as possible go through. Perhaps she can find additional funding to do that. We also need to ensure progress is made as quickly as possible on the schemes that have been announced previously. Some local authorities are better than others at progressing projects once the allocations have been made, while others are somewhat on the tardy side. We need to ensure people on the ground start to see the tangible benefits of this scheme as quickly as possible once the allocations have been made.

The closing date for the town and village renewal scheme was only last Friday. The Deputy is not letting any grass grow under his feet; he is in there already. My Department has received an application from the Order of Malta in Mayo for, I understand, around €475,000 to restore and renovate the order's headquarters in Castlebar. Obviously, those applications will have to be assessed. I expect it will be around March 2024 before decisions are taken because there are many applications to assess, as the Deputy will appreciate. I am generally very supportive of the Order of Malta because it does wonderful work on the ground. In recent years, my Department provided funding of €567,000 to the order nationwide to enable it to purchase vehicles. In Mayo, specifically, it received two grants of €50,000, in 2018 and 2020, respectively, to support it in purchasing two ambulances.

With regard to the Minister's support, last year another €1.1 million was delivered for seven projects under the Mayo town and village renewal scheme. I vividly recall the Minister visiting the old courthouse building in Balla with me during her visit to the Connacht Gaelic Athletic Association centre of excellence in the county where a big dome was delivered under the rural regeneration and development fund. There has been a sprinkle of projects delivered in all parts of Mayo and that has to be appreciated and acknowledged.

The development of the old courthouse is progressing in Balla and there is also an application for some solar panels as part of the refurbishment of the community centre. I believe an allocation of in the region of €100,000 is being sought for that project. The application has been progressed through the town's community resource development committee.

I commend Mayo County Council on its preparation of these applications and its work with the community. I know it is a competitive process and the evaluation will take a number of weeks, but I am hopeful that Mayo will have its fair share in 2024.

I hope there will be a few bob left over for Kerry after Mayo gets sorted out because covering all of those projects could blow the whole budget.

The importance of this scheme cannot overstated given that it would just not be possible otherwise to generate this type of finance in the towns and villages that benefit from it. Some relatively small villages are included and this investment can have a transformative effect in terms of the opportunities it provides in villages and towns. It is very much a catalyst for further development. It changes the mindset in a locality when investment led by the State and Government, both at local and national level, is targeted. It is very important that the Minister make the announcements as early as possible in the new year, in the first quarter if she can, because it will lead to further development and private investment, which will benefit everybody.

I agree that the town and village renewal scheme is excellent.

I sent the Minister Carlow County Council's one last weekend. Six projects went in. I hope she will deliver on the six of them because we are talking about rural areas. Like the previous speakers, I have my list. I gave her the six. I am afraid to single out any one in case one does not get funding. I am looking for the six of them to get the funding. I have sent them to the Minister. They are really important because in little villages like those in Carlow, it brings back life into certain areas and that is what we need to do.

I ask the Minister about something she mentioned earlier on but I missed it. I know it is within her remit. I refer to Carlow library. I have been onto her about it for the past few months. It is under her remit and she has been down to visit it. We need that new build and I am looking for a commitment from her. I am looking for the funding to come to County Carlow and I would appreciate it.

I will be like the Minister with the loaves and fishes but we will do our best. This town and village renewal scheme really is working well. I remember when it started in 2016, we started by fixing the footpaths but we have really moved on now. We have all that and the public realm piece sorted. Now we are looking at the buildings and at converting old buildings. For example, in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim, a former bakery was purchased for €270,000. Under the scheme in 2023, an application of €495,000 for the renovation of the building was received. The building is to comprise meeting and workshop space for groups such as Active Age for All, faith and community groups, and it is also going to look after a space for the youth. There are loads of things happening. That is only one example. I could give loads of examples across the country. I was in Balla and it got €120,000 under the town and village scheme last year. I know they are doing a lot of work there. County Mayo will get its fair share, County Carlow will get its fair share, and so will County Kerry. They will all get their fair share.

If they do not get it under that scheme, there is another, which only opened last Friday, and that is the rural regeneration development fund. Deputy Murnane O'Connor should consider that fund for a new library because I opened a beautiful library in Castleblaney last Friday. It would do your heart good to see it because there was an old building there. There was ivy and trees growing out of it and it was in the middle of the town. Deputies should see it now. It is absolutely transformed. That is what we are about. It is about repurposing old buildings in the centre of towns.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Our Rural Future scheme recognises the opportunity for rural rejuvenation that remote working presents and commits to establishing an integrated national network of 400 remote working hubs by 2025. I am pleased that we are well on our way to meeting this commitment. There are now 330 hubs onboarded to the connectedhubs.ie platform and this number is growing all the time.

The initial focus of the connected hubs initiative was on establishing the network and achieving this initial critical mass, underpinned by significant levels of investment by my Department. The connected hubs voucher scheme was launched in June 2022. It was designed to encourage those who had never used a hub to try it out for free. A total of 7,867 connected hubs vouchers have been redeemed across the connected hubs network as a direct result of the initiative. The feedback received from across the hubs sector on this initiative was extremely positive, and I am happy that it has made a real impact in making people more aware of the huge benefits of using our network of remote working hubs.

Following strong progress on both the establishment and the awareness-raising phase of the project, my focus has since shifted to the next stage of development. Through the work of the interdepartmental steering group for the national hub network, my officials are working on a new strategy which will set out a future direction for the network in the coming years. This strategy will, inter alia, help inform future decisions on possible approaches to support funding for hubs and enable a coherent approach to planning and investment in the hub sector. I am a firm believer that remote working has been a game-changer for rural Ireland, and that the network of remote working hubs my Department is putting in place will help to ensure we can continue to take advantage of all the benefits that it brings.

I firmly believe the voucher scheme for remote workers, and what I would have classed as the hot deskers across Ireland, was hugely important. I know this from talking to people. That is why I wanted to ask whether there was any chance it could be brought back. It presents an opportunity for rural Ireland in particular, and for Carlow where I always promote it. A hub like this gives a huge presence within an area. The voucher played a huge part in this. As the Minister knows, when people are going in to a hub to work, they go in next door to buy a breakfast roll or a cup of coffee and they go across to maybe get some petrol or diesel. Where there is a hub, there is always more footfall and that is important. I am sure there is nobody more aware of the cost of living than the Minister and this incentive would be really important to keep if possible. I acknowledge she has moved on to a new strategy, which I welcome, but many people really welcomed the scheme and said it was a really good one.

It was my idea to do this voucher scheme because we wanted to get bums on seats. We wanted to introduce people to the hubs and make them aware of them. It worked well because now we have nearly 75% occupancy in our remote working hubs. The voucher scheme was probably of its time and I want to look forward now because I want to consider sustainability into the future. I know costs are rising and that some of the hubs may need some support to run them and to provide the facility. We will examine all the options. The Deputy is absolutely right. Remote working is good for rural communities. It increases the footfall in the towns. It is good for the work-life balance and for the environment with less time spent commuting. All in all, I am a great supporter of the remote working hubs. When we consider the new strategy, we will see how we can make it even stronger. We know ourselves that there is many the person who spends three days at home and two days commuting and the remote working hub is far healthier for people than sitting at a kitchen table.

As the Minister said, it is really good. It is even great for the climate because there is less traffic on the road and people are nearer to where they can work. I welcome this and the fact the hubs are doing so well and are being used. They are really positive for rural Ireland. Working with the Minister, I am always promoting broadband or different connections because it is important that everyone has proper connections.

I have something to ask the Minister before she goes because I may not get to see her. I met with a group of people today from St. Catherine's Community Centre in Carlow. It is under the Minister's remit. She will be well aware of the moving on learning for everyday life programme. It has been under threat due to the activation and family support programme funding being denied. I am really worried about this. St. Catherine's is a great community centre. Will the Minister look into it for me to see if she can get me the funding? If the community centre does not get the funding, it will be really serious. Its representatives are looking for a meeting with the Minister but I met with them today. I say it to the Minister while I have her in the Chamber.

Yesterday, I listened in to the Western Development Commission meeting, which recently had research completed by the University of Galway where 44% of respondents said that remote working was key to their future employment. Remote working and the hubs have been a game-changer, especially in rural Ireland. It has repopulated many towns and villages. In a relatively short time, when Covid-19 hit us, we had a huge migration of people from our major cities or from across in the UK or Australia or America moving back home, being able to work within their locality, and making huge life choices for the benefit of their kids and family. This was a result of the Minister's policy and the swiftness of the connected hubs scheme and those who delivered it.

I know one man, Stephen Carolan, who was project manager for many of them and with whom I am familiar. He was essential to that, along with his team. I commend the connected hubs and the national hub network team on their delivery.

I thank Deputy Dillon. As he knows, during the Covid pandemic, I was the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, then moved into the rural community space. I was absolutely committed to remote working because I could see it was going to change rural Ireland, and it did change it. We asked the Western Development Commission to roll out the connected hubs platform and it has been working hard on that. It has been doing that and working on our behalf. We fund it to do that work. I have to say it is useful. Some of the surveys and findings are very interesting. We are ahead of the curve compared with other countries. The OECD singled us out as being among the best countries for our remote working policy. We have an offering that is probably ahead of many countries. When investors are looking at this country, employers do not have to look at one place. They can look all across the country because we have the network of hubs. Many multinationals use our hubs as spaces for their staff. I have met people who work for multinationals. I was in Abbeyshrule and a few different places. I cannot remember them all. They are working for international companies. Is that not just wonderful? People are living in rural Ireland and contributing to the locality.

With regard to St. Catherine's, I am not sure. Deputy Murnane O'Connor will have to give us more detail. We are not sure on that.

This question is on the same topic. Will the Minister advise on the recent engagement her Department has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on remote working to support rural workers and communities in view of the recent passing of legislation that would provide a legal right to promote working, and will she make a statement on the matter?

The right to request remote working has been integrated into the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, and under the Act allows all employees a right to request remote working. This important legislation is one of a number of steps taken by this Government to support and empower remote workers who can support vibrant, inclusive and sustainable rural communities. Accordingly, under Our Rural Future, my Department has invested in co-working hubs across the country and is leading the development of the national hub network and its online platform, connectedhubs.ie.

The national hub network interdepartmental group was established in 2020 and arose from intensive engagement between my Department and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the subject of remote working at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Made up of a number of Government Departments and public bodies, this group is focused on ensuring the critical infrastructure needed to support remote workers is available across the country. On foot of that group’s co-operation, a nationwide network of 330 hubs is now established, with at least 400 expected by 2025. In addition, officials at my Department, in conjunction with colleagues from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are leading on the formulation of a national hub strategy, which will set out a future direction for the national network of hubs, incorporating enterprise, remote working and community services at hubs across the country. I and my colleagues in government remain committed to ensuring that remote working will continue to deliver real benefits for people all across the country, as envisaged in Our Rural Future.

I am happy to hear of the Minister's fulsome support for remote working and people working from home. The committee was recently on Arranmore during a visit to the islands. It was incredible to hear that, at one stage, there were only two remote workers on the island. That has increased due to the hub and due to improved broadband, which is critical. Our committee is looking at rural broadband in the morning. Twenty-seven people are now working from home on the island, which is really welcome. I have a note of caution and worry about some companies. I am hearing more and more about people being requested, asked or forced back into their offices on occasions when they would like to work from home and work remotely more. Does the Minister believe the legislation is strong enough to protect workers and to make it easier for people to work from home?

The legislation has gone through. It is about how we can encourage people to do remote working. The best place is in remote working hubs. Employers know that. They are in a safe environment. There is good security. In these remote working hubs, there are good firewalls in place. People can have separate rooms if they need confidentiality. We will have our second ever national hub summit in Tullamore, County Offaly, next Wednesday, 22 November. It follows on from last year's event, which was in Athlone. These are the issues that I think we can discuss at the summit. We will bring businesses, the hub managers and the policymakers from across the hub sector to map out a future strategic direction of the national hub network and, through the work of the interdepartmental steering group for the national hub network initiative, my officials, in conjunction with colleagues from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are working on the new strategy. Again, it is about everybody working together, and trying to allay fears, because maybe some people are not comfortable and want people in the office. Talking with Grow Remote, it is wonderful at promoting remote working.

We need to continuously review the use of remote hubs and whether usage is increasing, with more people signing up to them and using them regularly. That will give an indication of how strong the legislation is to protect workers and to enable them to work from the remote hubs or if they wish to work from home. I think there will be a mixture, as we go forward, of people working from home, in hubs and in their offices where they would normally work. On the issue of collaboration and people working together, there is no doubt that there will be times when people have to be in the office, including for supporting new employees and training, which is important. We need to keep a close eye on this. The best way we can do that is through the hubs and their usage. Will there be a review in maybe a year's time so that we can look at the data coming back from those? That would give us a good indication.

There is about 74% occupancy in the hubs at the minute. The strategy will look at how we can strengthen the hubs and maybe how they can get further occupancy. Some of them will need money to keep them running and I want to support them in that too. We have the infrastructure. We need to make sure we maximise their use and use them as effectively as possible for the benefit of communities. We are liaising with Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. We work closely with Grow Remote. Remote working hubs have turned into landing spaces for companies that want to set up in Ireland. I have one really good example, which is a remote working hub in Cavan. PublicRelay is a US company. I met it a long time ago when I was in New York. It decided to locate to Ireland. Some of its staff are working in the remote working hub in Cavan and others are working in Dublin. There are 25 jobs in Cavan from that foreign direct investment, which is a lot of jobs. We can look forward to more opportunities in the hubs across the country, which will bring that vibrancy and life back into rural Ireland.

Across Mayo, one prevalent issue concerning our town playgrounds is their maintenance. Over time, after several years of use, the equipment and surfaces within many playgrounds deteriorates and sometimes poses safety hazards. As a young father, I spend much time in playgrounds with my two-year-old and three-and-a-half-year-old. A dedicated grant scheme would ensure that our playgrounds are consistently maintained to the highest standard. I ask the Minister to consider such a grant scheme.

The Department recognises the importance of playgrounds in communities throughout Ireland and applications for the delivery and upgrade of playgrounds are welcome under a number of schemes operated by the Department. The Department's funding for playgrounds is provided primarily through the CLÁR programme. However, funding is also available under the town and village renewal scheme, the LEADER programme and the community enhancement programme.

The CLÁR programme provides funding for small-scale projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation. Since the programme was relaunched in 2016, it has supported a wide range of measures, including investment in playgrounds. This includes Keel community playground in Mayo, which was allocated €50,000 for upgrade works in 2021. The Department's town and village renewal scheme also provides funding avenues, with playground facilities often forming part of wider amenity projects put forward for funding.

Support under the LEADER programme is provided under a broad range of themes, including the rural infrastructure and social inclusion theme. Funding for playgrounds may be available under this theme. Prospective applicants should, in the first instance, contact their relevant local action group to discuss the eligibility of the project and the funding that may be available.

The Department already provides significant funding towards the establishment and improvement of playgrounds throughout the country and we intend to continue to do so. These are vital community spaces for children and parents, and the Department has the schemes and funding in place to support their continued development. There are a number of schemes under which playgrounds should be able to avail of funding. They can avail of the town and village scheme if they are not in CLÁR areas. For those in CLÁR areas up to €50,000 is available through this fund.

I thank the Minister for her response. In my county there is a challenge with maintaining our playgrounds. Certainly the local authority responds differently to the schemes in place. We have difficulty with the upkeep. We have had an influx of playgrounds in recent years. Mayo has one of the highest number of playgrounds in the country, which is good news, but it is very important that the community is supported in maintaining a sense of pride to ensure it can draw visitors and tourists.

Some local communities come to us looking for support for their playgrounds. It is difficult at times to allocate funding from an annual scheme. It is widely recognised that families spend a lot of time in playgrounds. There are added benefits to this with regard to physical well-being and physical activity. While I understand schemes are in place, local authorities need to be better informed and instructed in how to access the funding.

I thank Deputy Dillon and point taken. The Department's approach to funding schemes allowed local communities to identify the types of projects of most benefit to them and to seek support for their development. This is not always with regard to new playgrounds. As Deputy Dillon said, sometimes we need to upgrade playgrounds. I have to say when I was first Minister with responsibility for rural affairs back in 2016 I saw an application coming in from Cavan County Council for an adult playground in Drumgoon. I wondered what they were doing but on further examination I discovered it was exercise equipment for older people. There you go. There are all sorts of playgrounds out there and they are all to benefit the community. That is what it is about at the end of the day.

I thank the Minister. Mayo County Council has in the past made applications for funding but if we look at the number of playgrounds that need refurbishment and enhancements, I suggest that we should have a dedicated programme in place that would not only be designed to maintain inclusive and accessible equipment for children of all abilities but would also ensure that local authorities know the places in most need of playgrounds and could submit applications on their behalf. Funding is difficult for some local authorities to access and it is difficult for communities to make applications. Perhaps some sort of information campaign in this regard, to inform communities on how better to access this funding, would be very useful.

I thank Deputy Dillon. There is the community enhancement programme, of course. This provides small capital grants to community groups to enhance their facilities, including playgrounds in disadvantaged areas. Funding is allocated by the Department to each local authority. The local community development committee, with support from the local authority, administers the funding.

We also have the community recognition fund. In May the Department approved €50 million for more than 880 projects. This fund is specifically targeted at projects located in communities and identified by communities, and in towns and villages hosting beneficiary temporary protection and-or international protection applicants.

There are many funds out there and Mayo County Council needs to get its applications in. As I said to a boy one time when he asked me how come he got no money, I asked him whether he had put in an application and when he said he had not I said if you do not put in an application you do not get money. That is it. Sin é.

I thank Deputy Moynihan for the question. The Department is responsible for the senior alert scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.

The current version of the scheme came into effect in September 2021. Along with the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements, it introduced a new key feature in the additional option of a digital alarm for use with web-based connections.

Initial discussions have taken place between officials from the Department and the Department of Health to consider the potential role of the seniors alert scheme as part of the increased use of assistive technologies aimed at supporting people to continue to live independently within their communities.

The scheme is administered by Pobal with the support of approximately 650 registered local community and voluntary groups. This community element is central to the success of the scheme, helping to address concerns around social isolation in our older people.

In addition, a national publicity campaign will be launched shortly to further raise awareness around the scheme and encourage families and individuals to avail of this potentially lifesaving equipment. While the campaign will have a national reach, it will have a particular focus on the regions with low uptake and will avail of the most recent census data in this regard.

The senior alert scheme is also part of the annual Be Winter Ready campaign, ensuring communities take all the steps necessary to be prepared for severe weather conditions.

The senior alert scheme alarm is a lifeline for participants and their families, providing much needed reassurance that help is available in the event of an emergency. I am committed to ensuring it keeps supporting our elderly citizens who need it most.

Many volunteer groups, such as Pobal ar Aire in Cúl Aodha and Kilnamartyra and community alert schemes in areas such as Clondrohid use the senior alert scheme to support older people and vulnerable people in their communities. They have done great work in delivering peace of mind and practical support to people. There are areas where a phone signal is not available. There are homes that do not have a landline. Other people have broadband available to them. The Department is using some additional technologies and this is positive.

Is there a plan in place, though, to ensure that telephone blackspots, those places where the telephone will not be available, will also be able to avail of peace of mind and be safe places for people with these monitors? Is the Minister of State considering the option of rolling this out so people can freely go about their homes and outside as well and get the maximum benefit of technology to deliver peace of mind and a sense of safety in those blackspots where the telephone signal is not so strong?

We are very interested in finding out where these blackspots are. We want everyone who wishes to avail of the senior alert scheme, SAS, to be able to access it. As I said, we will be pushing it out under a new advertising scheme coming out soon. We are also looking at counties with a low uptake as well. It is my understanding that once people have a landline connection they have access to this scheme. My own late mother used to use it. She never had to use it, although she used it accidentally a couple of times. She realised then that it worked and it provided great peace of mind. I am, therefore, very aware of its value. We are very eager to reach people who want to avail of the scheme but who perhaps do not think they can get it. On the technological side of things, my understanding is that we can reach everyone who wants it, based on the technology we have now. There are potential future uses as well for a kind of monitoring scheme, but this goes beyond the core aim of the senior alert scheme, which is basically to connect people who are isolated to the wider community.

Looking at the demographics, clearly, we are living longer and healthier lives. There are increasing numbers of older people and likely to be increased demand for this scheme in future. In north-west Cork, the population aged over 65 is that bit greater than the rest of the country, so we expect there would be even greater demand in our community. We wish to try to establish if the Department is making it increasingly available to more people. Is the capacity in this regard being increased so more people can apply for and have these senior alert alarms and the security that goes with them? I refer to ensuring the availability of this scheme in some places where previously there were strong community groups able to work on a scheme like this and deliver it in the community, but where some of those groups are not there all the time. It is necessary to reach back and reinvigorate those community groups as well. They are a vital link in this regard and this must also be addressed.

The senior alarm scheme is absolutely excellent. I do, though, have two concerns. One is that there is a need to undertake an awareness campaign. I am shocked at the number of older people who do not know about the scheme. I am glad the Minister of State said he has seen where it needs to be more accessible. Most of the older people I know have great faith in this alarm. It is like a little red button on your arm. I know so many people who have it. Again, as I said, there are also many people who are not aware of it.

The second aspect, and I would like this to be addressed in the awareness campaign, arises from confusion regarding landlines and mobiles. I say this because many people, and older people in particular, do not have landlines anymore. This is great. Many of them have mobile phones. I think, though, there was confusion about the two phones. Perhaps the Minister of State needs to clarify these issues. It is a great scheme and needs to be promoted more. In rural areas, like County Carlow, and other areas like that, this scheme has been greatly beneficial for the community.

I thank both Deputies. We have more than 600 community groups around the country helping us to find people, but we need more. We need everyone to be on board to find people. The key part of this scheme is that it is a connection to people's wider community as well. This is why these community groups are invaluable.

I will comment on the availability of the alarm. There are three versions of the base unit. The version selected depends on the available telecoms equipment in the participant's home.

One is a landline alarm, which is installed when the participant has a standard telephone line. The second option is a broadband alarm, which is installed when the participant has a broadband line. The third alarm is the GSM version, which is installed when the participant does not have a standard telephone or a broadband line. This latter unit works off the mobile phone as well.

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. It supports the Our Rural Future vision for a thriving rural Ireland which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development.

The town centre first national office is key to the success of the policy. It supports town regeneration officers, funded by my Department, in all relevant local authorities in driving implementation at a local level. My Department officials collaborate closely with the national office. My Department is also supporting the development of town centre first plans which will help rural towns identify viable projects in their area.

Central to the town centre first approach is the range of support funding in place, including my Department’s rural regeneration and development fund, RRDF, and the town and village renewal scheme, which both aim to prioritise addressing vacancy and dereliction throughout rural Ireland.

I announced the next RRDF category 1 call for applications on Friday last, with a focus on revitalising our rural towns and villages, in line with the town centre first policy. I expect to see applications developed for the fund that will drive greater economic activity and footfall, address vacancy and dereliction and ensure the re-use of heritage and other existing buildings.

In July 2023, I announced funding of €15 million for this year’s town and village renewal scheme. This year's scheme is designed to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland. The closing date for applications was last Friday, 10 November 2023, and the assessment process has now commenced. I expect to announce the successful projects in the first quarter of 2024.

My Department remains committed to the success of the town centre first policy to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages as set out in the Our Rural Future policy.

There is €115 million for regeneration projects across rural towns. How much of this has been spent? Additionally, I refer to the total of three buildings up to a total grant of €500,000. Local authorities have now been informed of the successful applications under this measure. Can we get details of these properties? Could we seek an update on the scheme designed to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland to support activities such as projects focusing on town centre regeneration, enhancing streetscapes and bringing vacant and derelict buildings back into use as community multipurpose spaces through refurbishing and renovation?

This is what we are trying to do. We are working with the local authorities and the town centre first town regeneration officers to identify these properties. For example, I was in Castleblayney on Friday and there is a brand new library in that town. It is in an old building that has been restored. An annex has been added on to it which is brand-new. The library is now a combination of the old and new, and it really will bring footfall into the centre of that town. There are also so many examples of really good projects right across the country in the context of the town and village scheme and the rural regeneration fund.

For example, in Edgeworthstown in County Longford, a former public house was purchased under the buildings acquisition measure, costing €125,000. Under the 2023 town and village renewal scheme, an application has been received for €275,000 for the renovation of the building to allow it to be converted into a charity shop and social enterprise to provide a vital asset to the community, while supporting community projects.

There are loads of ideas out there. I want people in communities to engage with their local authority, to engage with their town centre first officer and put forward their proposals. They know best what they need for their areas.

Our charity sector is an important and valued part of Irish society, playing an integral role in the provision of services to our communities. With over 11,500 charities on the Charities Register, the work of the Charities Regulator is also vitally important. The aim of the charities (amendment) Bill is to improve the ability of the regulator to conduct its statutory functions, providing greater transparency, clarity and fairness in the regulation of charities, leading to greater public trust and confidence in the sector. It is important that we strike the right balance between necessary regulation and proportionate governance, ensuring a reasonable and fair approach is at its core.

Further to its publication in April 2022, the general scheme of the Bill underwent pre-legislative scrutiny in the third and fourth quarters of last year. Pre-legislative scrutiny provided a great opportunity to discuss and examine the potential impacts of the proposed Bill. I have considered carefully the recommendations of the committee and have taken into account those areas requiring greater clarification and further consideration. As well as working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in drafting these amendments, my officials have also continued to work closely with the Charities Regulator and have engaged with counterparts across government and the sector itself. I intend to have a finalised Bill for the consideration of Cabinet in the very near future. It is on my agenda every week to keep the pressure on and it is moving. I hope to be more specific very soon, rather than saying "in the near future". It is in the very near future that I hope this will be going to the Government. I also acknowledge the Deputy's repeated questions on this matter, which I appreciate because it helps us keep the pressure and attention on it.

I welcome the fact that it is coming in the near future. I hope that is, as the Minister of State says, the very near future. This is one of those extremely important pieces of legislation. We spent a lot of time at the committee on pre-legislative scrutiny. It was really interesting. It was one of the more interesting committees I have been involved in because there was some brilliant collaboration between all the parties and between the Charities Regulator as well in terms of trying to get this right. That is the important thing. The reason it is important to get it right is because the reputation of charities is extremely important. Some have gone through some difficulties in recent years and it has damaged the reputation of charities but they do incredible work on the ground. They do everything from health to drug support, rehabilitation and housing. There is such a wide variety of work charities do and it is so important. We need to get this right. Even if it took a little longer, that would be fine. Once we get this right, we need to get it across the line because it is an extremely important sector.

I will take the opportunity, and it is very relevant to the Deputy's question, to acknowledge the fact that this is this is Charity Trustees' Week. It is a week of acknowledging and recognising the efforts of over 76,000 volunteers who are trustees of Ireland's 11,500 registered charities. There is an extensive calendar of events this week organised in partnership with Boardmatch Ireland, Carmichael, the Charities Institute Ireland, Dóchas, Pobal, Volunteer Ireland and The Wheel. As well as celebrating the work of charity trustees, this week's events are designed to provide support and insights to help trustees fulfil their roles and responsibilities, which is also a focus of the forthcoming charities Bill. The events are open to members of the public who want to learn more about the important role of charity trustees in Ireland's charities and how they can get involved. A key event as part of this week is the Good Governance Awards, organised by Carmichael. These awards seek to acknowledge, encourage and promote good governance practices in the area of annual reports and other areas of good governance practice and to support and encourage the non-profit sector to use its annual reports and financial statements to showcase its embracement of, and adherence to, good governance.

I commend anybody who is involved in boards. I have been involved in boards and I am sure many of us have been involved in charities and boards for many years. Governance is something we look at and there are more policies coming at us every year but it is important that governance is seen as a top priority for every charity. One wrong move can really damage the incredible work that goes on on the ground. I commend everybody who is involved and it is the week for it. It is important that we acknowledge everybody who has been involved and continues to be involved. I would encourage anybody who is thinking of getting involved in a board to do so because it is extremely rewarding. It is tough and hard but it is extremely rewarding. You see the effects on people. I am involved in a drugs and rehabilitation project and you see people coming through recovery. It is the best thing in the world when you see that happening.

I echo the Deputy's sentiments, thanks and acknowledgement of the work of trustees. With this Bill coming forward, we are seeking to create an environment where trustees feel assured as they are carrying out their duties and where people are willing and confident to volunteer to become trustees in the first instance. It will further enhance and empower both existing and potential trustees by giving greater clarity in respect of roles and responsibilities. In many cases, the Bill will ease the administrative burden on smaller charities. The general scheme contains a number of amendments related to charity trustee duties. It is very important to distinguish and clarify that these are not new or additional duties. They are a statement of the duties to which charity trustees are already subject under common law. By including them in statute, the regulator can raise awareness among charity trustees and achieve greater compliance by reference to the law. In the week that it is, I acknowledge and thank all the trustees across the country for their work, which often goes unacknowledged and unseen.

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As the Deputy will be aware, access between the islands and the mainland is the most fundamental requirement for those living on our offshore islands and is a lifeline for island communities. Access impacts on every aspect of island life, including health and welfare services, education, employment, social and family life and business. Affordable, frequent and safe transport services by both sea and air, as well as safe piers and airstrips, are vital to island communities. They provide links to the mainland without which islanders could not survive. Cargo services are also essential, bringing supplies to the islands, as well as transporting commercial products from the islands to markets on the mainland and beyond.

Physical connectivity to the mainland depends on the availability of safe harbours both on the islands and on the mainland. Notable improvements have been made over the years through State investment in major pier construction projects, though work is needed on other piers over the coming years. The Government has given a commitment in Our Living Islands, the national islands policy and action plan which I launched this summer, to continue to invest in piers serving our islands. This consists of the priority major infrastructure projects funded through the national development plan, which includes pier developments on Inis Oírr and Inis Meáin, County Galway, and at Machaire Rabhartaigh, County Donegal, serving Toraigh.

In addition, my Department will continue to fund an annual programme of minor capital works on the islands to be delivered in conjunction with the relevant local authorities. This work programme includes, among many other works, investment in piers and repairs to slipways. We have given almost €7.7 million to local authorities for repairing and upgrading 26 piers on or serving our islands over the past ten years. Details in relation to the breakdown of this funding will be provided to the Deputy on the Dáil record.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Piers that have been upgraded with funding from the Department over the past ten years:

Donegal: Inis Oirthir; Toraigh; Machaire Rabhartaigh; Árainn Mhór; Island Roy; Gabhla.

Mayo: Inishturk; Doran’s Point; Clare Island; Roonagh; Inis Bigil; Inishlyre; Inish More; Ballycroy; Newport; Kildavnet; Cé Bheag.

Galway: Inis Mór Árainn; Inis Meáin; Inis Oírr.

Cork: Sherkin; Heir Island; Cléire; Bere Island; Dursey; Long Island.

Very briefly, can the Minister tell me exactly when we are going to get the contract signed for Inis Oírr? A detailed study was done with huge delay, and presumably quite considerable costs, by the National Maritime College of Ireland in Cork regarding Inis Meáin.

Will the Minister give an update on the outcome of that study and where we are in progressing piers in Inis Meáin. The Minister mentioned Machaire Rabhartaigh. Will she give an update on the position of that? Finally, I notice Roonagh pier is not mentioned. It is highly dangerous and needs major investment. It serves both Inisturk and Clare Island. Something urgently needs to be done there before someone loses their life.

Regarding Inis Meáin and Inis Oírr, in July 2023 I gave approval to issue a request for tender for the development of the Inis Oírr pier and Galway County Council is currently undertaking the process. I am determined it will be completed and that we will be in position to appoint a contractor in the first half of 2024. It is my understanding that officials from Galway County Council are preparing the necessary documents to appoint consultants to assist in preparing a preliminary business case. This is required under the public spending code in order to look at all possible options for providing safe harbour facilities on Inis Meáin. My Department and Galway County Council, which meet every fortnight, agree that there will be clear engagement with island representatives and the independent consultants who are appointed to ensure the entire community has input into the process. I assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to engage with the local authority to ensure the process is progressed as quickly as possible.

As part of the review of the national development plan, the island strategy will not be found wanting. I know it has taken some time, but I am committed to moving it on as quickly as we can because a lot of work was done. I am glad we have eventually reached this stage, but we need to move it on. I accept that.