2026-03-26

9. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht for an update on current rural regeneration and development fund projects in Cork county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22797/26]

The rural regeneration and development fund is the major capital investment programme to support large-scale ambitious projects to achieve sustainable economic and social development in rural areas. To date, the fund has allocated over €614 million to 273 projects across the country, which includes over €43 million since 2018 allocated to 27 projects located throughout County Cork. These projects are being delivered by the local authority and other publicly funded bodies including our local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta. Ten of the 27 projects have been completed in County Cork to date. Examples include the first phase of the Kanturk regeneration plan and the Ballydesmond village public realm and place-making enhancement project. There are 17 active RRDF projects, which includes four projects in Castletownroche, Crosshaven, Skibbereen and Fermoy, which were successful in the latest category 2 call for proposals announced in October 2025. Last month, we were delighted to announce a call for proposals for category 1 applications. This call will focus on strategic, large-scale build projects that are ready to commence. These projects must have a lasting impact on the towns and villages and deliver on the objectives of Our Rural Future, which is our rural policy. We are inviting applications for well-developed proposals from our local authorities and other State-funded lead bodies that work in partnership with local communities and stakeholders. Full details of the call are available on my Department's website.

I thank the Minister. It is great to see that more than €43 million has been invested in 27 projects across County Cork to date since 2018 when the RRDF came into existence. There have been many in my area, as the Minister of State outlined. The first one was the Kanturk relief road, which was funded many years ago in 2018 and 2019 and has provided a great opportunity for the town to enhance. It has allowed the new national school to open up and has allowed the lands across the relief road to open up to development. It has made a huge difference to the mart, which is located on that road. Likewise, in Ballydesmond in north Cork there is a fantastic public realm project and a pocket park being opened for the community. It was great to see former Deputy, Heather Humphreys there when she was Minister to officially open it. We look forward to the Minister, with the Minister of State, visiting many projects across Cork North West and the Cork county in the coming years. It is also important to outline that category 1 proposals are also coming up and there is no doubt projects will emerge from north Cork and Cork North West during that time.

I thank the Deputy for that overview. I acknowledge that Cork County Council and the team that deals with our Department's delivery of projects, is one of the stronger performing local authorities. The delivery by our partners on the ground can be a frustration generally in relation to RRDF. It is not in Cork. To that effect, we are engaging with local authorities and delivery bodies around the country on delivery of RRDF projects. As we have an open call, the advice needs to go out. It is all very well preparing an application. We have been having the discussion this morning about the pressures of preparing an application. We also have to be able to deliver the application if it is successful. We are engaging with local authorities on that. We may have to make some tough calls on projects that have been on the books a long time. I have funding for counties such as Cork, which are hungry and anxious to succeed. I encourage every Deputy, particularly those in rural areas, to engage with the current call and with information programmes on that. There may be communities that want to engage in a major programme and the facilities are there to do that. I also thank the Deputy for his support and for the committee's support for these projects. It is important that we have cross-party support. We get that from the committee.

It is great to see collaboration between the Minister's Department and Cork County Council and an acknowledgement that we are hungry for more. We will always accept more money when it is available. I am sure there will be applications for the category 1 call. I am sure the 17 active projects under way in Cork county will be completed as quickly as possible. I will mention one, which is the Charleville RRDF project. Over €6 million was allocated for that project and it is finally coming to the stage where we are starting the first phase of that shortly. I look forward to the Minister's continued engagement with his Department, Cork County Council and me as a public representative from that area to push that project forward. It is in a number of phases. There is a town centre refurbishment. There is public realm. There is allocation of public toilets and there is also a redevelopment of the courthouse in Charleville. It is a wonderful project for the town and the highest ever allocation for a town like Charleville to get €6 million from Government for community investment. We appreciate it and look forward to welcoming the Minister and the Minister of State when that project is in train.

That is exactly the kind of project we want to do under the RRDF. It is a project that would not have been done previously and for larger towns of 9,000 plus, there is the URDF and its successor scheme. It is important that project is done in conjunction with the community and that there is community engagement in it. One of our challenges with projects such as this is that sometimes the communities may not have been involved at the outset and as the project rolls out, there can be challenges with parking spaces and other issues people need to be informed about. We have a significant investment in what we call our capital delivery team that works with local authorities to deliver on this projects. We also have our own quantity surveyor in the Department. That examines all of the applications to ensure the costings are adequate and relevant to the current market. We also have systematic engagement to ensure delivery. There is no point in the Minister of State and I announcing projects such as that in Charleville unless they happen. We will be with the Deputy in Baile Bhuirne in April for the opening of the Coláiste Íosagáin campus, which is a significant investment. It also shows what can be done in rural Ireland with support from the RRDF and other bodies coming together.