2026-07-14

2. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will approve capital funding for a community centre in Citywest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53391/26]

Citywest has been waiting for more than 20 years for a community centre. It was written into the local area plan in 2012. It was promised again when that plan was extended. It was made a binding condition of planning permission in 2018. Since then, nearly 4,000 homes have been built and hundreds more are now planned at Boherboy and there is still no community centre. The council's capital plan does not show any grant from the Minister's Department. Is that correct? Why not? Will the Minister engage with the council to make sure the centre opens next year as promised?

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. I will begin by acknowledging the importance of having appropriate facilities in communities such as Citywest. Community centres are vital for bringing communities together and providing an outlet for services and for social, cultural and community activities. The community centre investment fund, CCIF, was introduced to provide high-quality community facilities that are available to all groups in all areas. Earlier this year, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I launched the fourth iteration of community centre investment funding. This round of the scheme is providing funding of up to €100,000 for the refurbishment of existing facilities. This is additional to the €80 million that has already been approved since 2022 for over 1,600 community centre enhancement projects. Under the 2023 round of CCIF, over €30 million was approved for the construction of 12 new-build community facilities. These are substantial construction projects, with the scheme providing funding of up to €6 million. I hope to be in a position to announce funding for new-build community centres in 2027. I have been informed that planning permission has been approved to construct a community centre and crèche in the Cúil Dúin Avenue area of Citywest. From contact with South Dublin County Council, I understand that the project will commence later this year and that the local authority is engaging with the developer. To date, my Department has not received any application for support for this project. I am happy to work with the Deputy, South Dublin County Council and the community in Citywest to ensure this facility delivers for the local community. My Department has funded eight different projects in south Dublin through the community centre investment fund. The Deputy's local authority has a very good record of delivering for us. We look forward to working with it on any potential application.

If you look up developer-led planning in a dictionary, I am sure you will find a picture of Citywest. It is quite incredible. It is one of the fastest growing communities in all of Ireland. Almost 4,000 homes have been built in a decade. More than 2,000 were built in just the last three years. What came with the houses? There is no community centre and no public crèche places. Families are on waiting lists for a long time across the area. There are no sports pitches. The couple of parks and playgrounds provided for tens of thousands of people are working overtime. Residents say they feel forgotten. They are absolutely right. This is just classic developer-led planning. It is about throwing up homes without providing facilities to allow people to integrate and build a community. The story of this community centre has been a saga. In 2018, it was made a condition of planning permission. The developer built the homes but the community centre was not developed. The latest is that something is now happening but the Minister's attention would assist with that.

That is why the then Minister, Heather Humphreys, brought in the community centre investment fund. It is also why she expanded it to new builds. We will launch that again in 2027. To date, over €988,000 has been awarded to 23 community centres. Citywest sounds like a place that needs a community centre. We have a track record of investing. For example, Newcastle in Galway is an urban centre. We have worked with Galway City Council and with the local community. I had the pleasure of turning the sod on that development two weeks ago. That will be ready for occupation in late 2027. As I have said, I am certainly happy to keep the Deputy informed. We will have a call for funding in 2027. It is more than likely that will be around this time next year. I am happy to work with the Deputy and to put him in touch with other communities where new-build centres have been brought to their current stage. As I have said, 12 projects are nearly finalised. These are totally new builds and come on top of all the refurbishments.

This is not only an issue for South Dublin County Council. I obviously accept the point that an application for funding needs to be made if funding is to be granted. The reason Citywest has developed in the way it has, with homes but no adequate facilities, is the fast-track strategic housing development process. The local area plan, which included these kinds of requirements, was ignored. Developers went straight down the strategic housing development route, got permission for huge developments and then did not put in the facilities. They were sometimes promised. Community centres and crèches were often promised. They were often part of the planning permission. They ultimately were not delivered, however. The council previously said that the community centre would be delivered in June of this year. We are now in the middle of July and ground has not even been broken. I appeal to the Minister not to wash his hands of this, to engage with the council to track delivery and to make sure that this centre opens next year.

I assure the Deputy that I will not be washing my hands of it but, equally, the council has to show interest and intent. I am not going to spoon-feed the council. We have councils and, in fairness, South Dublin County Council is very proactive in relation to the scheme for the refurbishment of centres. When we launch the scheme next year, we will launch it in partnership with local authorities around the country. It is a very substantial investment programme on the part of the Department. It provides centres and places for the communities the Deputy has highlighted to gather. I hope to issue the call around this time in 2027. We will be preparing that call and engaging with local authorities through the CCMA and other groups in the meantime. I call on South Dublin County Council to step up and make that kind of investment in the Citywest community.