Minister English welcomes €2m Youth Capital Funding Scheme 2018

Thursday, 26th April 2018

Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, and Meath West Fine Gael T.D.
Damien English, has welcomed the recent announcement by his
Ministerial colleague Dr. Katherine Zappone of a €2m capital grant
scheme for targeted staff-led youth projects and services across the
country to fund small capital projects.

The Scheme is to support purchase of equipment and to fund small scale
projects including the upgrade of bathrooms and kitchens in youth
services.

Minister English stated: “I am delighted to welcome the launch of this
Scheme. As in previous years, I am confident the grants will assist in
improving the quality of the services to the benefit of young people
involved. In particular, they will improve the physical facilities,
many of which are in areas of disadvantage.”

Eligible local services will be invited by their Education and
Training Board (ETB) to apply for support.

Minister English continued: “The provision of €2m in grants
underscores the Government’s continued commitment to enhance the
quality of services which add such value to our communities. Investing
in Young People is a key priority for Government. This latest
announcement follows the €1.79m in current funding announced for
volunteer led youth clubs earlier this month whih will also be
administered by local ETBs.”

“In 2018 Fine Gael in Government, in partnership with the
Independents, will invest a total of €61.5m in current and capital
funding in clubs, services and supports for young people” stated
Minister English.

It is expected that the scheme will be open for applications by the
end of April 2018. Details will be on the Department of Children’s
website.

The Capital funding scheme is open to applications from Department of
Children and Youth Affairs funded projects under the Special Projects
for Youth Scheme, Youth Information Centres, Young People’s Facilities
and Services Fund and Local Drugs Task Force.

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English encourages communities to apply for CCTV funding

–          Up to 60% of total capital cost available, up to maximum
grant of €40,000
–          Scheme remains open with funding of €1m available each year

Thursday, 26th April 2018

The Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, and Meath West Fine Gael
T.D. Damien English, has encouraged groups in Meath and Westmeath to
apply for the Community based CCTV grant-aid scheme established by the
Justice Department to assist communities in the establishment of CCTV
systems in their local areas. Under the scheme, community groups can
apply for grant-aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a
proposed system, up to a maximum grant of €40,000.

Minister English stated: “I am very anxious to ensure that all
interested groups, in both rural and urban areas of Meath West, take
advantage of the availability of this grant-aid scheme. Full details
of the grant aid package are available to download from the Justice
Department website www.justice.ie and officials in that Department are
available to provide additional guidance on the application process
should that be helpful.”

The scheme was developed in line with a commitment in the Programme
for a Partnership Government to support investment in CCTV systems at
key locations along the road network and in urban centres. The scheme
is currently due to run until April 2020 with funding of some €1
million being made available each year.

Minister English added: “The investment represented by the
community-based CCTV grant-aid scheme reflects the value that
communities, especially rural communities, place on CCTV as a means of
deterring crime and assisting in the detection of offenders. I am
conscious too that An Garda Síochána have reviewed the effectiveness
of CCTV systems and indicated that it utilises CCTV in almost every
criminal investigation, during major public events and sporting
occasions, in the investigation of road traffic incidents and in many
other areas requiring police action.  Community-based CCTV systems
have therefore proven to be of significant assistance in the
prevention and detection of crime throughout the State.”

The grant-aid scheme is intended to supplement the existing network of
CCTV systems.  For example there are some 35 Garda CCTV schemes in
operation throughout the State comprising in excess of 500 cameras.
There are also some 45 Community-based CCTV schemes in operation,
established under a previous grant-aid scheme funded by the Department
between 2005 and 2013, encompassing some 367 cameras to which An Garda
Síochána have access. Regarding the road network, services under the
Garda Safety Camera contract commenced in May 2017 and provide an
annual minimum of 90,000 hours of monitoring and surveying vehicle
speed across 1,031 designated safety camera zones. Further expansion
of the use of technologies including CCTV and Automatic Number Plate
Recognition is included under the Garda Commissioner’s Modernisation
and Renewal Programme 2016-2021.

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Note for editors:

Application forms and guidance documents can be downloaded at
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Community-Based-CCTV

The rules governing establishment of community CCTV schemes are
provided for in the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, and in the
Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006. This legal framework requires
proposed community CCTV schemes to:

–          have the prior support of the relevant Local Authority,
which must act as data controller in respect of the system;
–          be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee; and
–          have the authorisation of the Garda Commissioner in
accordance with Section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

New 500 Pupil Secondary School Secured for Enfield – English

Damien English, Local Fine Gael TD and the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, has welcomed news that Enfield in South Meath will be home to a new Second Level School for 500 pupils under Governments new plans for additional school buildings nationwide.

“Today, my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, T.D. announced plans for the establishment of new schools over the next 4 years (2019 to 2022). This announcement follows nationwide demographic exercises carried out by his Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places across the country. The new school for Enfield is planned to open in 2020”

Minister English paid tribute to the local community in Enfield for actively campaigning with him since his tenure as Minister of State in the Department of Education for the much-needed school for the South Meath town and surrounding areas.

Minister English stated that “In February of this year I, along with Cllr. Enda Flynn and Breda Duggan met with Minister Bruton on behalf of the Enfield Post Primary Group to present demographic figures for the catchment area which helped to prove the case for a new Second Level School in Enfield.  I would like to thank the many local campaigners for never giving up on the need for the school.  During my time at the Department of Education I ensured that the case for Enfield would be included in this review of school accommodation needs based on demographic needs. The work and dedication by the people of Enfield has helped to secure this new educational facility for the growing South Meath town”.

Cllr. Enda Flynn said of the great local news for Enfield “About ten years ago I was approached about the need to establish a Post Primary school in Enfield. This need has become more evident as the years have gone past. Many people have contributed to the campaign. Breda Duggan and Kevin Mullan have a led a dedicated group in recent years. I am delighted that the wishes of so many in this community are now being realised.

We have wonderful pre-schools and a modern Primary school in Enfield. The announcement that a new Post Primary School will now be built in Enfield will see the last piece of the jig-saw as regards educational facilities for the area.

I appreciate the work that Minister Damien English did while in the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that Enfield was included in the priority areas for the country. The 2018 Review of these areas shows that the facts prove the need for the school in Enfield. Minister English has continued to work with our local group over the past number of years and I am delighted now to be able to welcome this announcement.”

In addition to this announcement Minister English confirmed that Government will also continue to monitor areas where the accommodation of existing schools may need to be expanded in order to meet the needs of the local population. Approximately 40% of extra school places are delivered by extending existing schools.

Further to today’s announcement by the Minister for Education, Minister English has also received confirmation that the Department remains fully committed to all projects on the existing building programme and is progressing all as quickly as possible.

Minister English said “I will continue to work with my colleagues in Government to progress the new school building projects currently approved for St. Mary’s Special School, Colaiste na Mí Post Primary School (Phase ii), Lismullen National, Ard Rí Community National School, St. Ultan’s Special School & St. Joseph’s Mercy Secondary School. The Department of Education’s website is also being updated to ensure that the current status of existing major projects in the school building programme is set out in a more user-friendly format. The status of projects will be more regularly updated to reflect their progress as part of the €8.4 billion investment in school buildings under Project Ireland 2040.

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