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Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, has today announced details of the 2020 Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) and highlighted the potential benefit of the Programme for local communities.

The CEP is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and will provide €2 million of grant funding towards enhancing the facilities available to communities. The Programme has a focus on supporting groups in disadvantaged areas.

Typical enhancements under the Programme include the renovation of community centres and community amenities, improvements to town parks and common areas and spaces, and the purchase of equipment for community usage. The Programme has also supported energy efficient upgrades, development of community gardens, provision of defibrillators, CCTV, and sports and IT equipment.

The CEP is administered by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority area. Funding allocations for each Local Authority area are outlined in the below table.

Since it was first launched in 2018 by Minister Ring, the CEP has funded over 5,000 projects in urban and rural communities throughout Ireland.

Speaking in relation to the Community Enhancement Programme, Minister Ring said:

The CEP provides vital support to community groups in order to help them improve their facilities. It supports small-scale funding for projects which range from purchasing lawnmowers and IT equipment to minor renovations to buildings. Ultimately the Programme responds to local needs and therefore it also provides some funding towards larger projects where needed.

We depend hugely on these community groups and I hope that this funding will help them to continue the important work that they carry out within our society. I urge communities to familiarise themselves with the CEP and to apply for funding if they feel that it can be of local benefit.

While the CEP will be similar to last year, the LCDC in each area will have flexibility to use some or all of this funding for COVID-19 related expenditure by community groups, where this is a priority in individual local authority areas. This is in addition to other funding announced recently by my Department, such as the €2.5m COVID-19 Emergency fund and the €35m Stability Fund.

The CEP is administered by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority area. Details on how to apply will be available from each LCDC shortly.

In order to allow flexibility, the Department is not setting a national closing date, but will allow each LCDC to set its own, to best suit its area. The Department will require that all closing dates are no later than 30 September 2020. Groups should check with their LCDC for further details.

Details of the allocation to each local authority area are set out in the table below.

·    Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) is targeted towards enhancing facilities in disadvantaged communities. It provides capital grants to community groups.

·    The CEP was launched for the first time in 2018.  A list of 2019 projects is provided on the following link: Community Enhancement Programme reports

·    The funding provided to each Local Authority area is outlined in the above table. The funding has been allocated by providing a baseline amount to each area and allocating the remainder based on the relative population and disadvantage level in each area. This methodology uses census figures and the Pobal Hasse deprivation index.

·    The funding is administered locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. Applications for funding can be made to the relevant LCDC.

·    The funding is targeted at improving facilities in order to address disadvantage, in a manner consistent with each areas Local Economic and Community Plan.