Mr Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, today (31 October 2019) announced that 156 rural towns and villages across the country are set to benefit from €15 million in funding under the 2019 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. Minister Ring made the announcement in Killawalla, Co. Mayo, which is one of the successful villages that will receive funding under the 2019 Scheme.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is a key part of the Action Plan for Rural Development and the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme. Funding awarded to individual towns and villages this year generally ranges from €20,000 to €100,000, with 26 projects receiving between €100,000 and €200,000 for more ambitious proposals.
Projects approved include public realm enhancements, the re-purposing of community buildings and other measures aimed at making small rural towns and villages more attractive and sustainable places in which to live and work.
Examples of projects being supported in today’s announcement include:
- The regeneration of the Square in Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan, by replacing footpaths, removing overhead cables and installing decorative lighting.
- Developing the community hall in Ogonnelloe, Co. Clare, as a civic space to facilitate co-working.
- Public realm improvements in Killawalla, Co. Mayo, including village centre and heritage trail enhancements.
Announcing the funding, Minister Ring said:
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme forms an important part of the Government’s drive to enhance our rural towns and villages and to make them attractive places in which to live and work.
The benefit of previous funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is now being felt countrywide and I am delighted today to be able to allocate a further €15 million for projects in 156 towns and villages right across rural Ireland.
Almost €68 million has now been approved for more than 830 projects across the country under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme since it was introduced in the second half of 2016, with more than 600 of these approved since the Action Plan for Rural Development was launched in January 2017.
Minister Ring continued:
Interest in the Town and Village Renewal Scheme this year was very high and the scheme was heavily over-subscribed. It was not possible to fund all of the applications received, but I am pleased that many of the towns and villages which have been successful this year are receiving funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for the first time. I want to thank the Local Authorities for engaging with local communities in these instances to help them to identify good projects which have merited support.
The Minister added:
The Government’s commitment to supporting rural Ireland is further underscored through the €1 billion Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which complements the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and provides an opportunity to deliver more integrated and ambitious projects which will further support the revitalisation of our rural towns and villages.
Details of the successful projects under the 2019 Town and Village Renewal Scheme are available on www.gov.ie/drcd.
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Note to Editors:
The Town and Village Renewal scheme is an initiative under the Action Plan for Rural Development and the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme. It is part of a suite of national and local support measures to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. It is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and is administered by the Local Authorities.
Under the 2019 scheme, up to 80% of the total cost for each approved project will be provided by the Department, with the remaining 20% being provided either through community contribution and/or the Local Authority.
A wide variety of projects have been approved under the 2019 scheme. These projects have been identified by local community groups and businesses, in conjunction with their Local Authorities. Projects approved range from public realm enhancements to re-purposing of community buildings and other measures aimed at making small towns and villages more attractive and more sustainable places in which to live and work.
The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched in the second half of 2016 and since then, more than 830 projects have been approved for funding of €68 million, including those announced today.
The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was published in January 2017, included a target to support over 600 towns and villages through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This target has been surpassed, with more than 660 projects now approved since January 2017.
A list of recipients of funding, under 2019 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, will be available at www.gov.ie/drcd from 2:45pm today.