Very welcome news.
€10 million in funding to support the regeneration of rural towns and villages across Ireland will be made available as part of a rural Ireland renewal scheme announced by Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, on Tuesday.
As part of the scheme, €380,000 will be available in each of the 26 counties for town and village renewal projects, with up to 200 towns and villages across the country standing to benefit as a result.
Under the scheme, a particular focus will be placed on towns with populations of under 5,000 (Category 1), while there will also be funding available for a maximum of two projects per county for towns with populations of 5,000-10,000 (Category 2).
Details about the types of activities that can be supported and the application process can be found here.
Commenting at the launch of the scheme in Clones on Tuesday, Humphreys said: “Rural development is a key priority in the Programme for a Partnership Government.
“Ireland’s towns and villages are the heart of our rural communities, but the economic downturn had a significant impact on many of these towns and villages. It is incumbent on us to help them achieve a recovery.
“I am launching the Town and Village Renewal Scheme today to begin breathing life back into our rural towns and villages. It is critical that towns and villages become areas where economic activity can flourish, where people can live and work, and where people can meet at a social level.”
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