Clare to benefit from Community and Rural Development Fund
CLARE Fine Gael General Election candidate Leonora Carey has said that a €472 million rural and community development budget announced on Friday will help breathe new life into Clare towns and villages as well as supporting the development local communities throughout the county.
Ms Carey said that the Government’s continued commitment to the ‘Our Rural Future’ Development programme is demonstrated by the fact that over €212 million will be delivered through a range of vital schemes, including the Rural Regeneration and Development Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and LEADER.
Additional funding will be provided for the Local Improvement Scheme, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and CLÁR, bringing their funding levels to €15 million, €20 million, and €11 million respectively in 2025.
€260 million is available for Community Development Programmes, including the work of the Charities Regulatory Authority. The two main schemes in this area, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme, and the Community Services Programme, will have combined core funding of over €100 million for 2025. This will support the ongoing promotion of social inclusion measures and the provision of vital community services throughout the country.
The allocation for Community Development also provides funding of €22 million under the Community Centre Investment Fund to support the upgrade, renovation and refurbishment of community centres across the country.
An additional €3.4 million has been allocated for dog control initiatives, including €1.4 million to promote responsible dog ownership, and once off capital funding of €2 million in 2025 to improve dog control infrastructure.
Ms Carey explained that Budget 2025 also provides €13 million to assist with the community response to the Ukraine crisis, for work to be completed under SICAP, the recently launched Community Connection Project and through volunteering supports. This will help to assist and integrate arrivals from Ukraine and other countries into local communities.
€25 million is available for projects approved under the Community Recognition Fund in recognition of the contribution being made by communities in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.
“In addition to over €234 million secured for community infrastructure, the funding will support work to provide opportunities in rural communities, by promoting remote working, helping to regenerate our towns and villages, supporting rural economies, and many other activities.
“There are now more people living in Rural Ireland, more people working in Rural Ireland and more investment in Rural Ireland than ever before”, Ms Carey concluded.