Latest news with #RuralandCommunityDevelopment
Agriland
19 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
Additional €14 million announced to improve rural roads
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary has announced a further €14 million investment in rural roads and laneways. The allocation represents a significant increase to the 2025 funding available under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), bringing the overall investment to a record €30 million for the year. The LIS is designed to support the improvement of non-public roads in rural communities and improve access to rural homes and farms, as well as outdoor amenities such as lakes, rivers, mountains and beaches. These roads and laneways are not normally maintained by locally authorities. However they represent "a vital piece of infrastructure" for rural residents, according to the Department of Rural and Community Development. The allocation of additional funding comes following engagement between the department and local authorities. The county allocations are based on the level of works that each local authority indicated they could complete before the end of the year. The LIS was reintroduced in 2017 and, to date, over 4,800 roads have been upgraded under the scheme. Under the LIS, local authorities are responsible for identifying and prioritising roads for improvement works under the scheme, in consultation with residents and landowners. The works must be completed by the end of the year. Commenting on the additional funding, Minister Calleary said: "The €30 million which I have made available to our local authorities this year represents the highest annual funding since the scheme was re-introduced. "This additional funding demonstrates my commitment to improving connectivity for rural residents, whether it be homes, farms or outdoor amenities. "I am very much aware of the need to support this scheme and the demand that is apparent across our local authorities. Over the coming months, my department officials will work closely with local authorities to ensure that this funding is fully delivered this year to improve our non-public roads and laneways," he added. "The Programme for Government commits to increasing the government's investment in our local roads through the Local Improvement Scheme. With this additional will have invested almost €184 million in upgrading rural roads and 2017," Minister Calleary said. The additional funding, and total 2025 funding, for each county is outlined in the table below (Co. Dublin has not been allocated funding): County Original allocation Additional allocation Total 2025 allocation Carlow €373,479 €328,537 €702,016 Cavan €519,476 €662,498 €1,181,974 Clare €869,901 €788,498 €1,658,399 Cork €1,163,479 €1,167,898 €2,331,377 Donegal €1,123,479 €1,268,698 €2,392,177 Galway €1,273,479 €843,137 €2,116,616 Kerry €1,023,479 €1,202,000 €2,225,479 Kildare €464,765 €102,097 €566,862 Kilkenny €552,025 €264,537 €816,562 Laois €470,536 €561,698 €1,032,234 Leitrim €373,479 €528,098 €901,577 Limerick €709,694 €700,298 €1,409,992 Longford €373,479 €370,996 €744,475 Louth €373,479 €364,298 €737,777 Mayo €1,073,479 €504,537 €1,578,016 Meath €548,771 €286,016 €834,787 Monaghan €373,479 €588,297 €961,776 Offaly €535,404 €515,497 €1,050,901 Roscommon €661,677 N/A €661,677 Sligo €507,776 €321,645 €829,421 Tipperary €1,023,479 €795,500 €1,818,979 Waterford €502,162 €535,098 €1,037,260 Westmeath €498,238 €463,437 €961,675 Wexford €619,900 €560,298 €1,180,198 Wicklow €541,406 €276,387 €817,793 Total €16,550,000 €14,000,000 €30,550,000 The additional funding has been welcomed by a number of TDs. Fianna Fáil TD for Galway East Albert Dolan said: "These non-public roads and laneways might not always grab headlines, but they are absolutely essential for daily life in our countryside. They provide access to homes, farms, and vital outdoor amenities – from lakes to farmland and local heritage sites. 'I am particularly pleased to see that Co. Galway has secured over €2.1 million in total for 2025, which is a strong reflection of both the local demand and our ability to deliver these improvement works on the ground," Dolan said. Meanwhile, independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae welcomed the additional €1.2 million funding for Co. Kerry. "€1 million was already allocated last year for 2025, therefore a total of 2.2 million has now been allocated for local improvement schemes in Kerry. I am very glad of this announcement as I have fought hard to get this funding and this was one of our priorities on the formation of the government," Healy-Rae added.
Irish Independent
23-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Tubbercurry Family Resource Centre launches ‘bold' five year plan
The plan was officially unveiled by Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary, highlighting the critical role of community-led initiatives in national social development. The new plan focuses on key areas that are vital to community development, including: Expanding child care capacity: Ensuring more families have access to quality, affordable childcare. Improving community facilities: Enhancing spaces that support community engagement, education, and wellness. Enhancing mental health services: Providing more comprehensive mental health support for all age groups. Supporting integration of new and emerging communities: Offering resources to foster inclusion and community integration. Investing in staff development: Addressing workforce constraints through robust staff retention and development programs. Speaking at the launch, Minister Dara Calleary said: 'This strategic plan is a powerful example of how local leadership can drive meaningful change. 'Tubbercurry Family and Child Care Resource Centre is not only responding to the current needs of its community—it is planning boldly for the future. 'I am proud to support this initiative with funding from my Department under the Community Centre Investment Fund and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have across the region.' Tubbercurry Family and Child Care Resource Centre is committed to fostering a resilient, inclusive community,' said Sandra Cribben, Project Coordinator. 'With this strategic plan, we are reinforcing our mission to serve South Sligo and beyond, prioritizing collective action and long-term growth,' she added. The strategic plan was developed with input from a variety of community stakeholders and service users ensuring that the needs and aspirations of local residents are at the forefront of the company's efforts. 'By embracing innovation and community engagement, we are not just planning for the future—we are building it. 'This strategic plan represents our commitment to addressing the diverse needs of South Sligo, creating a foundation for a thriving, inclusive community for years to come,' said Brendan McAuley, Chairperson, Tubbercurry Family and Child Care Resource Centre. Fergal Landy, CEO, Family Resource Centre National Forum said: 'The Family Resource Centre Programme has always been about empowering communities through human rights-based development. 'Tubbercurry Family and Child Care Resource Centre's new strategic plan aligns perfectly with this vision, and their focus on inclusivity and helping families will be key in strengthening community resilience for years to come.' Sharon Bowles, Manager, Sligo County Child Care Committee said: 'Access to quality childcare is fundamental to a child's development. 'It provides a solid foundation for learning, social skills, and emotional growth. Tubbercurry Family and Child Care Resource Centre's focus on expanding childcare capacity will ensure that more children in South Sligo have the opportunities they deserve to thrive, while also supporting families in balancing their personal and professional lives.' The launch brought together elected representatives, community leaders from Tubbercurry, and service providers, and local families, all united by a shared vision for a resilient and connected community.
Irish Independent
01-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Sligo remains ahead of the game in terms of promoting its tracks and trails
And there was plenty of discussion about trail development, as well as engagement and sharing of ideas, much of which will be relevant as Sligo plans its future developments and broadens its trail offering. In the first instance, there was lots of interest in the Sligo Walks stand which was manned throughout the day. More than 250 delegates were in attendance and many came to ask about the wide range of promotional activity Sligo Walks carry out to ensure that the walks are among the most prominent activities for both locals and visitors to the county. Indeed, several other counties approached to say that they had looked in detail at the Sligo Walks website and overall structure when building their own trail promotion model, which was very heartening to hear. The comments varied from enquiries about the impact of the various methods we use to engage and inform walkers, from signage to video and podcasting, through to suggestions on how to tweak and improve the service, all of which was very welcome. Indeed, there are lots of areas in which Sligo has gone a step or two ahead of many other counties. This includes the creation of our ever-popular pocket maps, illustrated by Annie West, which are delivered the length and breadth of the county. What began as a small project has now expanded to 16 separate walks maps which are distributed not only to hotels and tourist offices around the county but in more recent times to counties Mayo, Roscommon, Leitrim and Donegal. These colourful and informative pocket maps include illustrations, details about the walk and trail specific information. Especially during the tourist season, we receive increasing requests from the service industry to provide these maps, and they are also a good barometer of where our most popular walks are situated. When you add this information to the data collected from walks counters at different locations around the county, they are a very useful asset in terms of future planning and the provision of walks infrastructure. The conference was expertly led by MC Ella McSweeney of RTÉ and included a number of keynote addresses, including by Dara Calleary TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (whose team organised the conference) and by Una May, CEO of Sport Ireland. Some of the most interesting presentations at the conference included the topics 'Responsible Behaviour in the Outdoors' and 'Best Practice in Outdoor Recreation.' A panel of experts was assembled who took questions about the challenging issue of how to engender respect and responsibility in walkers on our trails and how to avoid congestion, adhere to Leave No Trace principles and how to foster respect for landowners and other trail users. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more These are perennial issues, particularly since Covid and the resulting rise in walking numbers. And while all of the speakers raised different suggestions about ways to tackle these problems, the solutions really came down to two areas - education and respect. By engaging with walkers from a young age, this should foster a healthy relationship with the countryside. And respect relates to not just the environment, ensuring we leave the trail as we found it, bringing home our rubbish and that of our pet and ensuring we adhere to local advice and signage, but that we also have respect for our fellow walkers and for the landowners who in many cases allow free access to their land. This can be interpreted as simply showing a courtesy to other walkers as well as ensuring that gates are closed after us. It was also very interesting to hear from groups, communities and providers who have given their time, commitment and passion to develop walking experiences around the country. This covered a multitude of areas and there is no doubt that - based on their feedback - there are lots of opportunities out there for people who want to create a niche market in walking tourism. We heard from Martin O'Brien of the Barrow Valley Activities Hub in Kilkenny, who described the years of work that the community in Graiguenamanagh have done in relation to the development of walking and other public amenities in their locality, and the success that has ensued in terms of significant increases (as well as management) in the numbers of walkers that come to visit them. Aisling Hubbard gave a great talk about engagement in outdoor activities with marginalised groups as part of the Wicklow Travellers Outdoor programme. Kieran Reilly spoke about the Croagh Patrick Ambassador Programme - which led to a conversation as to how we might develop a similar programme in Sligo, particularly to protect our Neolithic landscape and Queen Maeve's Cairn, for example. These and other topics were covered during what was a busy day, which came to an end much too quickly, with follow up calls and conversations scheduled for the weeks ahead. As part of the breakout discussion group we took part in, great interest was shown in a recent Sligo initiative developed by Aidan McCormack and Sligo County Council involving the use of Artificial Intelligence to create walking experiences and the use of a QR-based audio guides at Hazelwood (we plan to return to both of these topics in more detail in the future). Based on the feedback and interest we had in both of these areas, Sligo continues to be ahead of the game in terms of online tools relating to trail development and promotion. It was great to engage with people from so many parts of the country, and it was also good to see Sligo well represented, from Fáilte Ireland to Sligo Sports and Recreation Partnership as well as Sligo Walks itself. The information gained will be a valuable resource as we strive to constantly improve our walking trails. And significantly, when you consider the experts that attended the conference and their willingness to share first hand experiences, it's evident that among the walking community, there's a great willingness to work together to improve the entire network of walks and trails.
Irish Independent
29-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘Vital' new life for West Limerick's old and derelict buildings amid €1.2 investment
Today at 04:00 Two areas in rural Limerick have received huge support as Dara Calleary TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and Minister for Social Protection, opened two transformative community projects. Formerly a parochial house, the newly transformed Tigh an Phobail in Feohanagh now serves as a fully renovated community resource centre. It will provide essential space for local services, events, and social initiatives. The €742,000 project was funded through Town and Village Renewal Scheme (€150,000), LEADER Programme (€365,486), Community Centre Investment Fund (€25,000) and additional grants and donations (€202,105) Speaking at the event, Minister Calleary said: 'Tigh an Phobail provides a space for connection, support, and opportunity for the people of Feohanagh. It's a shining example of how targeted investment and strong community collaboration can breathe new life into rural areas.' Cllr Michael Collins, Cathaoirleach of the Newcastle West Municipal District, praised the development, adding: 'It's inspiring to see what can be achieved when communities, the Council and Government work together. Tigh an Phobail has quickly become a vital part of life in this rural community.' In Askeaton, a formerly derelict site in the heart of the town has been transformed into the West Square Parklet, featuring seating areas and planting designed to enhance both community life and the town's appearance. The €521,000 project was supported by Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2021 (€250,000), Limerick City and County Council (€241,117), Community Climate Action Fund (€30,415). Cllr Adam Teskey, Cathaoirleach of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District, welcomed the Minister and said: 'This beautiful Parklet is a thoughtful addition to Askeaton, one that respects our rich heritage while enhancing the public realm.' On his trip to the Treaty, Minister Calleary also stopped by Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre in Ballinacurra Weston, where he met with local management and attended a community event. The Centre provides a range of services including a youth centre, café, crèche, and credit union. Related topics Jasmin Griffin
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Boost for 148 Leitrim community projects as over €110,000 allocated to help with running costs
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, have) announced the successful projects under the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2025. The funding aims to provide capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas. The funding will support local groups with ongoing running costs. Cathaoirleach of Leitirm County Council Councillor Paddy O'Rourke said the funding will greatly benefit the groups across the county. 'I would like to thank the Minister and the Dept of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht for this significant funding allocation of more than €110,000 towards 148 community projects across County Leitrim through the Local Enhancement Programme 2025. "I would also like to warmly congratulate all of the community groups that were successful in securing funding and to thank them for the vital work that they continue to do,' said Cllr O'Rourke. Chief Executive of Leitrim of County Council, Joseph Gilhooly also welcomed the funding. "I welcome this allocation of funding to the county by the Dept .of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht. "This funding will provide much needed financial support to 148 community projects throughout the County. "Community groups are both key contributors and a valued partner in developing our county and enriching the social fabric and the lives of those who live within our county,' said Mr Gilhooly. The Local Enhancement Programme 2025 was launched in November 2024. The funding provides capital supports essential for the many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas and also current funding to support local groups with ongoing running costs. The Department of Rural and Community Development and Gaeltacht's Local Enhancement Programme 2025 is administered by the Leitrim Local Community Development Committees, with support from Leitrim County Council.
