The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys has today (Wednesday, February 7, 2024) announced a funding package worth €4.5 million to support rural towns and villages.
Up to €50,000 will be invested through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in supporting the development of projects “designed to breathe new life into rural communities”.
Minister Humphreys said that additional funding will be provided for projects submitted by counties in the northwest, in recognition of the specific challenges facing the region.
Towns will also be provided with up to €30,000 in funding to develop their own Town Centre First (TCF) Plans.
These plans contain 33 unique actions to help rural towns become more viable and attractive places to live and work.
Rural towns
As part of the suite of measures, a new support fund will be established to build and develop a network of “town teams” nationwide.
A town team is a group of local residents, business people, community representatives and other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
Funding of up to €10,000 will be made available for three towns in each eligible local authority area to support the establishment and/or development of town teams where they are not already well established.
Minister Humphreys said these supports will specifically target rural towns with a population of under 10,000 people.
“This is about empowering our communities to realise their vision.
“It’s about giving them the tools and supports they need to generate investment, attract tourism and above all, become better places to live, work and raise a family,” she said.
The measures announced today follow on from the launch of the government’s first ever Town Centre First Policy in 2022.