Funding of €20 million has been allocated to regenerate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland.

Up to 300 towns and villages will benefit from funding under the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which will be made available through Local Authorities over the next 15 months to support rural regeneration.

The scheme is specifically targeted at rural towns and villages with populations of less than 10,000. Applications from towns can range from €20,000 to a maximum of €100,000. Funding of up to €200,000 will also be considered for a limited number of projects which can deliver exceptionally strong economic benefit to a town and its outlying areas.

-- Advertisement --

The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, said: "The Action Plan for Rural Development, which was launched in January of this year, contains over 270 actions across Government to help rural Ireland achieve its full economic and social potential. Ireland's towns and villages are the heart of our rural communities and it is important that we continue the task of rebuilding and breathing life back into our rural towns and villages and their hinterlands to enable them to become hubs of economic activity, where people want to live and work and meet at a social level.

"Following on from the success of the 2016 scheme, I am allocating €20 million for an enhanced programme this year which will benefit up to 300 towns and villages right across Ireland. This year’s scheme will place an emphasis on measures which have a clear economic impact on rural towns and villages. Some funding will also be available for art works in public spaces which reflect the culture of a town or region and involve participation by local artists, which was a commitment under the Action Plan for Rural Development."

(CD/MH)