A new funding package of €15 million has been unveiled to support rural towns and villages across Ireland.

Approximately 156 towns and villages will benefit from the 2019 Town and Village Renewal Scheme investment in order to deliver a variety of improvement projects.

The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is a key part of the Action Plan for Rural Development and the Government's Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration Programme. Funding awarded to individual towns and villages this year generally ranges from €20,000 to €100,000, with 26 projects receiving between €100,000 and €200,000 for more ambitious proposals. 

Projects approved include public realm enhancements, the re-purposing of community buildings and other measures aimed at making small rural towns and villages more attractive and sustainable places in which to live and work.

Announcing the project, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring TD said: "The Town and Village Renewal Scheme forms an important part of the Government's drive to enhance our rural towns and villages and to make them attractive places in which to live and work.

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"The benefit of previous funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is now being felt countrywide and I am delighted today to be able to allocate a further €15 million for projects in 156 towns and villages right across rural Ireland.  

"Almost €68 million has now been approved for more than 830 projects across the country under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme since it was introduced in the second half of 2016, with more than 600 of these approved since the Action Plan for Rural Development was launched in January 2017."

This round of funding will support projects like the regeneration of Square in Ballyhaise, Co Cavan, and the development of a community hall in Ogonnelloe, Co Clare.

Minister Ring added: "Interest in the Town and Village Renewal Scheme this year was very high and the scheme was heavily over-subscribed. It was not possible to fund all of the applications received, but I am pleased that many of the towns and villages which have been successful this year are receiving funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme for the first time. I want to thank the Local Authorities for engaging with local communities in these instances to help them to identify good projects which have merited support.

"The Government's commitment to supporting rural Ireland is further underscored through the €1 billion Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which complements the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and provides an opportunity to deliver more integrated and ambitious projects which will further support the revitalisation of our rural towns and villages."

(CM/JG)