Hundreds of community and sports facilities nationwide are to be supported with brand new investment.

Funding of €8 million has been made available under the 2023 CLÁR Programme, with a focus on supporting areas that have experienced significant levels of population decline.

Under the initiative, grants of up to €50,000 will be provided to support the development of community and sports facilities, youth clubs, playgrounds, sensory gardens, walking tracks and much more. For the first time under the CLÁR Programme, funding will be provided to carry out upgrades and improvements to spectator stands at local GAA and sports clubs. There will be specific measures to support Cancer Care Transport, Community First Responders as well as our offshore island communities.

Announcing the details of the programme today, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD said: "The CLÁR Programme is all about supporting rural communities in realising their potential.

"It's about delivering high quality community and sports projects that will make our towns and villages more vibrant places to live and more attractive destinations to visit.

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"So from the likes of astro-turfs, playgrounds, sensory gardens and handball alleys to outdoor Cinemas, walking tracks and community gyms – CLÁR is designed to support a vast array of projects that will benefit people of all ages and abilities.

"And I'm really pleased today to announce that for the first time, funding will be provided specifically to upgrade and develop spectator stands at GAA and other sports grounds in Rural Ireland.

"I know that there are many local GAA clubs out there that would really benefit from funding to support better access for spectators who attend matches at their grounds. So I'm encouraging these clubs to apply for funding under this year's initiative."

Minister Humphreys continued: "Since the CLÁR programme was re-launched in 2016, it has made a very positive contribution to some of our most remote and rural communities.

"The initiative has supported over 2,100 projects with funding of over €57 million under a range of different Measures.

"In virtually every town I visit, there are incredible people doing extraordinary work to bring communities together and I want to encourage and support these efforts under CLÁR."

The 2023 CLÁR Programme builds on the response to last year's Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) which approved over €45 million to 858 projects. The focus of that Fund in 2023 will be on new builds. CLÁR 2023 will provide funding for small scale renovation works to existing community centres who did not receive funding under the CCIF.

The Minister added: "I am pleased also of course to continue my support for other worthwhile initiatives under CLÁR.

"The programme will continue to support local voluntary groups to purchase vehicles which ease the burden facing cancer patients and their relatives.

"These vehicles also make life somewhat easier for the elderly needing to travel to day care.

"We will also continue funding for the purchase of vehicles for Community First Responders and Search and Rescue Organisations, as well to support communities on our off-shore Islands, which are a key part of 'Our Rural Future'."