The Irish Government has announced €6 million of funding to support small capital works and improvements in community groups and organisations.

The funding will be released under the Department of Rural and Community Development Local Enhancement Programme 2024.

This funding will particularly support organisations who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas to improve their facilities or purchase equipment. Access for persons with disabilities, community participation in marginalised and disadvantaged groups and energy efficiency improvements will be supported through the fund.

The scheme is designed to ensure local priorities are identified and met, in order to improve and enhance community facilities for all.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD said:

"This funding is about giving a helping hand to our local groups and clubs, who are the building blocks of Irish community life

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"These grants may be small in nature. But I know they will go a long way in helping thousands of great community organisations and clubs the length and breadth of Ireland.

"Supporting local communities to shape their future is a key focus of the Government’s rural development policy, Our Rural Future. The funding I am announcing today will benefit every single county and ensure that important small scale, ground-up projects can be delivered by local communities for local communities. I would encourage all interested groups to get in touch with their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) that administers the fund in their area."

Minister O'Brien said: "The funding will provide really practical support to smaller community groups that are active at a grassroots level to help them to ensure they have the facilities and equipment they need to support their communities. These grants will help thousands of community organisations, clubs, men’s and women’s sheds, youth centres and parish halls, to improve their facilities and continue to facilitate the provision of their valuable services to the people in their areas.

"I am particularly happy to have reserved funding for Women’s Sheds, groups and networks. Many of these groups are providing essential services on a day to day basis to those most in need. I hope this funding will help to support the provision of safe warm spaces for those groups to continue to meet and support their communities in both rural and urban areas right across the country."