Kilkenny community groups secure €8,645,827 from rural funding schemes
A KILKENNY councillor and General Election candidate has urged community groups to actively engage with Government support schemes to secure funding for rural and local projects.
Details of how local groups can access funding for rural and community projects were outlined at the ‘Rural Opportunities’ event in Thomastown last Friday.
Three senior ministers spoke at the packed event (pictured above) in the Concert Hall: Michael Ring (Rural and Community Development), Richard Bruton (Communications, Climate Action and the Environment) and Charlie Flanagan (Justice). Local TD and Minister of State John Paul Phelan was also in attendance.
The briefing session outlined how communities across Kilkenny and the South-East are utilising a wide variety of funding schemes to shape their own destinies.
Speaking after the event, Cllr Patrick O’Neill (pictured below) said: “Projects such as Callan Town regeneration, Thomastown Regeneration, and numerous Town and Village renewal applications over the last number of years have been successful. A total of €8,645,827 has been spent across Kilkenny over 2017 and 2018. That is real money spent in our rural areas.
“I would appeal to all who are interested in accessing such funding to engage with the relevant agencies immediately. Fine Gael is supporting communities across Kilkenny and has made these supports available to assist all living in our villages and rural communities.”
Minister Ring said the ‘Rural Opportunities’ events are about “demonstrating, through video case studies and people telling their stories, that vision and determination combined with funding is making life better in rural communities.”
He added: “We want to illustrate how funding is supporting enterprise and job creation, tourism, culture, community and the Irish language. My Department is aiming to improve quality of life in rural Ireland and in partnership with local people we are making that happen.
“These case studies are just a very small sample of the wonderful projects that the Government has provided funding for. I hope they inspire those who see them to act in their own communities.”
MAIN IMAGE: Dylan Vaughan
