Phelan hails €10m fund to help community groups combat soaring energy costs

Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan has welcomed a new €10 million fund to help community and voluntary groups across the country to meet soaring energy costs.

The fund was announced recently by Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphrey.

The local Fine Gael TD said of the initiative: “The Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme will open for applications to groups on Monday, November 21. The scheme is designed to help the sector with their increased bills, which is having an impact on the operations of many community and voluntary groups.

“The scheme will provide once-off support to organisations within the community and voluntary sector which fall outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by Government such as the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS).

“The scheme will open for applications on Monday, November 21 and close on Friday, December 2.  It is expected that payments under the scheme will begin before the end of this year and run into early 2023.”

Announcing the funding package, Minister Humphreys said: “This new scheme recognises the pressures that our community and voluntary groups are under due to rising energy costs. This is a sector that we care deeply about and are committed to supporting them through this difficult winter.”