€3.7m REDZ funding allocated
This funding is about community participation, boosting employment, tackling rural isolation and helping communities to identify the issues and also the solutions,” said Minister of State for Rural Affairs Ann Phelan.
“The quality of the applications and level of interest in the pilot scheme was such that I have made additional funding available so that each qualifying project will be offered at least 50% of the funding they applied for.
“I am happy to announce that 26 pilot projects, rather than the original 18, on a regional basis and at different levels of scale, will receive 100% of the funding applied for, and the 25 remaining projects that qualified will be offered 50% of the funding applied for.”
“I am confident that these resources coupled with the €30m for the rural towns and villages renewal scheme are just the beginning of a process of rural renewal regeneration,” said Ms Phelan recently.
Pending the success of the pilot initiative, a call for proposals for a more extensive REDZ initiative in the Leader scheme may take place in 2016. In Co Clare, REDZ funds have gone to Scariff (€50,000), Shannon (€40,000), and Ennis (€94,500).
In Co Cork, funds go to Castletownbere (€44,500), Skibbereen (€50,000), and Duhallow (Kanturk) (€24,500).
In Co Limerick, funds go to Charleville/Kilmallock (€150,000), and Newcastlewest (€42,000).
In Co Kerry, funds go to Killorglin/ Killarney (€143,600), Cahersiveen (€40,000), and Killorglin (€34,000) .
In Co Tipperary, funds go to Nenagh (€150,000), Tipperary (€75,000), Fethard (€25,000), and Clonmel (€125,000).
In Co Waterford, funds go to Dungarvan (€70,000), Lismore (€22,500), and Tramore (€79,500).
