Minister Foley announces €600,000 in funding for the development and refurbishment of playgrounds and play areas nationwide

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has today announced the recipients of this year’s Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation, with a total of €600,000 awarded to 30 Local Authorities across the country.

The Capital Grant Scheme for Play and Recreation supports the work of Local Authorities in improving access to quality play and recreation facilities within their communities. This can be through the refurbishment and upgrade of existing facilities or through the development of new ones. The scheme offers funding of up to €22,000 per project, an investment that will see positive impacts delivered to children and families across the country.

Many of the projects funded under this year’s scheme give particular focus to inclusion and access and will help children with a diverse range of needs to avail of the benefits of high-quality play facilities alongside their peers. Some of these funded projects include the installation of:

• Wheelchair-accessible seesaws
• Inclusive sensory playground equipment and inclusive play space
• Upgraded accessibility features and biodiversity planting
• Level Access Play Equipment
• Teen Spaces

Announcing the award of funding, Minister Foley said:

Note for Editors:

The Play and Recreation Capital Funding Scheme was introduced in 2013 to support new and existing play and recreation facilities for children and young people.

The 2026 scheme aims to support:

• The refurbishment of existing play and recreation facilities
• The incorporation of natural play elements
• The development of new play and recreation facilities.

The application process was open to all Local Authorities, who could each nominate one project for funding. Funding was capped at €22,000 per project. The awarding of this funding is contingent on the Local Authority matched funding of at least 25% of the amount provided by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality towards the project.

Eligible applications were evaluated by the Department and via a weighted scoring system; each of the 5 qualifying criteria was assessed and scored individually and the total project score was an aggregate of the criteria scores.

These criteria included the project’s added value to young people, its accessibility and inclusivity, the nature of consultation with local children and young people, the evidence provided of the ability to complete the project, and the corroboration of need provided in support of the application.

A list of the successful projects, and the funding awarded is as follows: