Our Rural Future: Minister Calleary officially opens series of rural development projects in Wexford
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From: Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
- Published on: 10 December 2025
- Last updated on: 10 December 2025
- The Shambles, one of New Ross’s most historic places, officially reopened
- Minister Calleary attends a series of official openings and sod turnings across the county
- NDP Sectoral plan also launched
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Dara Calleary TD, today (Wednesday, 10 December 2025) visited Wexford to officially open a series of projects funded by his Department.
The Minister started at New Ross where he officially reopened ‘The Shambles’, one of New Ross’s most historic places, following a regeneration project funded through the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
This project has created a high-quality public realm space that enables pedestrian access, while complementing The Shambles heritage building which has been repurposed for multi-purpose community and tourism use.
Speaking in New Ross today, Minister Calleary said:
“My commitment to support and develop rural towns and villages is underpinned by the objective of Our Rural Future, the Government’s policy for rural development, and aims to create the conditions to make rural communities in Ireland more attractive to live, work and participate in.
“The Town and Village Renewal Scheme was introduced in 2016 and is designed to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout the country. Since its inception almost €184 million has been allocated to over 1,800 projects across the country. Of that, over €9 million has been allocated to projects here in County Wexford.
“The Government is proud to have supported the transformation of these areas in Wexford. This is the kind of investment that pays dividends well into the future, encouraging people to come together while strengthening the community.”
Minister Calleary also travelled to Ballymitty to turn the sod at the site of a new community centre. Wexford County Council was approved for funding of over €1.4 million under the Community Centre Investment Fund for the construction of a new facility at the greenfield site.
From there he travelled to Taghmon, where he visited a site that has been acquired by Wexford County Council with funding approved under the 2025 Building or Land Acquisition Measure (BLAM). The land is located adjacent and to the rear of the Taghmon Action Group (TAG) Community Centre. This additional land will facilitate the expansion of existing services and develop a second entrance on the Old Ross Road.
Next, Minister Calleary presided over the sod turning at the Community Centre Investment Fund Project at Our Lady’s Island GAA Club. Our Lady's Island Community Gym was approved funding of €144,990 for the project.
Finally, the Minister travelled to Rosslare Harbour for the official opening of the Bank Community and Enterprise Hub, also funded under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. The completed project includes refurbished offices and meeting rooms, which will be available for hire by community groups, local organisations and businesses.
While in Wexford the Minister also announced the publication of his Department’s NDP Sectoral plan. Speaking about the plan, the Minister said:
“I am delighted to be in Wexford today to see first-hand how the investments we have already made are making a positive difference to communities.
“The National Development Plan will provide the necessary funding to build on the strong supports already provided by Government to deliver for our communities. This funding will further support and empower communities across the country and drive the development of our Gaeltacht areas.
“The increased funding in the NDP will allow us to invest in vital piers infrastructure for our island communities, enhancing facilities for people living on our islands and for visiting tourists. It will also enable the provision of enhanced facilities for the promotion and teaching of the Irish language.
“Delivery on Programme for Government commitments, such as the reintroduction of a RAPID-style programme targeting our most disadvantaged communities, will ensure that urban centreswill also benefit from this increased level of funding, making a positive difference to people right across the country.”
The NDP sectoral plan is available here
Notes
National Development Plan 2026-2030 Capital Allocations
Following the 2025 review of the National Development Plan the following capital ceilings have been agreed for the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG). The National Development Plan will provide a total of €1.3 billion for the Department over the period 2026 to 2030, with annual allocations outlined in the table below. Capital funding will grow from €258 million in 2025 to €273 million in 2026. Capital funding for 2029 and 2030 will amount to €255 million per year.
|
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
2028 |
2029 |
2030 |
|
|
Total NDP Allocation (€m) |
259 |
273 |
273 |
273 |
255 |
255 |
The Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht delivers its capital schemes under the broad programme areas of (i) rural development; (ii) community development, and (iii) the Gaeltacht and the Islands. The table below outlines the proposed capital allocations across the three programme areas on an annual basis from 2026-2030.
|
Capital Projection (€m)/Year |
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
2028 |
2029 |
2030 |
|
Rural Development & Regional Affairs |
165.00 |
160.00 |
170.00 |
176.00 |
171.00 |
171.00 |
|
Community Development |
38.00 |
46.80 |
49.80 |
50.30 |
50.80 |
50.80 |
|
Gaeltacht and the Islands |
30.05 |
55.40 |
52.40 |
45.90 |
32.40 |
32.40 |
|
DRCDG Capital Ceilings |
235.05 |
263.00 |
273.00 |
273.00 |
255.00 |
255.00 |
|
Non-core Community Recognition Fund |
25.00 |
10.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Total Capital |
259.00 |
273.00 |
273.00 |
273.00 |
255.00 |
255.00 |
The National Development Plan Review 2025 is available on Gov.ie at the following link: National Development Plan Review 2025
Our Rural Future
Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2021-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas.
Town and Village Renewal Scheme
Since the launch of the TVRS scheme in 2016, over €177m has been committed to support the delivery of almost 1,800 projects nationwide. Since 2016 Wexford has been allocated over €9 million in TVRS funding. Additionally, in 2024, funding of €99,000 was provided for 2 Project Development Measure (PDM) project under the Town Centre First (TCF) Suite of Supports.