Minister Joe O’Brien announces details of €5 million funding for Community Centres and Community Facilities
- Foilsithe: 10 Lúnasa 2020
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 11 Aibreán 2025
€5 million fund under the Community Enhancement Programme
Joe O’Brien TD, Minister of State for Community Development and Charities at the Department of Rural and Community Development, today announced details of €5 million funding for community centres and facilities under the July stimulus package.
The funding will be provided under the Community Enhancement Programme, and is in addition to €2 million provided under that programme earlier this year.
Minister O’Brien said:
“This €5 million funding will provide capital grants to help improve community centres, and other community buildings and facilities. These important facilities operate at the heart of each community. They provide activities and services that help strengthen the bonds that tie communities together and they provide valuable services to the people in their area."
The new fund seeks to stimulate local economies by providing capital grants towards the maintenance, improvement and upkeep of community centres, and community buildings. Similar expenditure on other community facilities will also be allowed.
Minister O’Brien noted that:
“This €5 million funding will be administered through existing structures that are in place under the department’s Community Enhancement Programme. Funding will be allocated to each Local Authority area, and the Local Community Development Committee will administer the programme in each area. This ensures that decisions are made locally to best reflect the needs in a given area."
This funding will assist community groups by enabling them to develop their facilities during this difficult time. It complements other funding announced recently by the department, such as an additional €10 million funding for the Town and Village Renewal scheme under the government’s July Stimulus package, previous funding of €2 million under the Community Enhancement Programme, and the €35 million COVID-19 Stability Fund.
In order to allow flexibility, the department is not setting a national closing date, but will allow each LCDC to set its own, to best suit its area. The department will require that all closing dates are no later than end October 2020. Groups should check with their LCDC for further details.
Details of the allocation to each local authority area are set out in the table below.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) is targeted towards enhancing facilities in disadvantaged communities. It provides capital grants to community groups.
The Community Enhancement Programme was launched for the first time in 2018. The 2019 programme provided funding to over 2,000 projects across the country. A list of 2019 projects is provided on the following link: Community Enhancement Programme Projects.
The funding provided to each Local Authority area is outlined in the above table. The funding has been allocated by providing a baseline amount to each area and allocating the remainder based on the relative population and disadvantage level in each area. This methodology uses census figures and the Pobal Hasse deprivation index.
The funding is administered locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority. Applications for funding can be made to the relevant LCDC. Contact details for LCDCs are available here.