Minister O’Gorman announces funding to Local Authorities for the refurbishment and development of playgrounds and play areas

• €450,000 allocated across the country to Local Authorities for the refurbishment and development of playgrounds and play areas

• 30 projects awarded funding under the Play and Recreation Grant Scheme for 2022

• Projects awarded include wheelchair accessible swings, sensory equipment, and inclusive play units.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today approved the awarding of €450,000 to Local Authorities across Ireland for the refurbishment of existing playgrounds and the development of new playgrounds and new play areas. Local Authorities will benefit from funding for 30 projects under the Capital Grant Scheme in 2022.

The projects funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) encompass a wide range of initiatives that will deliver diverse benefits to children and young people and have a positive impact on communities. These projects include:

• Inclusive basket swing seat

• Wheelchair accessible swing

• Sensory Equipment

• Natural Play Areas

• Accessibility/Biodiversity Playground upgrade(s)

• Learn to cycle track

• Inclusive carousel

Launching the Play and Recreation funding, the Minister said:

ENDS

The purpose of the 2022 DCEDIY Play and Recreation Capital Funding Scheme is to support refurbishment of play and recreation amenities for children and young people; to include the provision of new equipment, the refurbishment of existing play facilities, with an emphasis on natural play areas.

The application process was open to all Local Authorities, each Local Authority could apply for one project. There was flexibility in special circumstances for a Local Authority to apply for more than one project if requested, with funding being capped at €18k for each Local Authority. The awarding of this funding is contingent on the Local Authority co-funding each successful project with 25% of the funding allocated by DCEDIY.

Eligible applications were evaluated by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 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.

A key criteria of the scheme is that proposed projects must be accessible and inclusive for all children; other criteria measured included the added value of each project to young people and assurances regarding the safety of facilities comprising the proposed projects.

List of successful projects, and funding awarded: