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Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has visited County Kerry to open over €7.5 million worth of new rural development projects as part of a nationwide tour to promote Our Rural Future.
Our Rural Future is the government’s new rural development strategy, which aims to revitalise towns and villages, promote remote working, and ensure balanced regional development.
On Tuesday evening, the Minister made an official visit to Valentia Cable Station, which received €1.27 million in funding under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF).
The visit by the Minister took place 155 years to the day since the laying of the undersea telegraph cable from Valentia to Newfoundland.
At the facility, Minister Humphreys officially attended a citizenship ceremony in her capacity as Minister for Justice.
Speaking at the station, the Minister said:
“It’s extraordinary to believe that on the 155th anniversary of the laying of the undersea cable between Valentia and Newfoundland, we are here celebrating the remarkable advancements that we have made in terms of connectivity and remote working.
“Some 55 years after the Cable Station closed, I am delighted that this historic building is to be repurposed, conserved and adapted through my Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund into a state-of-the art Museum celebrating the legacy of what occurred here.
“The new centre will also include an Innovation Hub which will make remote working a reality for people in this area, create up to 40 jobs and broaden the region’s employment base.”
On Wednesday the Minister continued her tour of the county, where she:
The day concluded with a visit to Listowel Food Hub which received over €1.67m under RRDF.
When complete, the project support new product innovation and will be a valuable resource to new food entrepreneurs throughout the region.
Speaking about the visit to Kerry, the Minister said:
“This visit gave me a wonderful opportunity to see how funding from my Department is breathing new life into rural Ireland.
“The trip to Kerry is part of a nationwide tour that I am embarking on to promote ‘Our Rural Future’ – the Government’s most ambitious and transformational policy for rural Ireland in decades.
“I was particularly pleased to meet members of the local communities – who are driving their projects forward in partnership with Kerry County Council and my Department.
“In total, I am pleased that my Department has provided funding of almost €20 million to projects in Kerry in 2021 and 2020.”
In relation to the specific visits, the Minister added:
“I was delighted to visit many projects that will make remote working a reality for both communities and visitors alike, such as the Dingle Hub and the RDI Hub in Killorglin.
“When the new GTeic at Ballinskelligs is completed, it will provide the local community with a vibrant and modern facility with high-speed broadband which will support employment in the local area.
“I also visited Carnegie Building in Cahersiveen where I saw the plans for their Town Regeneration Project, which includes enhancement works to the public realm and the development of the Daniel O’Connell Quarter. These works will increase tourism in the region and raise the quality of life for those who live in the Cahersiveen area.
“The Skelligs CATALYST Hub, which is also part of these upgrades, will make Cahersiveen an education and innovation hub for the surrounding area.
“I was able to launch the Smart Beaches Pilot as part of my visit. This fantastic project uses cutting edge technology to monitor traffic and footfall at our beaches, capture local weather conditions and displays public safety, environmental, weather and water quality information to users at the beach and through their phones via the smart beaches app.”
“It was also a pleasure to visit the Listowel Food Hub – which will be a game changer in the region for food producers.”
Please find full details of the investments and projects launched/visited as part of the Minister’s engagements in Kerry.
The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund is a commitment of €1 billion by government to be invested in rural Ireland over the period 2019 to 2027.
In total the Fund has now provided over €249m for 164 projects across Ireland, worth a total of €338m.
The Town & Village Renewal Scheme provides funding for projects that make our towns and villages more attractive and sustainable. Since the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2016, almost €93 million has been allocated to more than 1,300 projects across Ireland. The Scheme has supported settlements the length and breadth of the country.