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The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced an investment of over €30 million , which will deliver 12 new community centres nationwide.
It’s the first time in the history of the State that a dedicated fund has been set up to deliver new-build community centres in Rural Ireland.
The Minister made the announcement while visiting Newcastle in Galway, which after today’s announcement, is to receive over €4.3 million to build a brand new community centre.
The successful community centre projects, announced today, will receive capital grants of between €1 million and €6 million to build multi-functional centres in areas that currently lack community facilities.
The Community Centres Investment Fund – was launched in March 2023 to provide investment for new and ambitious community projects in our towns and villages.
After providing funding of €45.8m to over 860 projects for refurbishments, Minister Humphreys decided to put a renewed focus on supporting communities that have no community centre at all.
The projects being funded under today’s announcement are
Making the announcement, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am delighted today to announce details of the successful projects under the Community Centre Investment Fund 2023. Today, we are investing over €30 million in 12 new build facilities – this will be transformational for our rural towns and villages.
“Our community centres bring people of all ages together, whether it be for sporting, educational or social occasions. They are vital for engaging with those who may find themselves marginalised and they give everyone in the community a great sense of belonging.
“They build, stronger, more vibrant communities – places that for so many people act as a home from home. You could say that the Community Centre is the cornerstone of community life in many towns, villages and cities around the country.
Minister Humphreys added:
“When I launched this fund last year with a €20M allocation, I expected to approve 5 or 6 projects. Taking account of the quality of the applications and the identified needs, I am today approving funding for 12 of the applications received with funding of over €30m.
This funding will assist community groups striving to build their own community centre to service local needs and the level of interest has shown that these centres, when complete, will be the heart of many a community.”
These projects are all on brown or green field sites and have all the necessary planning and consents secured so they are already at an advanced stage and ready to commence following a tender process.
This Fund targets areas without an appropriate facility to meet their community’s needs. The centres range in size from single storey to two-storey buildings and will be located in rural and urban settings across nine counties.
The Minister concluded:
“Through ‘Our Rural Future’, I want to support locally led, ground-up projects in local communities across the country. This funding is all about giving a helping hand to our local groups as they serve their communities with such dedication and generosity.
“I am always struck by the immense pride communities have in their locality. The community centre is a safe, positive and accessible space for all manner of community activities and I want to ensure that community centres continue to remain a hive of activity.
“I want to congratulate the successful projects and to thank them for the vital work they do in providing services in their local communities. This funding will deliver high quality community facilities that will bring benefits to these communities for many years to come.”
ENDS
List of the successful projects under of the Community Centres Investment Fund 2023 – New Build
| County | Group Name | Lead Party | CCIF Funding Awarded |
| Carlow | Tullow Road Community Hub | Carlow County Council | €4,135,178 |
| Cork | Rylane Community Centre | IRD Dunhallow | €1,595,574 |
| Galway | Aras Lae , Maigh Cuilinn | Údarás an Gaeltachta | €6,000,000 |
| Galway (City) | Newcastle Community Centre | Galway City Council | €4,343,255 |
| Mayo | Ballina Scouting Den and Community Centre | Mayo North East | €1,152,193 |
| Meath | Kilcloon Community Centre | Meath County Council | €1,915,000 |
| Monaghan | Rockcorry Community Centre | Monaghan County Council | €2,667,785 |
| Offaly | Moneygall Community Centre | Offaly County Council | €1,407,660 |
| Sligo | Ballymote Community Centre | Sligo County Council | €2,650,991 |
| Sligo | Kilglass Community Centre Sligo | County Council | €1,163,710 |
| Wexford | Ballymitty Community Development | Wexford County Council | €1,398,035 |
| Wexford | Riverchapel Community Centre | Wexford County Council | €1,797,919 |
Total €30,227,300
Notes:
The Community Centres Investment Fund - New Build Measure will invest in new build multi-functional community centres with a minimum grant of €1,000,000 up to a maximum of €6,000,000.
The projects must be ‘shovel-ready’ with all the necessary permissions and consents in place (e.g. planning consent) and be located on a green/brown field site.
The lead party to an application must be a State-funded body (e.g. a local authority).
The fund will provide 90% of the total project value to a maximum of €6,000,000, with at least 10% to be provided in matching contributions. A minimum of 5% of the matching contributions element must be in cash.
The closing date for application was 3rd July 2023.
22 applications were submitted to the Department seeking approximately €60 million in funding. This is well in excess of the 4-6 projects which the scheme set out to support.