Cavan projects to get over €1M in Rural Development Investment funding

Two Cavan projects are set to benefit from the final Rural Development Investment Programme set out by the current administration. As the country awaits confirmation of the make up of the next government, the Department of Rural and Community Development announced details of the Rural Development Investment Programme.

The purpose of the fund is to support job creation in rural areas, address de-population of rural communities and support improvements in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas.

Kingscourt Town Centre Regeneration and The Beara Breifne Way are among the 24 projects across Ireland named in the allocation.

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michale Ring, announced the allocation of €13 million in funding under the €1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. The allocation is part of the Department of Rural and Community Development’s Rural Development Investment Programme which is funded under Project Ireland 2040.

It provides €1 billion in investment over 10 years to support the regeneration and development of rural towns, villages and outlying areas. Initial funding of €315 million was allocated on a phased basis over the period 2019 to 2022.

Kingscourt Town Centre Regeneration, which Cavan County Council has estimated as having a budget of €1,050,000, will be funded to the tune of €787,500 under the scheme. While The Beara Breifne Way, which runs from West Cork through Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly, Galway, Roscommon, Sligo, Leitrim before concluding in Cavan, has a budget of €400,000 to be administered by Fáilte Ireland, is to receive €300,000.

Welcoming the announcement Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, said: “€787,500 has been awarded for the regeneration of the town centre in Kingscourt. The funding will be used to develop a carpark and public realm works. The funding has been awarded under Category 2 of the Fund, which provides seed capital funding for large-scale projects that will assist in delivering town and village regeneration, and contribute to economic development and recovery.

“The announcement will come as a significant boost for the local communities in Kingscourt. Without a doubt, they are very worthy recipients of this funding,” Minister Humphreys said.

In Monaghan, €295,000 has been awarded for the second phase of the regeneration of Market Square in Castleblayney. The funding will be used to prepare plans to complete the restoration of the Market House. In Leitrim the Carrick on Shannon to Battlebridge Blueway is to receive funding of €476,033.