gov - €4.5 million Community Enhancement Programme will support invaluable work of community groups

Michael Ring TD, Minister for Rural and Community Development, today announced the launch of the 2019 Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) with initial funding of €4.5 million.

Minister Ring made the announcement at the Men’s Shed in Granard, Co Longford which benefitted from funding in the 2018 CEP.

The CEP is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and will provide €4.5 million of grant funding towards enhancing the facilities available to communities. The Programme has a focus on supporting groups in disadvantaged areas.

Minister Ring said:

“The CEP provides vital support to community groups in order to help them improve their facilities. It supports small-scale funding for projects which range from purchasing lawnmowers and IT equipment to minor renovations to buildings. Ultimately the Programme responds to local needs and also provides funding towards larger projects.

“In Granard Men’s Shed today I have seen how funding from the CEP is being used to construct a kitchen area which is nearing completion and will enhance the facility considerably. Granard Men’s Shed does fantastic local work and is representative of the contribution made by the communities which the CEP supports.

“These investments allow community groups to carry out the invaluable work they do on behalf of others in local areas throughout the country. The impact of the Community Enhancement Programme is considerable.

“Typical enhancements under the programme could include the purchase of equipment or materials, improvements to town parks and common areas and spaces, CCTV equipment and energy efficiency type projects.”

The CEP was launched for the first time in 2018 and funded over 3,000 projects across the country. It was the result of the first significant exercise in the streamlining of schemes and programmes carried out by the Department of Rural and Community Development. It combined two existing schemes so that funding is now provided to improve facilities in a manner that is more flexible and responsive at a local level.

For details on the 2019 funding in each Local Authority area please see the below table.

Local Authority	Amount
Carlow	€134,206
Cavan	€134,757
Clare	€139,257
Cork City	€149,241
Cork	€160,762
Donegal	€159,461
Dublin City	€212,306
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown	€142,108
Fingal	€150,521
Galway City	€132,455
Galway	€143,401
Kerry	€142,409
Kildare	€148,013
Kilkenny	€136,319
Laois	€136,524
Leitrim	€129,223
Limerick	€152,942
Longford	€132,385
Louth	€145,542
Mayo	€145,203
Meath	€142,893
Monaghan	€132,571
Offaly	€138,550
Roscommon	€133,301
Sligo	€134,084
South Dublin	€169,399
Tipperary	€149,690
Waterford	€144,499
Westmeath	€136,571
Wexford	€150,065
Wicklow	€141,343

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

The CEP was launched for the first time in 2018. Due to its success the initial funding of €4.5m was subsequently increased to €13m. The 2018 programme provided funding to over 3,000 projects across the country. A list of projects is provided on the following link: Community Enhancement Programme reports
The CEP is targeted towards enhancing facilities in disadvantaged communities.
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.
The funding is targeted at improving facilities in order to address disadvantage, in a manner consistent with each areas Local Economic and Community Plan.
The exact closing date for receipt of applications will be set following consultation with the LCDCs that administer the programme on behalf of the Department. The application process will be open for a minimum of six weeks.

€4.5 million Community Enhancement Programme will support invaluable work of community groups – Minister Ring

Notes to Editor:

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