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Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys has today (Friday, 27 October) confirmed details of the allocation of €1.5 million to support local TidyTowns groups with their preparations for the 2024 SuperValu TidyTowns competition, and has urged eligible groups to ensure they avail of the funding.
This allocation will provide top-up funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 for eligible TidyTowns groups across the country. All of the SuperValu TidyTowns Groups who entered the competition in any of 2021, 2022 and 2023 will be eligible to apply.
This year marked the 65th anniversary of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition, which continues to go from strength to strength, with over 880 towns and villages entering the competition in 2023.
With this new funding announcement, the Department of Rural and Community Development has allocated a total of €9.5 million to TidyTowns Groups since 2017.
Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said:
“The SuperValu TidyTowns Competition is all about community, innovation, and sustainability, and I’m delighted to be able to support this important work with this direct funding. I applaud the impactful work that our TidyTowns groups across the country do in making our towns and villages better places in which to work, live and raise a family.”
The Minister continued:
“The funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 is being provided to groups to assist them in preparing for the 2024 Competition in particular initiatives in the areas of biodiversity, sustainability and inclusion, all of which help Ireland realise its commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
All eligible groups will be contacted before Christmas to confirm their funding. All projects and initiatives funded under this support must be completed by 31 July 2024.
At the national awards ceremony earlier in October, Minister Heather Humphreys declared Abbeyleix in County Laois as Ireland’s Tidiest Town for 2023.
Looking ahead to next year, the Minister said:
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the tens of thousands of TidyTowns volunteers who give their time and skills so generously over the years. Everything you do locally benefits us all. I encourage younger people and our new communities in particular to get involved in 2024, to further enrich this wonderful competition. I am confident that the funding provided by my department will continue to make, a real difference to the towns and villages of Ireland.”
TidyTowns Full List of Eligible Groups
Our Rural Future is the whole-of-government policy for rural Ireland for the period 2022-2025. It represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development policy for Ireland and adopts a more strategic, ambitious and holistic approach to investing in and maximising opportunities for rural areas. The policy’s objectives will be achieved through the delivery of more than 150 commitments to be implemented across a range of government departments and agencies. Economic, social and environmental sustainability is at the heart of Our Rural Future.
Further details on all programmes administered by the department can
be found at www.gov.ie/drcd.