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Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has visited County Clare to open a series 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.
During the visit to County Clare, Minister Humphreys opened and visited projects with a combined investment of over €3.7 million.
The county has received over €12 million in funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development in 2020 and 2021.
The first stop on the Minister’s itinerary was a visit to Vandeleur Walled Gardens in Kilrush.
Speaking in Kilrush the Minister said:
“This is the first stop of my visit to Clare today to see first-hand how the investment from my Department is supporting rural Ireland and breathing new life into communities like Kilrush.
“The Vandeleur Walled Gardens project was one of the first projects to be approved for funding under my Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.
“The RRDF funding of €1.97 million will enable this important heritage asset to be developed into an exciting experience that will be of huge benefit to West Clare.
“I am pleased by the progress made by Clare County Council in progressing this project and I thank its staff and the staff of the gardens today for all their work in realising their vision for Vandeleur.”
The Minister continued her tour of the county, where she opened the new Digital Hub in Cross, Carrigaholt.
The new remote working hub and community space will have high-speed broadband, hot desks and a meeting / training room.
While visting the hub, the Minister also launched the Digi-Clare Prospectus for remote working.
Speaking at the event, the Minister said:
“I am really pleased to be here to open the Cross Digital Hub – which represents the latest step in our bid to make remote working a reality in every corner of rural Ireland.
“This hub will make a significant difference to the community here at Cross and I want to congratulate Clare County Council, and in particular the Broadband Officer Urban McMahon, on the success of this project and the wider DigiClare initiative.
“Aside from facilitating remote workers, this hub will provide very real and badly needed access and space for the local community.
“That is the beauty of what remote working hubs have to offer: They can be both a community asset and a place of enterprise, study and employment.”
Later in the day the Minister:
The last stop on the Minister’s itinerary was a visit to Cnoc na Gaoithe Comhaltas Cultural Centre in Tulla, a community facility that enables the town to promote and preserve its rich cultural and musical tradition.
The centre was previously approved for funding of €900,000 under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and €200,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
Please find full details of the investments and projects opened/visited as part of the Minister’s engagements in Clare.
The facility has been extended to provide B&B accommodation for visitors which has enabled the centre to host groups from all over the USA, the UK, France, the Shetland Islands and Norway who partake in Cultural Exchange programmes organised by the Centre.
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.
RRDF funding of €9.8 million has been approved to date for 10 projects costing €13.04 million located in Clare.
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.