Clare has received less than 5% of a Government fund established to support communities that have welcomed people from other countries.
The county has been granted just over €800,000 of the €22 million announced today under the latest round of funding of the Community Recognition Fund.
The scheme administered by the newly-reconfigured Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht was set up in 2023 to recognise the “huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland.
Under phase one of the 2024 fund announced in August of last year, Clare was given €1.7 million which accounted for over 10% of the nationwide allocation of €16.5 million.
The successful community projects under phase two were announced in February of this year but this county failed to secure any funding, with €17 million going to 212 projects elsewhere in the country.
Under the latest round of funding announced today, €806,000 has been doled out to eight different projects in Clare.
The repair of the roof of the Tullyvarraga Community Hall in Shannon and the construction of a community car park with bicycle parking in Bodyke are each being supported to the tune of €150,000.
A total of €100,000 will go towards the upgrade of the nature park between the Maid of Erin Roundabout and Cusack Road in Ennis, while Kilkee Waterworld has been given €90,000 for the installation of an above-ground pool.
Full list of successful Clare projects:
Statement from Clare County Council:
County Clare was allocated a total of €2,608,408 under the Community Recognition Fund (CRF) 2024. This national allocation was determined based on the number of new arrivals in each local authority area.
The Department of Rural and Community Development opened the scheme to community groups in April 2024, inviting them to submit project proposals for consideration.
Local authorities were permitted to submit funding proposals to the Department in multiple phases, allowing for flexibility in responding to emerging needs and opportunities throughout the year. There were three submission windows available for proposals.
Clare County Council’s Submissions:
• Window 1: The Council submitted proposals for 21 projects and secured funding of €1,802,000 .
• Window 2: The Council did not submit a proposal during this window.
• Window 3: A further 8 projects were submitted and, as of yesterday, have been awarded the remaining €806,408.
In total, 29 projects across County Clare have now been approved, fully utilising the entire CRF 2024 allocation of €2.608 million.
This outcome reflects the significant efforts of Clare County Council’s Rural and Community Development Department, which worked closely with community groups to develop and prepare project proposals that met the scheme’s criteria and were ready for submission.”
