€4.5m to renew empty rural sites
Plan to address challenge of vacant properties
NEW funding will see former Garda stations, schools, post offices, parish halls and vacant sites redeveloped to be used as community hubs and facilities.
The Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys has hade €4.5million available to tackle dereliction and vacancy.
She said: “This initiative is all about giving local communities the tools to address the challenges of vacancy and dereliction in their towns and villages.
“Through this funding, we are taking those run-down buildings and turning them into facilities that will benefit communities for generations to come. By doing so, we will help to drive footfall into our town centres, increase tourism and, above all, make our rural towns and villages even better places to live, work, invest, visit and raise a family.”
The investment, under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, will see 24 old and derelict buildings repurposed for 21st-century community use.
They will be purchased by local authorities.
Under the scheme, a former garda barracks in Bellacorick, Co Mayo, will be redeveloped and used as a multi-purpose community hub.
A one-time national school in Ballyroan, Co Laois, and a disused parish hall in Enfield, Co Meath, will be turned into multi-purpose community space.
A Blueway Hub will be developed
MOVE Heather Humphreys in Leitrim Village where a twostorey semi-detached house will be purchased.
In Villierstown, Co Waterford, a site with derelict buildings will be transformed into a permanent structure including a boathouse, camping site, additional parking facilities and a multi-purpose community space.
A former parochial hall, parochial house and coach house will be converted into multi-purpose community space in the St Margaret’s area of North Dublin, while a former bakery in Belturbet in Cavan will be converted into another multi-purpose community facility.
In total, funding has been allocated to local authorities in Carlow, Cavan, Donegal, Dublin, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.