Estates are encouraged to apply for grant funds

THE Estate Development Grants Scheme has been put back to September’s meeting so councillors can be furnished with a list of all local authority estates in the district.

Seven different estates had applied for this year’s scheme worth €8,500. However, concerns were raised that many of the applicants received funding from last year’s scheme too.

‘It seems to be the same estates applying again and again. Maybe they are just a little bit more proactive than some other estates but we should be spreading it more evenly. It’s advertised for everyone to apply and I feel a very small network of estates are applying year after year,’ said Cllr John Snell.

Cllr Gail Dunne said: ‘We do need to spread it out wider. Maybe we could come back to this in September’s meeting and see if other estates need to be made aware.’

Cathaoirleach, Cllr Shay Cullen, felt the district had already made a commitment to the estates applying for the scheme.

‘ The consensus is this was advertised and these people made the effort to apply before the closing date. Maybe we can look at a different schedule for next year but I think we need to honour our commitment.’

Cllr Snell suggested that some of the funding might be held over for requests through the year from different estates.

‘People are looking for signs, bins, dog fowling bins. It’s the generic sort of stuff we should be doing throughout the estates.’

It was agreed to defer the matter back to the next council meeting in September.