€17m funding announced for regeneration in Kingscourt and Cootehill
The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced record funding of €164 million for 30 landmark regeneration projects across the country, with €17,027,254 in funding allocated towards projects in Kingscourt and Cootehill.
€10,897,812 has been allocated towards the Kingscourt Town Centre Regeneration, while €6,129,442 has been earmarked for St Michael’s Hall Community Centre in Cootehill.
The two projects will have a combined project cost of €18,919,171, with the balance of €1,891,917 being contributed by Cavan County Council.
The investment is being provided under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) with a particular emphasis on the revitalisation of rural town centres, which is a key objective of the Our Rural Future and Town Centre First Policies.
The Kingscourt Town Centre Regeneration will deliver a transformational redevelopment of Kingscourt town core including the refurbishment of a former bank building to provide a Community Library and the refurbishment of another former bank building to create a multi-functional hub. The project will provide new and improved amenities, a more vibrant and attractive town centre and improved quality of life for residents.
The second project announced by Minister Humphreys will transform the historic St. Michael’s Hall into a multifunctional community space in the town centre. The project will regenerate and strengthen the town centre, creating a new focal point for the community.
Announcing the “unprecedented” funding, Minister Humphreys said “The funding announced today will revitalise towns and villages in line with the Town Centre First Policy, addressing vacancy and dereliction, stimulating rural economies and responding to community needs”.
“This is a truly transformative level of funding that will make a real and lasting difference in rural communities throughout Ireland.”
Welcoming the significant funding announcement, Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr Philip Brady said, “Today is a red letter day for east Cavan, as we see another historic investment by the Government in rural communities in the county. The application process for these funds is extremely competitive and great credit is due to the team in Cavan County Council who, working with the local communities and project partners, put together extremely detailed and compelling applications. I look forward to watching these transformative projects progress in the coming years.”
Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Eoin Doyle said, “Today’s announcement by Minister Humphreys is most welcome and the product of a great deal of preparatory work by our staff. On a momentous occasion such as this, I want to also acknowledge our councillors, without whose support in terms of match funding, we could not pursue these ambitious projects”.
“There still remains much to be done to bring these landmark projects to life, there is no doubt that this is an exciting time for the community development sector in Cavan, with these two projects adding to major regeneration projects already underway in Abbeylands, Ballyjamesduff, Ballyconnell, and Bailieborough," added Mr Doyle.
Today’s announcement relates to the Fifth Call for Category 1 applications, which provides funding for large scale capital projects which have planning in place and are ready to proceed.
The application process is competitive, and applications were subjected to a comprehensive assessment process by the Department with oversight provided by an independent Project Advisory Board, made up of representatives drawn from key Government Departments along with external independent experts.
