07 Feb Killala set to benefit from €4.5 million package for rural towns and villages

• New Fund to build and develop network of Town Teams

• €50,000 to develop projects that will breathe new life into communities

• Supports for smaller towns to tackle vacancy and dereliction

• Additional funding to be provided to counties in the North West

The town of Killala in North Mayo is set to benefit from a new package aimed at supporting rural towns and villages, according to Mayo TD, Alan Dillon.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, today announced a €4.5 million package to support our rural towns and villages across the country.

As part of a suite of measures, a new Town Team Support Fund will be established to build and develop a network of Town Teams nationwide.

Under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, up to €50,000 will be invested in supporting the development of projects designed to breathe new life into rural communities. And additional funding will be provided for projects submitted by counties in the North West – recognising the specific challenges facing the region.

Furthermore, towns will also be provided with up to €30,000 in funding to develop their own Town Centre First (TCF) Plans.

These have already proven to be crucial in terms of helping other towns and villages to generate investment and tackle issues such as vacancy and dereliction.

Deputy Dillon said: “The Town Centre First plan for Killala was submitted by Mayo County Council last year.

‘Mayo’s Town Regeneration Officer (TRO), Anne McCarthy is currently working with the Town Team in Killala to identify suitable funding streams and potential applications. Under Town Centre First Policy, all such applications are to be generated and submitted by the Town Team (with support from TRO).

‘The collective aim is to build resilient and sustainable places, to support community-led regeneration and town centre revitalisation as part of the Town Centre First Programme. These supports will specifically target rural towns with a population of under 10,000 people.”

Under this new Fund, €10,000 will be provided per town to help them establish this new Town Team or to build up the one already in place.

A total of €30,000 will be provided for the development of Town Centre First Plans, which are key to revitalising our town centres.

Minister Heather Humphreys is opening applications for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme with a particular focus on supporting counties in the North West Region.

A project development measure will assist local authorities to contribute to a pipeline of significant, well developed projects by providing funding of €50,000 each to support two projects with an additional third €50,000 application available for the counties in the North West Region. This support will be delivered under the umbrella of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.”

Deputy Dillon added: “This is about empowering our communities to realise their vision. It’s about giving them the tools and supports they need to generate investment, attract tourism and above all, become better places to live, work and raise a family. Central to this multi-million euro initiative is the establishment of a new Town Team Support Fund.

We all know that our Town Teams do fantastic work in many parts of the country and especially here in Mayo. But in other parts, there is no town team at all. I look forward to working with Mayo’s Town Regeneration Officer and the Town Team in developing this plan for Killala.”