Michael Ring TD, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, today announced that €10,300 has been allocated to Belmullet Tidy Towns through the LEADER Programme to support the Mullet Peninsula Biodiversity Community Training Programme.
The funding will help establish a training programme for the community of the Mullet Peninsula with the aim of training and supporting the residents to manage habitats for biodiversity. The programme will have a strong emphasis on supporting flagship species such as the great yellow bumblebee.
Speaking in relation to the allocation, Minister Ring, whose Department oversees the LEADER Programme, said: “The project will work with community groups, farmers and others to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity to the community, and it will train local people about the ecological and economic importance of biodiverse habitats.
“Belmullet Tidy Towns is a fantastic group with a great track record of supporting the improvement of their community. I have no doubt that they will do a great job in implementing this programme.
“LEADER is vitally important for rural communities in Mayo. I have now announced over €5.5 million in funding for 146 LEADER funded projects in Mayo.
“We have seen a significant expansion of activity over the last two years since I introduced a range of measures to make the programme work better for both potential applicants and for the LEADER Local Action Groups which deliver the programme on the ground.
“I want to see this momentum continue over the coming months and the funding for the approved projects drawn down as quickly as possible. LEADER funding represents an enormous opportunity for rural businesses and communities that are in need of investment and it’s great to see the programme continuing to grow and make a difference for rural Ireland over the coming years.”
