An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, announced this week €225,000 worth of funding for three projects in Mayo under the capital investment plan for rural towns and villages. The €225,000 from a €30 million pot nationally will see projects developed in Castlebar, Swinford, and in Geesala.
The biggest investment will see €125,000 to begin work on turning the military barracks in Castlebar into a regionally important creative hub and visitor attraction. €50,000 will be spent to develop a non-weather dependent facility in Geesala along the Wild Atlantic Way, and €50,000 will be invested to help renovate the court house in Swinford to become a creative hub and secondly to create a historical route around the centre of Swinford to benefit both the inhabitants of the town and visitors.
Speaking at the announcement An Taoisaeach said: "Fine Gael is keenly aware of the impact the economic downturn has had on towns and villages throughout Ireland and this year we launched the Standing Up for Rural Ireland campaign to advocate on behalf of rural communities to ensure that the economic recovery spreads to all parts of Ireland."
He added: "This injection of money into all three communities is a welcome development and forms only part of the Government's commitment to rural Ireland over the coming months. Our job now is to both secure the recovery and make sure it is felt in every home across the country including those in Mayo."
Minister of State Michael Ring welcomed the news saying: "The Village and Town Renewal Scheme will support the revitalisation of towns/villages, making them better places to live and to work, and increasing their potential to support growing economic activity. The new scheme proposed will run over six years and will have a budget of €30m. The initiative will be channelled through the local authorities with oversight by the local community development committees and when implemented, I expect we will see an impact here in Mayo.”
John O'Mahony TD said: "The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA ) report has shown that rural towns have felt the impact of the economic downturn more acutely than cities and larger urban centres. The Government committed to addressing the recommendations of the CEDRA report and to ensuring that the recovery spreads to all parts of the country. This scheme is delivering on that commitment. Other parties talk up the demise of rural Ireland. Fine Gael doesn’t buy into this. Rural Ireland is alive, but it needs support and through the Village and Town Renewal Scheme we can promote rural Ireland."
A further €2 million from the funding stream was allocated to the Western Development Commission for a pilot project following the CEDRA report, speaking about this allocation An Taoiseach said: "This €2 million injection will allow the WDC to co-ordinate the implementation of the recommendations of the the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA ). On a national level the Government's Medium Term Capital Plan, to be published in full next week, will allocate €30 million to a new rural towns and villages renewal scheme, designed to boost rural growth and job opportunities. This decision is in response to the recommendations of the Government's Commission for Economic Development in Rural Areas, chaired by Pat Spillane. This scheme will support local authorities and communities to come together to fund projects that can act as a catalyst for local economic developments. Examples include green-ways, local enterprise spaces, and broadband infrastructure."
Sinn Féin MEP for the region, Matt Carty, was not as positive about the funding saying: "The announcement of the new €30m scheme to improve rural areas hit by the economic downturn is a typical response of the Irish Government - it is pathetic and insulating. When you consider that more money was actually spent on a underground DART proposal for Dublin that will now not even go ahead it shows in stark terms this government's approach to rural communities. All across rural Ireland communities have been left with no employment opportunities for the young, resulting in mass emigration from these areas. Through our ongoing consultations with local families, businesses, farmers, and service providers we have spelled out to both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael led governments the impact of their policy of austerity on livelihoods and local economies."
