Almost €300,000 allocated for community centre energy bills
Westmeath is to receive €291,654 of a €10 million government fund to support parish halls and community centres with energy bills that has been announced this morning.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, TD, and Minister of State, Joe O’Brien, TD, made the announcement this morning.
The Community Support Fund will provide small grants to a range of community groups to assist with running costs.
Funding will be available to support parish halls, community centres, local development associations, social clubs, ICA groups, senior citizen groups, Men’s Sheds, Women’s Sheds and more.
The new scheme has been devised to support groups with their energy costs who may not have been deemed eligible under previous government schemes.
These include groups that operate from parish halls and who need support with running costs such as energy or insurance bills.
Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade works and to purchase equipment to support their activities such as laptops and printers, lawnmowers, training equipment.
Minister Humphreys said: “Like everybody else, community groups are not immune from rising prices. This new scheme is about supporting these groups with their costs, whether it’s the electricity bill, insurance costs or other overheads.
“As minister for Rural and Community Development, I fully appreciate the fantastic work carried out by volunteers in communities across the country, whether it’s the local parish hall committee, the development association or the local senior citizens group.
“These committees work hard to make sure they can keep the lights on and run fantastic local services and events for young and old to enjoy.
“In making this €10m Fund available today, I want to support these groups to make sure they can continue doing this great work on the ground in communities across the country. These will be small grants ranging from a few hundred euro to a few thousand euro, but I know they will make a big difference to the groups involved.
“The Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) will administer this fund on behalf of my department at local level and I would encourage community groups interested in applying to contact their LCDC over the coming days at the contact numbers provided.”
Minister O’Brien added: “In recognition of rising energy costs the government announced a package of funding supports to business, cultural, health, sporting and community and voluntary organisations in September. We know that many small groups, particularly those who serve in disadvantaged areas, may not be able to access these funds.”
The one-off fund will be allocated under the department’s Community Enhancement Programme and will be administered by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs).
This funding builds on the minster’s earlier announcement of the €10 million Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS).
The CVESS will provide once-off support to incorporated organisations and registered charities within the community and voluntary sector which fall outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by government such as the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS).
Further details can be found here.
Local authority area, amount in €
Carlow 283,141
Cavan 285,126
Clare 301,325
Cork City 353,332
Cork County 362,678
Donegal 374,061
Dublin City 564,302
Dun Laoghaire 311,589
Fingal 341,875
Galway City 276,838
Galway County 316,244
Kerry 312,671
Kildare 332,848
Kilkenny 290,749
Laois 291,487
Leitrim 265,201
Limerick 350,592
Longford 276,585
Louth 323,952
Mayo 322,731
Meath 314,415
Monaghan 277,255
Offaly 298,782
Roscommon 279,884
Sligo 282,702
South Dublin 409,835
Tipperary 338,885
Waterford 320,195
Westmeath 291,654
Wexford 340,233
Wicklow 308,834