Humphreys announces over €1 million to tackle dereliction across Carlow

Over €1million in funding has been allocated to Carlow to combat dereliction in rural towns and villages. 

It's part of a €27million nationwide package announced today (December 14) by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, and marks the largest ever investment under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. 

Six projects in Carlow including Bagenalstown, Fenagh, Graigecullen, SEM - Bagenalstown, PDM - Ballon and PDM - Carrigduff/Bunclody, will benefit from a total of €1,032,769. 

Commenting today, Minister Humphreys said, "I am delighted to announce a record €27 million in funding under my Department’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme. This is all about tackling the scourge of vacancy and dereliction in our rural towns and villages.

"It’s about taking old buildings and giving them a new lease of life. And it’s about rejuvenating the centre of our towns by developing public plazas, town parks, community gardens and sports facilities for the benefit of local families. This investment today will breathe new life into rural towns and villages across every single county.

"It’s the largest ever investment under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and demonstrates my passion and ambition for our rural communities." 

Five hundred thousand euro will go towards the public realm improvements scheme for the enhancement of the River Barrow in Bagenalstown. This includes a coffee dock, bench seating, covered canopy, green trellis overhangs, planter climber walls and decorative paving.

A community partnership enhancement project to improve and enhance Fenagh village will receive €96,369, while €250,000 will go towards enhancement of the public realm in Graiguecullen through the creation of a MultiActivity Zone in the Millennium Park.

This will include outdoor dining spaces, integration of smart benches, enhanced parking facilities and upgrade of former play area to provide an interactive engagement zone for families. 

One hundred thousand euro will go towards Bagenalstown under the Streetscape Enhancement Measure, while €38,700 will be spent on preplanning designs and drawings for a building purchased in Ballon as a community centre hosting Ukrainian refugees. 

A proposed project in Carrigduff/Bunclody worth €47,700 will attempt to address cohesiveness within the community and the need for a community park. 

Minister Humphreys said, "We are all familiar with that old building in the community that has acted as an eyesore for far too long. This particular initiative, the Building Acquisition Measure, is about providing our local authorities with the necessary resources to tackle the scourge of vacancy and dereliction.

"This funding will see former garda stations, convents, old cinemas and banks taken into public ownership and converted for the good of the local community. This scheme goes to the heart of our rural development policy ‘Our Rural Future’ – breathing new life into towns and villages and making them better places to live, work and raise a family."