Purposeful grant for playgrounds needed in rural communities says Tipperary TD
Ryan O’Meara TD raises the need to go further with supports for rural population services
The implementation of the Government’s national development policy ‘Our Rural Future’ was discussed in the Dáil last week, with TDs outlining both achievements to date and areas where further investment and support are still needed.
The policy, launched in 2021, aims to support regeneration, employment, infrastructure and community development in rural Ireland, with work currently ongoing on the next phase of the strategy.
Among those to contribute to the discussion led by Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary was north Tipperary TD Ryan O’Meara, who said:
“I am proud to be a rural TD and to come from a rural part of Ireland, representing some of the most vibrant, passionate, dedicated and ambitious communities in this country.”
He then mentioned some of the existing grants that are available to rural communities, specifically CLÁR, LEADER and RRDF, which provide funding for small scale infrastructure projects, rural businesses, tourism efforts, community facilities and sustainable and social development projects in rural areas.
He stated that these grants have been put to good use so far in his constituency, making specific reference to a new village park being developed in Carrig and praised Minister Calleary and his team for helping to get that project going. He noted that the money used for it is part of the Government’s €110 million community centre investment fund, which he said also contributed to developments in Ballymackey and Terryglass.
While welcoming the investment already delivered under the policy, O’Meara said there were still areas where rural communities were facing challenges.
The first issue he raised was funding for rural playgrounds:
“There is no specific scheme for playgrounds, which is a challenge for many communities, particularly Cloughjordan and Silvermines in north Tipperary.
“The price of building a good, fit-for-purpose, modern playground is high and is increasing. While there are some grant supports, we need to look at where we get a purposeful grant for playgrounds. When there is a community and a committee that is really dedicated to getting one in, when the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle is that grant, there is space for us to do a little more.”
He also highlighted the importance of community cafés and shops in rural communities:
“To give a synopsis of the community cafés and shops in my constituency, we have Lorrha, Cloughjordan, Moneygall, Loughmore, Moyne, Ballingarry, Annacarty, Freshford and Muckalee. They are not all in my constituency, but they are all very important to the people in my constituency. They are a vital social and community outlet.”
Minister Calleary later referred to O’Meara’s comments on these community spaces and said he would seek to support them under the next phase of the Our Rural Future policy:
“My colleague, Deputy Ryan O'Meara, raised community cafés and community services. That is something I will seek to support in the new Our Rural Future. The community café model is fantastic and it shows.”