The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Ms Heather Humphreys TD, has this week announced, in total, €75million for 24 landmark regeneration projects, in rural communities across the Republic of Ireland.
The funding, which is being provided under the €1 Billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will support the key objectives of ‘Our Rural Future’ – the Government’s ambitious new policy for Rural Ireland.
A large number of the successful projects will provide for the regeneration of vacant town centre buildings as remote working and hot-desking facilities. These projects will support remote workers and commuters to work from and remain in their own local community.
Just one examples of these successful projects is the allocation of €2.8m for the Thurles Market Quarter, Co Tipperary, situated close to The Source, building on Cathedral Street. This project will renovate a mid 19th Century (1848) vacant agriculture building and associated car park to create a new ‘Thurles Market Quarter’. The new location will include a designated Market Space, a multi-functional ‘Events Space’ and a ‘Student’s Union’ and ‘Café’.
Announcing the overall funding Minister Humphreys stated:
“Just three weeks ago, the Government launched ‘Our Rural Future’, the most ambitious and transformational policy for rural development in decades. Today we are putting that policy firmly into action and delivering major investment aimed at town centre regeneration and supporting remote working.
These projects will breathe new life into towns and villages across the country making them attractive and vibrant places for people to live, work, socialise and raise a family.”
Thanking Tipperary Co. Council for their vision, Minister Humphreys continued:
“When I launched ‘Our Rural Future’, I said I wanted to see innovative and exciting projects coming forward that would make a real and lasting difference in our rural towns and villages – that’s exactly what the projects we are announcing today are about.
It is absolutely clear that Local Authorities and communities across the country have picked up the ball on remote working and ran with it. I am delighted that so many of the successful projects today will see the development of remote working and hot-desking facilities in rural towns and villages.
These projects will not only enable people to live and work in their community but they will also see iconic town centre buildings given a new lease of life and increase footfall for local businesses.
Supporting the development of remote working facilities in places like Enfield and Carrickmacross will give commuters in those areas the choice to work locally rather than spend hours in traffic each day.
A large number of these projects also include significant public realm works such as developing new pedestrian areas in town centres, creating new green areas and developing new outdoor public spaces for community and cultural events – these projects will help to make our towns attractive, lived in and vibrant places.
Today you are seeing Our Rural Future in action – and this is only the beginning. In the coming weeks, I will be inviting new applications under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund and bringing forward an enhanced Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which will provide rural communities with more opportunities to make exciting and impactful projects like these a reality,” the Minister concluded.
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