Government Pledges €500m Rural Capital Funding Under Updated Development Policy
Thursday 5 November 2026
Minister Dara Calleary has outlined plans to allocate €500 million in rural capital investment between 2026 and 2028 under the updated Our Rural Future policy.
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary has outlined plans to allocate €500 million in capital funding for rural schemes between 2026 and 2028.
Speaking during Dáil statements on the updated *Our Rural Future* policy, which spans 2026 to 2031, Minister Calleary confirmed that upcoming calls for proposals under the rural development investment programme will target small, medium, and large-scale capital projects. The Minister stated that adjustments will be made to programme administration to improve direct access to funding for local community groups.
Reflecting on the initial policy framework introduced in 2021, the Minister noted that 150 measures—amounting to 84% of commitments—had reached full completion or active implementation. Government allocations since 2020 exceeded €1 billion across thousands of initiatives, including:
- **Town and Village Regeneration:** More than €560 million delivered through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme to address vacancy, dereliction, and town centre renewal, including projects such as the €2.45 million Glenfarne wood development in County Leitrim.
- **Community and Road Infrastructure:** Over €112 million invested in upgrading more than 1,600 facilities via the Community Centre Investment Fund, alongside over €150 million allocated to more than 3,000 road projects under the Local Improvement Scheme.
- **Connectivity and Services:** Establishment of a national network featuring over 400 remote working hubs, alongside the roll-out of 185 new or enhanced public transport routes under the Connecting Ireland rural mobility plan, linking more than 240 towns and villages.
- **Targeted Support:** The expansion of the CLÁR programme to cover an eligible population exceeding 1 million people for the first time.
The revised national rural policy framework coordinates government commitments across essential infrastructure, public transport linkages, and community facilities over the 2026–2031 cycle.