Government to Announce Shovel-Ready Rural Regeneration Allocations by Year-End

Decisions on the latest round of Rural Regeneration and Development Fund capital allocations will be announced before the end of the calendar year.

Speaking in Dáil Éireann, Minister Dara Calleary confirmed that assessment of applications under the Category 1 call opened in February is currently ongoing alongside Minister of State Deputy Buttimer. The call specifically targets strategically important, large-scale capital regeneration projects that already possess full planning permission and all required consents, ensuring they are ready to commence construction immediately.

The fund supports projects aimed at revitalising rural towns and villages with populations under 10,000. To date, the scheme has allocated more than €611 million across 271 projects nationwide.

Calleary also issued a warning to local authorities regarding delivery timelines, stating that councils cannot sit on allocations without advancing works. The Department may decide to decommit funding from stalled projects so that capital can be reallocated to active schemes waiting in the assessment pipeline.

The debate followed representations by Deputy Micheál Carrigy regarding the Newtownforbes Community Hub, where Longford County Council recently granted planning permission to transform a derelict parish hall into a multi-use facility.