Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
41. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if she intends providing funding to support tidy towns groups to assist them with their projects and initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27665/22]
View answerI was pleased to be in a position at the 2021 SuperValu TidyTowns awards ceremony to announce a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in preparing for the 2022 competition. This brings the total funding allocated to TidyTowns groups to €6.7 million since my Department was established in 2017.
I launched the 2022 SuperValu TidyTowns competition on 7th April 2022, and the closing date for entries was Friday 20th May. I look forward to announcing the winner of Ireland's Tidiest Town 2022 later in the year.
My Department, with support from the National Panel of TidyTowns Adjudicators, recently redrafted the TidyTowns Handbook to bring it in line with the competition categories and to further assist the TidyTowns groups. My Department also continues to support TidyTowns groups via ongoing engagement such as regular newsletters, sharing information on the TidyTowns website and on our social media pages, and through the provision of information webinars.
