Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
1588. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration has been given to a specific funding package for towns and villages to enable tidy towns committees or a chamber of commerce to administer the funding of Christmas lights for December 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33057/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraFunding for a specific package as outlined by the Deputy is not available from my Department at this time.
However, this year's Town and Village Renewal Scheme included three rounds of funding under an Accelerated Measure which supported smaller scale projects that could be delivered immediately to assist towns and villages in adapting to COVID-19. In total, I have allocated €10.4 million to 363 projects across the three funding rounds.
The items funded in each town or village under the Accelerated Measure were based on needs identified locally. The purchase of Christmas lights featured in a small number of project applications, to enable towns to enhance the appearance of their streets and shops, host Christmas festivals and attract additional footfall.
Applications under the standard strand of the 2020 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which has a budget of €15 million, are currently being assessed and the successful projects will be announced when that process is complete. However, this strand focuses on larger scale projects, and particularly those that will assist our towns and villages to recover from the impact of COVID-19 in the medium-term.
