Galway has been awarded €3.3 million for upgrade and development works to 21 community centres across the county.
Minister Heather Humphreys and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have announced the latest round of grants under the Community Centre Investment Fund.
This allocates grants of €25,000 to €300,000 for improvements to Community Centres, Parish Halls, Scouts Clubs, Youth Hubs, Family Resources Centres and Sports Complexes.
The work being done at them can include building extensions, providing new meeting facilities, energy efficiency upgrades, disability access, maintenance works and more.
In Galway, funding has been awarded to 21 organisations, with four receiving the maximum amount of €300,000.
These are Cortoon/Lavally Community Development Company, Western Traveller And Intercultural Development Company, Abbeyknockmoy Parish Society, and Comharchumann Shailearna Teo.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said, “I’m delighted to see this ground-breaking investment in community centres. It will bring real improvements to the heart of communities across Ireland.”
“In time, I think it will become as significant as the Sport Capital Programme which has brought local sporting facilities up a level that would have been unimaginable 20 years ago.”
Nationwide, the programme will see €33 million distributed to 278 community centres.
Applications for the fund closed in July, and grants under category 1, for amounts up to €25,000 were announced by Minister Humphreys back in October.
The €33 million announced this week is for categories 2 & 3, covering larger scale projects.
“The local community centre is at the heart of our towns, villages and parishes right across the country. Our Community Centres come in many different shapes and sizes and provide a wide and diverse range of services and activities,” Heather Humphreys said.
“The Community Centre is where the children go to play sport; it’s where meals are provided for our senior citizens; it’s where the local dramatic society perform; it’s where the ICA, our Men’s Sheds, Youth Clubs and other local organisation come together for their meetings and events.”
Senator Aisling Dolan said, “Community Centres funding is an investment in the future and makes our towns come alive with the buzz of renovation.”
“Competitive bids from local providers for these works will be of benefit for electricians, plumbers and skilled people in construction and retrofitting.”
The full list of community centres in Galway awarded grants is:
- Ballybane Community Centre – €25,000
- Killimordaly Community Centre – €25,000
- Portumna Town & Community Hall – €25,000
- Lackagh Museum and Community Development Association – €38,698.17
- Inishbofin Development Company – €92,125.22
- Clonberne Community Centre Co – €100,000
- Ballinasloe Social Services Company – €83,387.86
- Simon Community (Galway) – €35,530.00
- Claddaghduff Hall Company – €94,618.94
- Fr. Sammon Community Centre – €89,212.29
- Connemara West Public Limited Company – €93,756.45
- Cortoon/Lavally Community Development Company – €300,000
- Eyrecourt & District Community Development Company – €282,728.92
- Ballinasloe Town Hall – €251,919.47
- Kinvara Community Council – €219,757
- Loughnane and Quinn Memorial Hall – €286,803.29
- Western Traveller And Intercultural Development Company – €300,000
- Comharchumann Mhic Dara Teo – €294,362.25
- Abbeyknockmoy Parish Society – €300,000
- Comharchumann Shailearna Teo – €300,000
- Ballymoe Development Company – €97,289.05
