Community centres in Laois to receive funding of over €400,000 to upgrade facilities

Community centres in Laois will receive essential funding of €427,183.95 to carry out upgrades and repairs.

The successful projects in Laois are:

Treo Nua Company €87,817.05

Portarlington Union of Parishes  €29,859

Clonaslee Community Development Association  €46,293.65

Killeshin Community Centre CLG  €143,914.25

Errill Vision Group CLG  €119,300

The funding for Laois is part of a national package of €33 million which will be spread nationally across 278 community centres. 

Welcoming the funding, Deputy Charlie Flanagan said, ""This welcome announcement is the largest single investment in our community centres in decades. Community centres are valued shared spaces and are very much at the heart of our towns and villages in Laois. This funding is to help in making them even better for the provision of services to people all across Laois.

"Grants will be provided under the new Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF). Some of the projects include parish and scouts’ halls, GAA clubhouses, Men’s Sheds and youth facilities.

"Enhancements may include extensions to existing community centres, energy retrofitting, maintenance works, or the upgrading of toilet facilities. Additionally, Government wants to highlight the potential of community centres to act as social hubs in Laois, for all ageI also want to congratulate the successful projects and to thank them for the vital work they do in providing services in our local communities. This funding will deliver high quality capital projects for our community facilities which will bring more benefits and service to local communities,” concluded Flanagan.

Sean Fleming, Minister of State in the Department of Finance commended the local committees for their ongoing work to improve these local facilities.

"The local communities have invested with their own time, resources and funds for the improvement of these facilities. Each of these made a detailed application to the Department for funding and I am very pleased that the Government is now supporting these very valuable local projects with a very substantial injection of cash," stated Minister Fleming. 

"The works included can cover extensions, energy upgrades, development of social hubs, upgrade works to facilitate disability access, replacement of windows and doors and upgrade of toilet facilities and fire safety measures."