€200,000 worth of Laois community grant applications turned down due to fund shortfall

Community groups in Laois were turned down in grant applications to maintain their facilities in 2021 while many applicants got a lot less than sought because the funding available fell short of what applicants around the county felt the needed to cover their costs.

The Laois Local Community Development Committee  (LCDC) administers the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). It provides capital funding to community groups across Ireland to enhance facilities in disadvantaged areas. The CEP is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The LCDC falls under the auspices of Laois County council.

A total of 95 applications were received under Laois LCDC in 2021. The total funding sought  amount to €346,487.56. However, the amount of available for allocation by the committee was €136,524.

In total 68 applicants were approved by the committee which was chaired by Cllr Paschal McEvoy when decisions were made last year. A query arose at the meeting last year where the grants were finalised as to why some groups were unsuccessful.

In response, Carmel McNichol, Chief Officer, advised the committee that funds were fairly distributed across the Laois municipal districts. She noted the main reason for projects being unsuccessful in their application being ineligibility in accordance with criteria, or in some cases failure to comply with necessary requirements such as submission of three quotations. 

The grants vary from nearly €8,000 to €200.

The Borris in Ossory / Mountmellick Municipal District, which takes in the west and south west of Laois, represented the biggest number of successful applicants and most money paid out at €54,563.

Figures show the 20 recipients in the Portarlington to Graiguecullen Municipal District are shared €41,086.

The Portlaoise MD, which takes in Abbeyleix and Ballinakill was in receipt of €40,875 with 18 groups sharing out the grants.

Sports clubs represented the single biggest group of applicants with Gaelic Games clubs dominating the list.

The biggest grant went to the Emo Sportsfield Committee in the Portarlington/ Graiguecullen Municipal District. The project received a total of €7,800. Nearby Annanough GAA got €5,000.

Kilcotton GAA Club in the Borris Mountmellick District received €6,653. Meanwhile the Rosenallis Development Association received   €5,629.

The biggest grant in the Portlaoise District went to the An Treo Nua Resource Centre in Portlaoise. It received €5,800. The Laois Domestic Abuse Services is classed as a Portlaoise applicant and received €5,696. The Cuisle Centre which is a county wide and intercounty service, received €1,869 from the Portlaoise allocation.

The Ballyfin Community Alert group in the Borris Mountmellick District received the smallest grant - €200.

Published minutes of the meetings do not state how the recipients planned to spend the money. Unsuccessful applicants are not named.

The full list of applicants is as follows:

Portarlington Graigueculen Municipal District

Name of Group Municipal District Grant Amount Awarded

Emo Gun Club  €1,000.00

Portarlington Community Centre €950.00

Portarlington Community Centre  €1,000.00

The Swan NS Parents Association   €736.00

SVT Activity & Wellness Hub   €890.00

The Swan Development Association   €935.00

Ratheniska Community Hall   €1,000.00

Stradbally Community Allotments   €1,000.00

Cill an Oir Residents Association   €615.00

Oughaval Athletic Club, Stradbally   €1,000.00

Laois Athletics County Board   €1,000.00

Ballylinan Community Council   €1,329.00

Commuity Hall Vicarstown   €4,348.00

Emo Sportfield Committee   €7,800.00

Killeshin Community First Responders   €4,088.00

Annanough GAA   €5,000.00

Timahoe & Stradbally United   €912.00

Stradbally GAA   €1,699.00

Tigh Mochua Le Cheile   €2,303.00

Romanesque Development Association   €3,481.00

Borris in Ossory/ Mountmellick Municipal District

Camross Tidy Towns Group   €1,000.00

St Johns Coolbanagher   €899.00

Errill Snooker Club   €1,000.00

St Brigid's Camogie Club   €1,000.00

Mountrath Youth Theatre   €665.00

Donaghmore Workhouse & Agricultural Museum   €650.00

3rd Laois Durrow Scouts   €1,000.00

Rosenallis Development Association   €990.00

Ballyfin Community Alert   €200.00

St Canices Tce Residents Association   €920.00

Mountrath Tidy Towns Association   €1,000.00

Castlecuffe NS Parents Association   €1,000.00

Killasmeestia Tidy Towns   €1,000.00

St Josephs NS Parents Association   €2,539.00

Durrow Tidy Towns   €2,713.00

Mountmellick Men's Shed   €1,298.00

Borris in Ossory Mens Shed   €2,136.00

Durrow Development Forum   €990.00

Kilcotton GAA Club   €6,653.00

Castletown Community Centre   €1,350.00

Mountrath Scout Group Borris in Ossory / Mountmellick €595.00

The Rock GAA Club   €2,699.00

Castletown Community Field Development Fund   €2,500.00

Errill Cemetery Committee   €1,020.00

Mountrath Development Association   €2,980.00

Castletown ICA Guild   €2,313.00

Mountmellick GAA Club   €3,100.00

Rosenallis Development Association   €5,629.00

Camross Active Retirement Group   €3,420.00

Rathdowney Community Centre   €1,304.00

Portlaoise Municipal District

Abbeyleix AFC €605.00

Clonad GAA €990.00

Abbeyleix Heritage Co €640.00

Fourth Wall Laois Theatre Group  €569.00

Portlaoise Football Association €1,000.00

Spink Community Development Association €616.00

Sosad Ireland Laois Branch €4,324.00

Treo Nua Resource Centre €5,800.00

Abbeyleix Tidy Towns €1,497.00

Ballinakill Community Development Association CLG  €3,638.00

Spink Comhaltas €1,890.00

Portlaoise Cemetery Committee €2,952.00

Abbeyleix Park Development Committee €1,702.00

Abbeyleix Women's Development Group CLG €2,500.00

Ballyroan Community Development €3,837.00

Portlaoise Panthers Basketball Club €750.00

Laois Domestic Abuse Services €5,696.00

Cuisle Cancer Support Centre €1,869.00