Laois communities struggling to pay the bills to get slice of €10 m

Nearly €300,000 is being set aside for community and voluntary groups in Laois to help cover the cost of spiralling energy bills.

Under a new €10 mill Department of Rural and Community Development scheme, Laois communities will be able to get access once-off funding out of the €291,487 allocated to Laois.

Announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, and Minister of State, Joe O’Brien,  the Community Support Fund will provide small grants to a wide and diverse range of local community groups to assist with their running costs.

The Department says money will be available to support parish halls, community centres, local development associations, social clubs, ICA guilds, senior citizen groups, Men’s Sheds, Women’s Sheds and more.

A statement says the new scheme has been devised to support groups who may not have been deemed eligible under previous Government schemes. These include groups that operate from parish halls and who need support with running costs such as energy or insurance bills.

Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade works and to purchase equipment to support their activities such as laptops and printers, lawnmowers, training equipment, etc.

Minister Humphreys explained how groups in Laois and other counties could apply.

“The Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) will administer this fund on behalf of my Department at local level and I would encourage community groups interested in applying to contact their LCDC over the coming days at the contact numbers provided,” she said.

LCDCs are groups established in each local authority area and operate under the auspices of county and city councils.

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The Department explained that once-off fund will be allocated under the Department’s Community Enhancement Programm and is in addition to the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS) which provides once-off support to incorporated organisations and registered charities within the Community and Voluntary sector which fall outside the parameters of other energy support schemes being delivered by Government such as the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS).

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The funding has been allocated by providing a baseline amount to each area and allocating the remainder based on the population and disadvantage level in each local authority area. 

Contact details for LCDCs are available here. 

Community and voluntary organisations that are incorporated and/or are registered charities should check their eligibility for the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme.  Further details are available on the Pobal website.Pobal.ie 

Sean Fleming, Minister of State in the Department of Finance, welcomes the funding and encouraged groups in Laois to apply.

The money was also welcomed by his Government colleague and Laois Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan.

 “Like everybody else, in Laois our community groups are not immune from rising prices. This new scheme is about supporting these groups with their costs whether it’s the electricity bill, insurance costs or other overheads.

“I fully appreciate the important work carried out by volunteers in our communities across Laois whether it’s the local Parish Hall Committee, the Development Association or the local Senior Citizens Group.

“These local committees work hard to make sure they can keep the lights on and run fantastic local services and events for young and old to enjoy, here in Laois,” he said.