Almost €6 million in LEADER grants for Kilkenny – Minister Phelan

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership has been approved for funding of €5,825,102 to finance 62 projects, new figures provided by Junior Minister, John Paul Phelan, TD, show.

The Kilkenny allocation is part of a €64 million national package announced by Minister Michael Ring and covering 1,888 LEADER projects around the country.

“This increase reflects a significant expansion of activity over the last 18 months since Minister Ring introduced a range of measures to make the programme work better for both potential applicants and for the LEADER Local Action Groups which deliver the programme on the ground.

 “We want to see this momentum continue over the coming months and the funding for the approved projects drawn down as quickly as possible. LEADER funding represents an enormous opportunity for rural businesses and communities that are in need of investment and it’s great to see the programme continuing to grow and make a difference for rural Ireland over the coming years, Minister Phelan said.

Specifically in Kilkenny, finance is being provided for 62 projects which have a value of €1,615,488. A further 12 applications are in process for projects with a value of €524,892. Specifically in Kilkenny, €18,450 has been set aside for a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) initiative for rural Kilkenny communities with little or no broadband services.

Furthermore, €13,400 is being invested in a Migrant Integration Strategy for Training and Development. The finance announced by Minister Ring also provides just under €25,000 for a Turn to the River Tourism Training package.