Waterford project awarded funding under Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding Scheme

Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD has announced the 25 successful projects awarded funding under the Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding Scheme.

Waterford is among the recipients, with a total of €230,000 set to fund a feasibility study into the re-purposing specific derelict, vacant or under-utilised sites in four communities in Waterford and Antrim.

Waterford City and County Council will be the lead local authority on the project, working with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to assess the feasibility of re-purposing the sites - two in Waterford and two in Antrim.

Assessments of the regeneration of these sites for tourism, recreational, enterprise and cultural purposes will be undertaken and it’s hoped that the findings can be developed into best practice models for town and village regeneration.

More than €4.3m has been allocated to 15 lead Local Authorities in the South, working in partnership with 9 Councils in Northern Ireland to develop collaborative cross-border investment projects over the next 12 months.
 
 The successful projects are spread across a range of sectors including biodiversity, tourism, decarbonisation, the circular economy, rural and urban regeneration, education, business innovation; and cultural and creative industries.
 
The scheme, which is funded by the Shared Island Fund and managed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, enables Local Authorities North and South to progress feasibility and development work on new joint investment projects which deliver local and regional development goals.
 
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said:

“I am delighted to announce the 25 successful projects which have been awarded funding under the Shared Island Local Authority Funding Scheme.

“I am not only struck by the diverse range of projects which have come through the process, I am particularly pleased to see such a significant geographic spread across the island.
 
“Local Authorities in the border region have long-standing partnerships with their Northern counterparts, which I hope will be further enhanced through schemes such as this, and it’s important that there are also newer partnerships such as the projects involving Waterford and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Kerry, Cork, Donegal and Ards and North Down Borough Council that can contribute to the Shared Island vision of communities North and South working together on shared opportunities.”

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD also welcomed the allocation. He said:

“This is an exciting time for the Local Authorities which have been awarded funding under the Shared Island Local Authority Funding Scheme.
 
“It’s the first step in a process, which will see councils such as Waterford City and County Council develop concrete plans on strategic North-South investment projects that can make a real difference, not only in their local communities, but regionally and island-wide as well.  

“Through the Government’s Shared Island Fund, and the work of the partner Local Authorities, our goal of investing for a more connected, sustainable and prosperous island is moving ahead.”
 
Minister of State for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke TD, commented:

“I am very pleased to see Local Authorities such as Waterford County Council playing such a key role in the Shared Island initiative. Local Authorities have vital knowledge and experience in delivering for their communities, towns and villages.

“Through this scheme, they have identified opportunities to meet regional development goals and challenges - like climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable tourism - and will now work on a pipeline of new, ambitious and collaborative projects with their Local Authority partners in Northern Ireland.
 
“This development funding is a central catalyst in taking existing partnerships to the next level and instigating new ones, encouraging Local Authorities, not just in the border region, but right across this island to work together for a shared future”.