€15M for outdoor recreation projects

A €15 million fund has been confirmed to support dozens of outdoor adventure projects across the country.

The 2022 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) will see the development of natural amenities such as our mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, walkways, greenways and blueways.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan and Monaghan, Niamh Smyth, confirmed the funding pot to The Anglo-Celt with grants of between €30,000 and €500,000 available to successful applicants.

It will support activities such as hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, swimming and cycling, which were especially popular among families throughout the pandemic.

The projects that will be supported under ORIS are designed to benefit the health and wellbeing of the communities in which they are located.

The Scheme is funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and projects applications will be accepted under the following Measures:

· Measure 1 for small scale projects requiring funding of up to €30,000,

· Measure 2 for medium scale projects with funding of up to €200,000,

· Measure 3 for large scale projects seeking funding of up to €500,000, and

· Project Development Measure funding of up to €50,000 for development costs for strategic large scale projects.

Deputy Smyth commented: "Covid-19 has given us a newfound appreciation for our great outdoors and we are now seeing an unprecedented level of investment in our outdoor amenities, underpinned by the most ambitious Government policy for rural Ireland, ‘Our Rural Future’.

"I encourage all eligible applicants to apply for the 2022 opportunities with this scheme and look forward to seeing further development in outdoor recreation infrastructure in the years ahead.”