News

– Scheme will support cross-border cooperation between Local Authorities & deliver on Shared Island investment objectives

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Donegal T.D., Charlie McConalogue, today welcomed the announcement by Ministers O’Brien and Burke that they are inviting applications from cross-border Local Authority Partnerships for the new Shared Island Local Authority Development Funding Scheme.

The €5m scheme is being funded through the Government’s Shared Island Fund and will support the development of new joint investment projects by cross-border Local Authority partnerships to deliver on agreed regional development goals and the Shared Island dimension of the National Development Plan.

Commenting on the scheme, Minister McConalogue said “I was delighted to welcome An Taoiseach Micheál Martin T.D. to Derry and Donegal over the weekend as part of the Government’s Shared Island Unit initiatives. This particular €5m scheme is important and timely and will help local authorities to continue the great work they already do on a cross-border basis.”

He continued “I thank An Taoiseach for his ongoing work on the Shared Island Unit, Senator Niall Blayney for his ongoing work on a cross-border basis, Ministers O’Brien and Burke who announced this scheme and all the local authorities involved.”

The scheme will enable Local Authorities to partner on a cross-border basis to bring new projects through feasibility or pre-planning stages, with a maximum amount of €250,000 per project awarded.

The objective is to develop a pipeline of new proposals at Local Authority level which can seek capital funding for construction and implementation phases, on a cross-border basis, including through the Government’s Shared Island Fund.

Areas which may be considered for development funding include, but are not limited to:

• Tourism and recreation on a cross-border basis- walking routes, mountain bike trails; active travel opportunities; food trails;
• Collaborative education, training or skills provision to meet regional needs;
• Enterprise development, including to support cross-border clusters, networks, innovation, hubs, bioeconomy, agri-food, FDI;
• Conservation of biodiversity; including border region peatland protection;
• Improving/developing natural or built heritage;
• Cultural curation projects which recognise and celebrate diverse community and cultural traditions.

The closing date for cross border Local Authority Partnerships to apply to Shared Island Local Government Development Funding Scheme is 27 May 2022.

ENDS