€100,000 has been allocated to Passage West under the Government’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

“My colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, has confirmed to me today that Passage will benefit from €100,000 in funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.

Passage has been awarded this funding for improvements of the Harbor Area.

“Fine Gael in Government is using the benefits of the economic recovery to support the growth and development of rural Ireland, and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is a key part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development. The Scheme focuses on projects which can help to enhance rural towns and villages with populations of less than 5,000 people, with a particular emphasis on stimulating economic development.

“Almost €53 million has been approved for more than 670 projects across the country under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme since it was introduced in the second half of 2016.

“The Government’s commitment to supporting rural Ireland is further underscored through the new €1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which was launched this year as part of project Ireland 2040. This new Fund will provide an opportunity to deliver more integrated and ambitious projects which will further support the revitalisation of our rural towns and villages in the coming years.

Announcing the funding, Minister Ring said: “Over 220 rural towns and villages are getting really positive news today. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme is an important part of the Government’s work to rejuvenate rural Ireland and is having a significant impact on towns and villages across the country.

“The benefit of previous funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme is now being felt countrywide and I am delighted to be able to allocate a further €21.2 million for projects in 224 towns and villages right across rural Ireland. Amongst the successful projects which I am announcing are many fine examples of initiatives which will support enterprise and job creation. I want to thank the Local Authorities for their efforts and co-operation in engaging with local communities to identify these projects.”