SERVICES
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced a major €16 million fund to support outdoor recreation projects.
The 2023 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) will see the development of natural amenities such as our mountains, lakes, beaches, bogs, walkways, greenways and blueways and will place a particular focus on developing amenities for adventure tourism in rural Ireland.
The funding is aimed at supporting outdoor recreation tourism, a growing tourism sector internationally, which has the potential to have major economic spin-off benefits for our rural towns and villages as well as improving the health and well-being of rural communities.
Monaghan County Council is seeking Expressions of Interest for projects under all measures;
- Measure 1: Small Scale Repair/Development/Promotion and Marketing – grant up to €30,000
- Measure 2: Medium Scale Repair/Upgrade and New Trail/Amenity Development – grant up to €200,000
- Measure 3: Strategic Large-Scale Repair/Upgrade and New Strategic Trail/Amenity Development projects – grant up to €500,000
- Project Development Measures – will provide funding for the detailed development of projects which would enable them to reach a standard for application under Measure 2 or 3 of ORIS – grant up to €50,000
As set out in the scheme details, projects with evidence of strong community engagement will be prioritised. Where a project requires planning permission, this must be in place in advance of an application being submitted.
Projects should be located mainly in the countryside and not in the environs of a town or village unless the proposed project is linking a town or village into the countryside.
As in previous years, the scheme does not include sporting activities which take place in the countryside on confined courses or pitches specifically designed and constructed for those events e.g., golf, football, show jumping, motorised activities etc.
Please contact your local Municipal District Co-ordinator or Aisling Kierans, Community Development Section to discuss potential projects for submission to this scheme as early as possible:
- Ballybay/Clones Municipal District Office – 047 51018
- Carrickmacross/Castleblayney Municipal District Office – 042 9661236
- Monaghan Municipal District Office – 047 73777
- Aisling Kierans, Community Development – 047 73707
All expressions of interest must be submitted in WORD Format to oris@monaghancoco.ie by 4.00 p.m. on Monday 10th July 2023 to allow sufficient time for applications to be prepared and finalised.
MEASURE 1 APPLICATION FORM (WORD DOC)
MEASURE 2 3 APPLICATION FORM (WORD DOC)