Monaghan Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) yesterday received the welcome news that Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD have awarded €151,138.64 in funding to 153 projects in Co. Monaghan under the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2026.
The Local Enhancement Programme 2026 is a nationwide programme which provides capital funding to support projects that are essential for many small community groups and organisations, particularly those who serve disadvantaged areas in rural and urban areas.
The Local Enhancement Programme 2026 is managed by Local Community Development Committees, with support from the Local Authority, in each area. Monaghan County Council’s Community Development Section made the funding call and assessed the applications before presenting recommendations to the LCDC last March for decision. The decision of the LCDC was then forwarded to the Department for final approval, with the Ministers announcing the results of that process today.
Nationally, over 4,000 grants have been awarded, totalling over €7 million in grant aid, reaching into every corner of Irish society.
Announcing the successful projects today, Minister Buttimer said:
“The Local Enhancement Programme is all about supporting our local groups and clubs across the country, who are vital to Irish community life.
“Every day as Minister of State in this Department, I have the pleasure of meeting the people and groups that benefit from grants under the LEP.
“The approval of these small grants for over 4,100 projects will go a long way to support the fantastic work that is being done in communities all over Ireland.”
Also announcing the successful projects today, Minister Dara Calleary said:
“The impact of the Local Enhancement Programme is considerable, and it allows community groups to carry out the invaluable work they do on behalf of others in local areas throughout the country.
“It helps groups to improve their facilities through small-scale funding for a wide range of projects including minor renovations to buildings and the purchase of essential equipment for the maintenance of public areas. It also allows groups to purchase items such as IT equipment to enable groups to conduct their business.
“The Local Enhancement Programme 2026 builds on the support that has been provided to community groups through the previous iterations of the fund.
“As Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, I am delighted to be able to continue providing any support I can to community groups across the country.”
Minister Buttimer added:
“This Government is committed to supporting local communities to shape their own futures. The funding I am announcing today will ensure that important work can continue to be delivered by communities on the ground and I’m delighted that every single county will benefit.
“I would like to thank each County Council and the Local Community Development Committees for their assistance in administering this fund.”
Responding to today’s good news, LCDC Chair, Cllr Paul Gibbons said:
“The LCDC is delighted with today’s news. This represents a welcome investment in our community and voluntary sector, which does such valuable work in every corner of the county. The quality of the applications impressed again this year, demonstrating the breadth of activity in which our communities are engaged, from community games to bicycle repair.”
On learning of today’s positive news, Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Robert Burns congratulated the successful groups, commenting that it reflects the strength and depth of talent in the county’s voluntary sector. He added that a healthy community sector is vital to the future of the county and encouraged everyone to think how they might give something back to where they live. “People who volunteer are healthier, happier and live longer. Volunteering not only creates a better place to live, but you benefit directly from doing it”.
Gathering briefly to mark the occasion of the funding being announced, the Acting Chief Officer of the LCDC, Leona Keenan remarked: “Building strong communities is an important cornerstone of our work. Monaghan communities continue to innovate and to find solutions which work, addressing disadvantage they are encountering in their neighbourhoods and work collaboratively with the Council to put in place remedies to resolve such challenges”.
Acting Director of Services with responsibility for Monaghan County Council’ Community Development Department which manages the LCDC and managed the assessment of the Local Enhancement Programme, Nicola Payne added: “We are lucky to have a strong community development team, which can take on tasks such as managing an entire funding programme such as this. Monaghan County Council invested last year in recruiting three additional Community Development Support Workers, and they were involved in holding advice clinics to help groups make good applications. This was reflected in the success rate in funding awards this year.”
A full list of the successful groups is available on the Department of Rural & Community Development’s website here: https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/adb1d22d/LEP_2026.pdf