Supporting thriving and vibrant communities at the heart of Fine Gael’s Local and European Election Campaigns

Fine Gael Deputy Leader, Heather Humphreys, has today launched the Party’s policy to support communities in both rural and urban Ireland.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and Social Protection visited the small rural community of Kilteevan, County Roscommon, where she published Fine Gael’s ‘Delivering for Communities’ policy document.

At the heart of Fine Gael’s policy is continuing the unprecedented investment in Rural Ireland, as well as building stronger, safer communities – communities that are connected, enterprising and resilient.

Having established the Department of Rural and Community Development as a standalone Government Department, Fine Gael has been to the fore of delivering unprecedented investment for towns and villages in every part of the country.

Fine Gael’s record in supporting communities can be seen through the impact made under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation and Infrastructure Scheme, the Local Improvement Scheme, LEADER, the Community Investment and Infrastructure Fund, CLÁR, and much more.

These funding streams have been vital in enhancing and revitalising cities, towns and villages around Ireland and ensuring no community is left behind.

Speaking in Kilteevan, County Roscommon at the launch of the new policy, Minister Humphreys said:

“There are now more people living in Rural Ireland, working in Rural Ireland and there is more investment in Rural Ireland than ever before.

“Our party is one that believes in empowering and supporting our communities in every part of the country.

“I’ve seen first-hand the kind of difference the investment from Government can make in our cities, towns and villages.

“We are the party that established the Department of Rural and Community Development as a stand-alone Department. And that decision has proven to be so effective.

“Fine Gael has been to the fore of revitalising communities in both rural and urban Ireland.

“We are the party that have tackled vacancy and dereliction – taking old buildings that have lain idle for years and transformed them into 21^st century use.

“Our new policy ‘Delivering for communities’ will continue that track record, making our cities, towns and villages better places to live, work, invest and raise a family.”

The Fine Gael policy has six key themes:

• Delivering Stronger, Safer Communities:  By increasing the number of gardaí on our streets and rolling out the new Community Partnership Model in every area in the country.
• Delivering Connected Communities: By prioritising investment in our roads, in our greenways and active travel, as well as continuing the delivery of the National Broadband Plan (NBP).
• Delivering Healthy Communities: By investing in outdoor amenities that are crucial to people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
• Delivering Age-Friendly Communities – because Fine Gael believes communities should be places for every age and every life stage.
• Delivering Enterprising Communities: Fine Gael will do this by backing business and entrepreneurship, creating jobs, and supporting our rural economies.
• Delivering Climate Resilient Communities: Tackling Climate change, supporting our farmers and agriculture sector while also investing in vital initiatives like retrofitting.

Furthermore Fine Gael has to date:

• Introduced the Community Safety Innovation Fund to seize and re-invest the proceeds of crime back into communities, with almost €9m distributed to date
• Provided almost €2.5 billion for over 600 projects nationwide, including the Cork City Docklands Development, Waterford City Regeneration and Enniscrone Seafront Regeneration and Cliff Walk
• Introduced the National Childcare Scheme to support families with childcare costs
• Invested more than 5.75 billion in national, regional and local roads since 2020
• Helped with the cost of doing business by introducing the Increased Cost of Business Grant
• Completed more than €219 million worth of flood protection projects
• Invested more than €113 million in 1700 outdoor infrastructure projects across Ireland, including walking trails, cycleways , greenways and blueways

Minister Humphreys added:

“Fine Gael’s team of Councillors, Senators, TDs and MEPs are focused on building all our communities to be vibrant places for all.

“Since the last local elections, we’ve worked hard to connect our communities in a myriad of ways, but practically, as the only political party to deliver the National Broadband Plan, we’re now also bringing high-speed broadband to almost 250,000 homes, businesses, schools and farms in the country.

“We have plans to build on this progress; cognisant of the fact that we have an expanding population, who need to live, work and enjoy life in their own communities, at each and every stage of their lives.

“Fine Gael representatives on the council, in the Government and in the European Parliament have a plan to continue to deliver for their communities and they will stick to it, working hard every day for the people who elect them.”

See document attached: FGDeliveringforCommunities_A4_May24_V2 (002)