A lifeboat in Co Kerry, a search and rescue vehicle in Co Mayo and a community ambulance for counties Westmeath and Roscommon are just some of the vital modes of transport to be funded under the CLÁR Programme.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD has announced over €2 million in funding for 37 vehicles to transport people who have mobility issues, cancer patients, or for search and rescue services.
The €2,026,853 funding, provided under Measure 2 of the CLÁR Programme, will allow community groups in rural areas to purchase the much-needed vehicles.
Community groups that perform roles such as transporting blood samples from hospitals and delivering medication are also supported under the initiative.
One of the successful projects is Spraoi agus Spórt Family Centre in Co Donegal, who said they were “delighted to share that we’ve been awarded over €77,000 in funding for a wheelchair minibus to improve access to services in Inishowen for those with mobility challenges”.
Another is the Monaghan-based Rockcorry Divers & North Coast Search & Recovery, which was awarded €55,848 for the purchase and fit-out of a four-wheel drive first responder emergency vehicle.
Chairman Frank McDermott commented: “Sincere thanks to everyone at CLÁR and also Minister Humphreys for your generous assistance with the supply of a first responder unit for Rockcorry Search & Recovery.
This asset will be of invaluable assistance to Rockcorry by providing additional reliability and spreading the workload.”
Other projects to receive funding include River Moy Search and Rescue in Co Mayo, which was awarded €98,237 for a search and rescue vehicle, and Banna Rescue in Co Kerry, which was granted €100,000 for the purchase of an in-shore lifeboat.
Order of Malta organisations in Westmeath and Roscommon will also each receive €65,000 for use in providing a community ambulance.
The full list of projects can be found here.
Minister Humphreys commented: “Each of the recipients of funding today play a critical role providing essential services to members of the public who are most in need, including by bringing them free of charge to cancer treatment and to day care centres.
“They also provide essential transport services for blood samples and medication and, equally important, delivering search and rescue services. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these organisations and the individuals who work with them and it is my great pleasure to support them through this investment.”
The measures being funded under the 2023 CLÁR Programme are:
- Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities
- Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport
- Measure 3: Our Islands
Successful applications under Measures 1 and 3 of CLÁR 2023 will be announced at a later date.
