€177k boost for Offaly school safety and play areas

Croghan National School, St Colman’s in Cappagh, Roscomroe NS, and Dunkerrin National School are some of the schools that will benefit from a new fund of €177,520.

The funding is part of the CLÁR programme, which is funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and forms part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development.

Roscomroe National School is to get €31,360 for a school playground, St Colman’s National School, Cappagh is to get €15,750 to provide car parking and €1,800 to purchase equipment for a play area, while Coolderry is to get €45,000 towards a school playground.

Dunkerrin NS is to receive €18,000 for a school playground, and Croghan NS is to get €7,110 to provide car parking.

Other benefactors include Rathcabbin National School who will receive €19,800 for the provision of pedestrian crossing and associated works; Lorrha/Dorrha GAA Club which will get €9,000 for provision of public lighting at its sport centre; while Barna, Dunkerrin will get €29,700 for a carpark.

Offaly/North Tipperary TD, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy has welcomed the €177,520 in funding for local safety measures and play areas.

She said funding for projects such as these will allow for huge improvements to be made in our local small towns and villages in and around their schools and community facilities.

“I am delighted to be in a position to announce €177,520 in funding to support schools and communities throughout Offaly/North Tipperary  to improve public safety around their facilities, as well as funding to improve play areas in rural our communities. 

“It is also important that we provide children in isolated rural areas with places where they can play safely and enjoy their childhood.

“Many of the schools and communities involved have been working and fundraising for a long time to support these projects and I am delighted to be able to provide CLÁR funding in order to facilitate the completion of these very worthwhile works.

She concluded: “The finished projects will support parents, teachers and their communities to ensure that they have safe and secure environments for their children to learn and play'.

The funding announced for these CLÁR projects follows on recent announcements of funding totalling almost €2 million under separate measures of the CLÁR programme which support targeted community infrastructure and voluntary emergency first responders.