Budget 2026: Ministers Calleary and Buttimer secure €611 million in funding for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
Dé Céadaoin, an 8 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
Buiséad 2026: Faigheann na hAirí Calleary agus Buttimer €611 mhilliún i maoiniú
don Fhorbairt Tuaithe & Pobail & don Ghaeltacht
· €192 mhilliún le haghaidh seachadadh leanúnach scéimeanna forbartha tuaithe, le maoiniú méadaithe don Scéim Feabhsaithe Áitiúil, CLÁR, Áineas Allamuigh, agus an Scéim Athnuachana Bailte agus Sráidbhailte
· €260 milliún do scéimeanna forbartha pobail, le maoiniú méadaithe don Chlár Seirbhísí Pobail (CSP); agus maoiniú do scéim nua RAPID le tosú in 2026.
· Maoiniú breise níos mó ná €36 mhilliún don Ghaeltacht, don Ghaeilge, agus do na hOileáin. Soláthraíonn sé seo €159 milliún le haghaidh tacaíochtaí feabhsaithe ar fud raon scéimeanna agus chun tionscadail chaipitil thábhachtacha a sheachadadh – cé Inis Oírr, Ionad Gaeilge agus Cultúir ar Shráid Fhearchair, agus Áis Oideachais agus Óige nua in Indreabhán, Co. na Gaillimhe.
Inniu, d’fhógair an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, agus an tAire Stáit, Jerry Buttimer TD, pacáiste buiséid do 2026 ar fiú €611 mhilliún é.
Cinntíonn an maoiniú seo infheistíocht leanúnach ar fud raon na scéimeanna reatha agus caipitil atá á bhfeidhmiú ag an Roinn, ag tacú le forbairt eacnamaíoch agus shóisialta pobal ar fud na tíre, lena n-áirítear an Ghaeltacht agus na hOileáin.
Beidh €192 mhilliún san iomlán i gclár Forbartha Tuaithe na Roinne, ag leanúint leis an infheistíocht leanúnach le blianta beaga anuas agus ag tacú leis an raon scéimeanna atá ríthábhachtach chun Ár dTodhchaí Tuaithe a sheachadadh. Cuirfear méaduithe maoinithe ar fáil don Scéim Feabhsaithe Áitiúil, CLÁR, Áineas Allamuigh, agus Athnuachan Bailte agus Sráidbhailte.
Ar fud limistéar na Forbartha Pobail, beidh maoiniú iomlán de €260 milliún ar fáil do 2026. Tá €74 mhilliún á leithdháileadh ar SICAP agus ar thacaí eile um chuimsiú sóisialta. Áirítear leis seo €13 mhilliún in aghaidh na bliana le haghaidh obair thábhachtach um chomhtháthú pobail, rud a chuidíonn le tacú le daoine nua a tháinig isteach.
Méadófar an Clár Seirbhísí Pobail faoi €4 mhilliún, go €59.4 mhilliún agus méadófar maoiniú don Chiste Infheistíochta d’Ionaid Phobail faoi €3 mhilliún go €20 milliún a thacóidh le bearta spriocdhírithe chun cabhrú le pobail a bheith níos acmhainní ó thaobh stoirmeacha de.
Beidh maoiniú €159 milliún ar fáil in 2026 do Chlár na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na nOileán, méadú níos mó ná €36 mhilliún. Cuirfidh an leithdháileadh seo réimse leathan tacaíochtaí ar fáil do cheantair Ghaeltachta agus maoineoidh sé tionscnaimh chun an Gaeilge a neartú. Tacóidh sé freisin le forbairt phobail na n-oileán agus le soláthar seirbhísí iompair ríthábhachtacha do na hoileáin. Cuirfidh infheistíocht mhéadaithe caipitil ar chumas tionscadail shuntasacha bonneagair a chur i gcrích sna blianta amach romhainn.
Ag labhairt inniu, dúirt an tAire Calleary:
“Tá áthas orm maoiniú €611 mhilliún a fháil do mo Roinnse mar chuid de Bhuiséad 2026. Tógann sé seo ar infheistíocht láidir le blianta beaga anuas, agus léiríonn sé tacaíocht leanúnach an Rialtais d’fhorbairt tuaithe agus pobail, don Ghaeltacht, agus do na hOileáin. Beidh an maoiniú seo chun tairbhe do phobail ar fud na tíre.”
“Leis an leibhéal infheistíochta seo, is féidir linn leanúint ar aghaidh ag baint amach aidhmeanna ‘Ár dTodhchaí Tuaithe’ agus tús a chur le cur i bhfeidhm a bheartais chomharba, a sheolfar an bhliain seo chugainn.”
Dúirt an tAire Calleary, chomh maith:
“Tá áthas ar leith orm méadú 29% a fháil ar an leithdháileadh maoinithe foriomlán don Ghaeltacht, don Ghaeilge agus do na hOileáin. Cuirfidh sé seo tacaíocht bhreise ar fáil do scéimeanna atá ann cheana féin agus éascóidh sé rolladh amach roinnt tionscnaimh nua. Cuirfidh sé ar chumas trí phríomhthionscadal bonneagair a chur i gcrích chomh maith: Cé Inis Oírr, Ionad Gaeilge agus Cultúir i Sráid an Fhearchair, agus athfhorbairt shuíomh Choláiste Lurgan in Indreabhán mar Mhol Oideachais agus Óige do Ghaeltacht Chonamara. Is tionscadail chlaochlaitheacha iad seo a rachaidh chun tairbhe do phobail na Gaeltachta agus don teanga araon sna blianta amach romhainn nuair chuirfear i gcrích iad.”
Dúirt an tAire Stáit Buttimer, atá freagrach as Forbairt Pobail agus Carthanachtaí:
“Tacóidh Buiséad 2026 le tiomantas leanúnach an Rialtais chun cuimsiú sóisialta, forbairt phobail, agus an earnáil phobail agus dheonach a chur chun cinn. Cuirfear maoiniú €260 milliún ar fáil in 2026 don earnáil forbartha pobail. Rachaidh sé seo chun tairbhe do phobail tuaithe agus uirbeacha araon – agus cuirfidh sé tacaíocht ríthábhachtach ar fáil freisin i réimsí ar nós comhtháthú pobail, soláthar seirbhísí pobail, agus feabhsú bonneagair phobail.”
Wednesday, 8 October 2025
Budget 2026: Ministers Calleary and Buttimer secure €611 million in funding for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht
- €192 million secured for continued delivery of rural development schemes, with increased funding for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), CLÁR, Outdoor Recreation, and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme.
- €260 million for community development schemes, with increased funding for the Community Services Programme (CSP); and funding for a new RAPID-style scheme to commence in 2026.
- Additional funding of over €36 million for Gaeltacht, the Irish Language, and for the Islands. This provides €159 million for enhanced supports across a range of schemes and for delivery of key capital projects – Inis Oírr pier, the Irish Language and Cultural Centre in Harcourt Street, and the new Educational and Youth Facility in Indreabhán, Co Galway.
Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State, Jerry Buttimer TD, today announced a Budget package worth €611 million for 2026.
This funding ensures continued investment across the range of current and capital schemes operated by the Department, supporting the economic and social development of communities right across the country, including the Gaeltacht and the Islands.
The Department’s Rural Development programme will total €192 million, continuing the sustained investment of recent years and supporting the range of schemes that are key to delivery of Our Rural Future. Funding increases will be made available for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS), CLÁR, Outdoor Recreation, Town and Village Renewal.
Across the Community Development area total funding of €260 million will be available for 2026. €74 million is being allocated to SICAP and other social inclusion supports. This includes €13 million per annum for important community integration work, helping to support new arrivals.
The Community Services Programme will increase by €4 million, to €59.4 million and funding for the Community Centre Investment Fund will increase by €3 million to €20 million which will support targeted measures to assist communities in becoming more storm resilient.
Funding of €159 million will be available in 2026 for the Gaeltacht, Irish Language and Islands Programme, an increase of over €36 million. This allocation will provide a wide range of supports to Gaeltacht areas and fund initiatives to strengthen the Irish language. It will also support the development of our island communities and the provision of vital transport services for the islands. Increased capital investment will also enable significant infrastructure projects to be delivered over the coming years.
Speaking today, Minister Calleary said:
“I’m pleased to have secured funding of €611 million for my Department as part of Budget 2026. This builds on strong investment in recent years, and it demonstrates the Government’s continued support for rural and community development, the Gaeltacht, and the Islands. This funding will benefit communities up and down the country.
“With this level of investment, we can continue to deliver on the aims of ‘Our Rural Future’ and start the implementation of its successor policy, which will be launched next year.”
Minister Calleary added:
“I am particularly pleased with securing a 29% increase in the overall funding allocation for the Gaeltacht, the Irish Language and the Islands. This will allow additional support for existing schemes and facilitate the roll-out of a number of new initiatives. It will also enable the delivery of three key infrastructure projects: Inis Oírr pier, the Irish Language and Cultural Centre in Harcourt Street, and redevelopment of the Coláiste Lurgan site in Indreabhán as an Educational and Youth Hub for the Conamara Gaeltacht. These are transformative projects that, once delivered, will benefit both Gaeltacht communities and the language for years to come.”
Minister of State Buttimer, who has responsibility for Community Development and Charities, added:
“Budget 2026 will support the Government’s ongoing commitment to promote social inclusion, community development, and the community and voluntary sector. €260 million in funding will be available in 2026 for the community development sector. This will benefit both rural and urban communities – and will also provide vital support in areas such as community integration, the provision of community services, and the enhancement of community infrastructure.”