Preasráiteas: Ciste €20 milliún seolta ag an Aire Calleary chun tacú le hÁineas Lasmuigh i gceantair thuaithe
Wednesday, 3 June 2026
Minister Calleary launches €20 million fund to support Outdoor Recreation in rural areas
- Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme now open for applications
- Targeted funding for Gaeltacht and Island communities
- Enhanced funding for project development and maintenance of existing amenities
The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, has launched the 2026-2027 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) with €20 million available for investment.
The Minister launched the scheme while in Co. Monaghan at the official opening of recreational enhancements on Black Island, Lough Muckno, a project that received over €500,000 in ORIS funding in 2022.
The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme provides funding for the development and maintenance of new and existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas and will support hundreds of outdoor recreation projects nationwide.
Now in its tenth year, the scheme has to date invested over €150 million in over 2,000 recreation projects at our mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, blue-ways, bogs, forest walks and upland areas.
Speaking at the launch, the Minister said:
“I am delighted to be announcing this significant funding package today that will continue to deliver for the outdoor recreation sector. The projects we have delivered in the last ten years have not only supported our physical and mental wellbeing, but they have also been a driver of economic benefit in some of the most beautiful parts of our country.
“Through ‘Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors’, the national outdoor recreation strategy, my Department is working to transform the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland.
“I want to acknowledge the tremendous efforts made by all the volunteers and committees who have worked with lead applicants in the past ten years in delivering for our country and I look forward to continuing to deliver with you into the future.”
Funding under the 2026-2027 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme will provide support across three main measures with funding of up to €40,000 for Small Scale repairs, maintenance, promotion and marketing under Measure 1. Under Measure 2, grant amounts of up to €200,000 are available for medium scale repair/ maintenance/upgrade and new trail/amenity development. Finally grants of up to €500,000 are available in Measure 3 for strategic large-scale repair/upgrade and new strategic trail/amenity development. In addition, an enhanced Project Development Measure (PDM) will support lead applicants in delivering a pipeline of shovel ready projects for future funding rounds.
Applications are invited from local authorities, local development companies and state bodies, in consultation with local communities and aligning with emerging project recommendations from new county outdoor recreation plans that are being developed across the country.
The Minister concluded by saying:
“I am pleased to be providing greater flexibility to local authorities and local development companies to fund the pre development work required for new projects, including for equestrian trails, and also to be permitting an additional project application from one Gaeltacht or island area in each county as appropriate. I have also clarified the role that this scheme can play in undertaking capital maintenance works on existing amenities.
“I look forward to announcing the successful projects under this fund in due course and would encourage groups with an idea for a project to engage with their local authority or local development company who will be happy to support them.”
Preasráiteas
Dé Céadaoin, 3 Meitheamh 2026
Ciste €20 milliún seolta ag an Aire Calleary chun tacú le hÁineas Lasmuigh i gceantair thuaithe
- Scéim um Bonneagar Áineasa Lasmuigh ar oscailt anois i gcomhair iarratas
- Maoiniú spriocdhírithe do phobail Ghaeltachta agus Oileánda
- Maoiniú feabhsaithe i gcomhair forbairt tionscadail agus cothabháil ar shaoráidí atá ann cheana
Sheol an tAire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail agus Gaeltachta, Dara Calleary TD, an Scéim um Bonneagar Áineasa Lasmuigh 2026-2027 (SBÁL) le €20 milliún ar fáil i gcomhair infheistíochta.
Sheol an tAire an scéim agus é i gCo. Muineacháin ag freastal ar oscailt oifigiúil na bhfeabhsúchán áineasa ar an Oileán Dhubh, Loch Mucnú, ar tionscadal é dár tugadh breis is €500,000 i maoiniú SBÁL in 2022.
Faoin Scéim um Bonneagar Áineasa Lasmuigh, tugtar maoiniú i gcomhair forbairt agus cothabháil ar bhonneagar áineasa lasmuigh i gceantair thuaithe, idir bhonneagar nua agus bonneagar atá ann cheana, agus tacófar leis na céadta tionscadal áineasa lasmuigh ar fud na tíre.
Agus í ar an fhód le deich mbliana anuas, tá níos mó ná €150 milliún infheistithe faoin Scéim go dtí seo ar bhreis is 2,000 tionscadal áineasa ar ár sléibhte, locha, aibhneacha, tránna, gormbhealaí, portaigh, siúláin choille agus ceantair ardtailte.
Agus é ag labhairt ag an tseoladh, dúirt an tAire:
“Is cúis áthais dom go bhfuilim ag fógairt an phacáiste maoinithe shuntasaigh seo, lena leanfar leis an tacaíocht don earnáil áineasa lasmuigh. Leis na tionscadail atá tugtha i gcrích againn le deich mbliana anuas, ní amháin gur thacaigh muid lenár bhfolláine fhisiciúil agus mheabhrach, ach tá borradh curtha againn faoin ngeilleagar i gcuid de na ceantair is áille inár dtír.
“Trí ‘Téigh Amach faoin Aer’, an straitéis náisiúnta áineasa lasmuigh, tá mo Roinn ag obair chun an earnáil áineasa lasmuigh in Éirinn a athrú ó bhonn.
“Ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt do na sáriarrachtaí atá déanta ag na hoibrithe deonacha agus na coistí ar fad a d’oibrigh leis na príomh-iarrthóirí le deich mbliana anuas chun tionscadail a thabhairt i gcrích ar son ár dtíre agus táim ag súil lena bheith ag leanúint leis an obair libh amach anseo.”
Tacófar le trí phríomhbheart leis an mhaoiniú faoin Scéim um Bonneagar Áineasa Lasmuigh 2026-2027, le maoiniú de €40,000 ar an uasmhéid i gcomhair deisiú, cothabháil, cur chun cinn agus margaíocht ar scála beag faoi Bheart 1. Faoi Bheart 2, tá deontais de €200,000 ar an uasmhéid ar fáil i gcomhair deisiú/cothabháil/uasghrádú agus forbairt conairí/saoráidí nua ar scála meánmhéide. Ar deireadh, tá deontais de €500,000 ar an uasmhéid ar fáil faoi Bheart 3 i gcomhair deisiú/uasghrádú straitéiseach ar scála mór agus forbairt straitéiseach conairí/saoráidí. Ina theannta sin, tacófar le príomh-iarrthóirí faoi Bheart Forbartha Tionscadail (BFT) feabhsaithe chun píblíne de thionscadail atá réidh le tosú a chur ar fáil i gcomhair babhtaí maoinithe amach anseo.
Tá fáilte roimh iarratais ó údaráis áitiúla, cuideachtaí forbartha áitiúla agus forais stáit, i gcomhairle le pobail áitiúla agus de réir moltaí maidir le tionscadail atá ag teacht ó phleananna contae áineasa lasmuigh, atá á bhforbairt ar fud na tíre.
Mar fhocal scoir, dúirt an tAire:
“Táim sásta go bhfuilim ag tabhairt tuilleadh solúbthachta d’údaráis áitiúla agus do chuideachtaí forbartha áitiúla chun maoiniú a chur ar fáil i gcomhair na hoibre réamhfhorbartha atá de dhíth ar thionscadail nua, conairí eachaíochta san áireamh, agus go bhfuilim ag tabhairt cead i gcomhair iarratas breise ar thionscadal ó cheantar Gaeltachta nó Oileánda amháin ó gach contae de réir mar is cuí. Tá soiléire tugtha agam freisin ar an ról a d’fhéadfadh a bheith ag an scéim seo ó thaobh oibreacha cothabhála caipitil a dhéanamh ar shaoráidí atá ann cheana.
“Táim ag súil le fógra a dhéanamh faoi na tionscadail a n-éireoidh leo faoin chiste seo in am trátha agus mholfainn d’aon ghrúpa a bhfuil tionscadal ar leith ar intinn acu teagmháil a dhéanamh lena n-údarás áitiúil nó a gcuideachta forbartha áitiúla, a bheidh sásta cabhrú leo.”