Funding for vehicles to provide essential transport for those with mobility issues and cancer care patients
· Over 20 vehicles to support meals on wheels’ services to elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes.
· Other vehicles to support first responders and search and rescue services.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (Friday 13th September 2024) announced over €2.1 million in funding for Measure 2 of the 2024 CLÁR programme.
The funding will be used to purchase vehicles designed to transport people who have mobility issues or people undergoing cancer treatments. There are also vehicles for community groups who provide meals on wheels services and for search and rescue organisations.
Overall, Minister Humphreys announced €2,100,768 under Measure 2 of the CLÁR Programme – supporting the purchase of a record 48 vehicles in rural communities.
Some of the projects being supported today include:
· Cork – Dunmanway Family Resource Centre – €52,000 for a modified mobility vehicle
· Kerry – Acquired Brain Injury Ireland – €59,880 for a vehicle to transport brain injury survivors.
· Kilkenny – Order of Malta – €72,000 for the purchase of an ambulance.
· Offaly – Offaly Healthy Homes – €33,750 for a vehicle to support with their meals on wheels’ service.
Announcing the successful projects, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am very pleased to be supporting these vital services in our most remote rural communities right across the country. Each of the recipients of funding today plays a vital role in providing essential services to those who are most in need in our communities, be it from a mobility aspect or through the provision of meals on wheels services.
The supports provided by our First Responders and our Search and Rescue teams are of immense importance and I am delighted to be in a position to support these very worthy community groups today. We owe a great deal to these organisations and to all the individuals who volunteer with them.”
The Minister continued:
“This year I have approved the purchase of 48 vehicles for organisations right across the country under Measure 2 of the CLÁR programme. This is the highest number of vehicles ever funded through the programme and the announcement today brings the number of vehicles delivered under this measure to over 200 since it was introduced in 2018, with associated funding of over €10 million.”
The 2024 CLÁR Programme was launched on the 12th April 2024 and included the following measures:
· Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities and Amenities
· Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care, Meals on Wheels and Community First Responders Transport
· Measure 3: Our Islands
Details of the successful projects are appended and can also be found at the following link.
Successful applications under Measures 1 and 3 of CLÁR 2023 will be announced at a later date.
