Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Supervalu TidyTowns competition is a unique community movement which has a huge impact on our communities throughout Ireland. It is an important and effective sustainability initiative both from an environmental and community perspective. It encourages communities to improve their local environment and make their area a better place to live, work and visit in line with the objectives of Our Rural Future, the national rural development policy.

I am very conscious of the work undertaken by Tidy Towns Groups across the country and of the costs involved in this work. With this in mind, I have put in place direct financial supports to groups in recent years. At the national awards ceremony in Croke Park on the 6th of October, where I announced Abbeyleix as Ireland's Tidiest Town for 2023, I also announced a funding package of €1.5 million to support TidyTowns groups in their initiatives for the 2024 competition.

This funding brings the total allocation by my Department since 2017 to €9.6 million in direct funding to over 1,000 TidyTowns groups. The funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 is being provided to groups to assist them in preparing for the 2024 Competition. A total of €63,000 will be made available to 51 eligible groups in Co Clare. The grant application forms will issue to all these groups shortly.

Under Our Rural Future, my Department also provides a wide range of supports to promote the development of rural areas, including through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, the LEADER Programme, the Town & Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and the CLÁR programme. I would encourage TidyTowns groups to engage with their local authority or local development company to explore what other funding sources may be available to support the valuable voluntary work they are providing for their local communities.