The European Commission today approved a £29 million EU contribution to a five-year scheme designed to improve the quality of life in the Irish countryside.
The cash comes from Europe's LEADER+ programme for rural development which has a mission to "enhance the natural and cultural heritage and reinforce the economic environment to contribute to job creation".
Today Brussels declared the entire rural territory of Ireland to be eligible, triggering a plan which involves 22 local action groups who must now put forward "sustainable" pilot plans focusing on themes which, the Commission said today, should be typical of the areas concerned.
The money from the Commission will go towards a total of £66 million, the remainder of which comes from public and private funding.
"The LEADER+ programme aims to improve the quality of life in the Irish countryside. The objective is to encourage sustainable, integrated development by supporting action groups to implement innovative business plans," said EU rural development Commissioner Mr Franz Fischler.
PA
