€604K for community climate action projects in Louth

Cllr Marianne Butler has welcomed confirmation of projects in Louth approved for funding under the Community Climate Action Fund, which has seen €604,000 allocated to projects across the county.

Cllr Butler had sought an update on the fund at the Louth County Council July meeting, seeking a list of projects approved for funding. The fund which is aimed at supporting and helping build low carbon communities across Ireland. It is part of the Community Climate Action Programme, which supports projects and initiatives that facilitate community climate action through education, capacity building and learning by doing. 

There was a total of five themes under which community groups could apply for funding - Community Energy, Travel, Food and Waste, Shopping and Recycling and Local Climate and Environmental Action. Community groups who have applied for funding under this funding stream were required to put forward a project that delivered a direct climate benefit, under one or more of the five themes and within the programme rules and guidelines.

The funding streams that were available were as follows: Small Scale Projects (up to €20,000),Medium Scale Projects (€20,000-€50,000), Large Scale Projects (€50,000- €100,000),the Community Climate Action Fund offers 100% funding for community groups to carry out their projects.

Commenting on the fund and the approved projects in Louth, Cllr Butler told the Dundalk Democrat last week that, “I am delighted to see the distribution of the €604,000 Community Climate Action Fund in County Louth. I am really looking forward to each of these projects being completed and having a meaningful and practical impact on climate action in our County.

“It was great to get the news last week that Ireland's Greenhouse Gas Emissions fell by 6.8% in 2023, the first reduction Ireland has seen since 1990. These projects will no doubt help contribute to further reductions in Greenhouse Gas emissions, they will also benefits our local community groups by giving them greatly reduced running costs especially with the installation of solar panels reducing electricity bills and providing income by exporting excess energy back to the grid.

“Installing LED will also help reduce running costs for flood lights for our pitches. I also want to welcome the projects that will support and enhance biodiversity in our county. I really want to especially welcome the following local projects:

"€15,950 for Dundalk Outcomers to install solar panels on their premises.
"€41,000 for Geraldines GFC to install solar panels and upgrade their lighting to LED.
"€63,700 for Dromiskin Tidy Towns to complete a Sustainable Urban Drainage System project.
"€18,940 St Brides GFC to install solar panels, recycling bins and swift boxes.
"€13,421 Dundalk Schoolboys League to upgrade their pitch floodlighting to LED.
"€5,908 Muirhevnamor Community Gardens to construct polytunnels to grow food and also to develop a local orchard.”

The first strand of the Community Climate Action Fund opened on December 13th 2023 and closed on 6th March 2024. It is expected that a second round of this funding will  become available at a later date. The full list of projects in Louth to receive funding are:

Small Scale Projects
1. Clogherhead Development Group have been approved €1,129.14 to purchase two bikes racks which can hold up to 10 bikes to encourage active travel to and from the community groups premises.
2. O’Rallaigh’s GFC, Drogheda have been received grant approval of €20,000 to purchase and install solar panels on the community groups clubhouse to increase and improve energy efficiency in their community groups premises.

3. Omeath District Development have received grant approval to the amount of € 4,100 to upgrade and replace the current lighting in the Dolmen Centre to LED lighting.
4. Drogheda Alzheimer’s Tredagh Lodge Daycare Centre have been approved to purchase and install solar panels to the value of €19,976.00.

5. Naomh Mairtin C.P.G / LGFA (GAA) have been approved €19,938.14 to carry out works to increase energy efficiency within their community groups premises. The works include implementing infrared heating panels in their community room, hall and small meeting room to increase energy efficiency.
They have also received funding for a community garden and pollinator area within their clubs grounds. The club also have received funding to install a rainwater harvesting system for their club toilets within their clubhouse.

6. Dundalk Schoolboys League - €13,421.38 to upgrade their pitch floodlighting to LED.
7. Carlingford Tidy Towns have been approved to purchase re-usable beakers and cups to use at community events that are ran in Carlingford and surrounding areas.
The cups will be borrowed by community groups and clubs to be used at events to encourage the elimination of single use plastic. The money awarded will also be used to purchase a large storage box(s) to store the cups and beakers in.

8. Tallanstown Tidy Towns have received grant approval for the amount of €1,700 to plant shrubs and pollinators in a community garden to increase and encourage biodiversity and also plant a selection of fruit trees and fruit bushes, a selection of the shrubs and pollinators will also be planted in the village to help promote and encourage members of the community to increase awareness and replicate such projects.

9. Naomh Fionnbara & St. Anne’s GFC have been approved €14,780 to upgrade their community groups grounds by switching to LED lighting within the walking track and carpark.
The community group has also received approval to install two EV car chargers within the grounds of their community groups premises alongside bike racks to encourage active travel to the grounds. The club have also received approval for the purchasing of shrubs and pollinators to plant in their grounds to encourage biodiversity.

10. Scoaríocht Lann Léire have been approved €3,952.10 to upgrade their community groups building with new and improved energy efficient radiators to prevent heat loss throughout the building. The community group have also received funding to upgrade their current lighting on the exterior of the building with LED lighting.

11. Muirhevnamor Community Garden - €5,908.47 to construct polytunnels to grow food and to develop a local orchard.
12. St Brides GFC have received grant amount of €18,940.70 which includes the costs of installing solar panels on the community groups premises. It has also received funding to purchase recycling bins and swift boxes.

13. Outcomers Dundalk have been approved €15,950 to install solar panels on their premises.
14. Carlingford Community Development Company LTD have been approved €12,000 to upgrade seven outdoor lights on their clubs walking track to LED, eight lamps illuminating the walkway entrance and six lights illuminating the walkway entrance to the Foy Centre.

Medium Scale Projects
1. Cooley Kickams have been approved €34,409 to purchase and install solar panels on their community groups club house increase energy efficiency throughout the club.
Cooley Kickams have stated in their application that they plan to use this money in conjunction with a 10% grant from SEAI to cover the total cost of the solar panels, meaning that the Community Climate Action Fund will cover 90% of the overall project.

2. Geraldines GFC have been approved €41,000 to install solar panels and upgrade their lighting to LED.
3. Kilcurry Community Centre have been approved €27,838.75 to carry out a community building upgrade. The community group plans to purchase and install solar panels to increase energy efficiency. The community group have also received funding to install new LED lighting around the perimeter of the building and install sensor lights in two of the meeting rooms to save on energy use when the rooms are not in use.

The community group also plan to purchase bikes racks to encourage active travel to and from the centre.
Kilcurry Community Centre also plan to purchase six recycled plastic raised beds to place in the community garden which is also run by Kilcurry Tidy Towns.

Large Scale Projects
1. Drogheda Women and Children’s Refuge have been approved €54,222.85 to carry out a retrofit within the community groups premises by installing solar panels on their community building to help reduce the carbon footprint of their building and improve energy efficiency.

2. Drogheda Town F.C have been approved €77,900.72 to upgrade their current outdoor floodlights to LED, they are currently ran off a diesel generator, upgrading their current halide floodlight system will create an improved carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency within the club.

3. Dromiskin Tidy Towns have been approved €63,700.00 to complete a Sustainable Urban Drainage System project.
4. Drogheda Community Services have been approved €62,762.09 to carry out an energy efficiency building upgrade to their premises. The upgrade being funded will include retrofitting the building with LED lighting and installing solar PV panels to increase energy efficiency within the community groups premises.

5. Louth Youth Federation have been approved €87,973.25 to carry out a building retrofit on Rowan Heights South Side Community Youth Project (CYP). Including attic and wall insulation, air to water heat pump and door and window insulation. PV panel insulation and lighting, will also be purchase and installed under the Community Climate Action Fund along with the purchase of a bike stand to encourage active travel to and from the community groups premises.