30 November 2019
By Bryan Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, David Stanton, has welcomed confirmation that funding of €16,000 for the restoration of access to the Cobh Mall Beach. The money has been allocated under the Department of Rural and Community Development’s 2019 Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS).
Minister Stanton said “I am very pleased to hear that funding has been provided to restore public access to the Cobh Mall Beach. This funding should cover the majority of costs involved in restoring pedestrian access from the public road to the beach. It will also allow for additional flower planting and the installation of seating. Once the upgrade works have been completed this important local amenity will once again be accessible to the people of Cobh and visitors to the town”.
The ORIS is part of the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 Rural Regeneration and Development programme. It provides funding for the development and maintenance of outdoor amenities such as trails, walkways, cycleways and blueways. This round of funding is being made under Measure 1 of the ORIS for the small-scale maintenance, promotion and marketing of outdoor recreational infrastructure and amenities.
The maximum award under Measure 1 of the scheme is €20,000 with the Department of Rural and Community Development providing funding of up to 80% of the approved costs of the project and the remainder being provided through Cork County Council funding or additional sources. Taking into account the latest allocations under the scheme, funding of over €43 million has been provided to the outdoor recreation sector since 2016.