23 December 2021
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
EirGrid Awards €600,000 To Clashavoon Dunmanway Community Groups
EirGrid, the national electricity grid operator has awarded community groups and not-for-profit organisations near the new Clashavoon Dunmanway electricity line a total of €600,000 in funding.
The Community Benefit Fund was opened for applications last July following the completion of works on the new 110 kV electricity line. The line connects two substations at Clashavoon and Dunmanway with the circuit successfully energised in September 2020.
A total of 36 projects from Dunmanway, Aghinagh, Carrigadrohid, Kilmurry, Rusheen, Macroom, Tirelton, Kilmichael and Coppeen West were successful in the application process.
The successful projects include the development of community and sports facilities, funding for youth facilities, along with heritage, older persons and enterprise initiatives.
Speaking about the fund, EirGrid Head of Public Engagement, Sinead Dooley said, “EirGrid is transforming the power system for future generations and working with communities is at the centre of achieving this. We would like to thank each group and organisation who took the time to submit a funding application and look forward to seeing the development of these worthwhile projects and initiatives.”
“We were heartened by the incredible interest there was to the fund and the level of collaboration which was very evident across communities. EirGrid acknowledge that voluntary groups are the lifeblood of communities and are delighted to support their work in improving the quality of life in the project area,” added Dooley.
A fund support and administration service was independently set up to help groups with the application process and input was received from across communities, voluntary and sporting organisations.
Each application was assessed by an evaluation panel made up of representatives from EirGrid, the fund administrators M-CO, and an independent evaluator. The panel was also tasked with ensuring the benefits of the fund are shared by communities along the full length of the Clashavoon-Dunmanway transmission line and by a range of different groups and organisations.
The fund administrators will be in touch with the successful groups with a formal grant agreement and to discuss the next steps.
