MAJOR GARNT FOR AN CHEATHRU RUA
The Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Dinny McGinley has announced that he is sanctioning an allocation of €435,226 or 80% of the cost, whichever is lower, to Comharchumann Mhic Dara to enable them to carry out renovations on an old factory building in order to make it suitable for use as a public amenity for An Cheathrú Rua and also as accommodation for an Irish language college.
Minister of State McGinley said this will enable the Comharchumann to finish off the development of the community centre and strengthen the efforts to promote the Irish language in the area.
This grant is being allocated to the Comharchumann to renovate factory accommodation in An Cheathrú Rua. The renovations will make 8 school rooms, 4 offices, a sports hall, toilets, and changing rooms available in one location which will be suitable for use both as a public amenity and as an Irish college.
Two Irish colleges have been operating in the area of An Cheathrú Rua for a number of years, Coláiste Chiaráin and Coláiste Cholumba.
But owing to a lack of suitable space in the area, these two colleges have been depending on a wide range of accommodation — local schools, community halls, as well as other accommodation such as offices in the locality — to function properly. In order to address this problem long-term the Department announced a grant of €256,000 to the Comharchumann to purchase this building last August.
As well as the preschool services which are situated alongside this development, it is hoped that the location will include an Irish language and household support centre as recommended in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language.