Offaly Minister hails work of Tidy Towns groups as €1.5m funding announced

Offaly-based Green Minister Pippa Hackett has hailed the news of €1.5 million funding to support Tidy Towns groups up and down the country.

“I am delighted to receive confirmation that €1.5 million will be made available to support local TidyTowns groups with their preparations for the 2024 competition.

"Tidy Towns groups across Offaly do incredible work maintaining our towns and villages, on a voluntary basis, and for the benefit of us all. Their work make our communities more innovative, more sustainable and better places in which to work, live and raise a family," she said on Friday.

"This allocation will provide top-up funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 for eligible TidyTowns groups and all eligible groups in Offaly will be contacted before Christmas to confirm their funding.”

On Friday, Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys confirmed details of the allocation of €1.5 million to support local TidyTowns groups with their preparations for the 2024 SuperValu TidyTowns competition, and has urged eligible groups to ensure they avail of the funding.

This allocation will provide top-up funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 for eligible TidyTowns groups across the country. All of the SuperValu TidyTowns Groups who entered the competition in any of 2021, 2022 and 2023 will be eligible to apply.

This year marked the 65th anniversary of the SuperValu TidyTowns competition, which continues to go from strength to strength, with over 880 towns and villages entering the competition in 2023.

With this new funding announcement, the Department of Rural and Community Development has allocated a total of €9.5 million to TidyTowns Groups since 2017.

Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said:

“The SuperValu TidyTowns Competition is all about community, innovation, and sustainability, and I’m delighted to be able to support this important work with this direct funding. I applaud the impactful work that our TidyTowns groups across the country do in making our towns and villages better places in which to work, live and raise a family.”

“The funding of between €1,000 and €4,000 is being provided to groups to assist them in preparing for the 2024 Competition in particular initiatives in the areas of biodiversity, sustainability and inclusion, all of which help Ireland realise its commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

At the national awards ceremony earlier in October, Minister Heather Humphreys declared Abbeyleix in Co Laois Ireland's Tidiest Town.