Louth rescue service to receive €45k CLÁR funding

Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service is to receive €45,000 in CLÁR funding, it has been announced today by the Department of Rural and Community Development.

The funding, which comes as a result of a successful CLÁR Programme Measure 2 application, is to go towards the purchase of a vehicle. It is one of 32 successful applications announced today which are to receive €1,620,691.20 in total funding.

Based in Drogheda, Co. Louth, the Boyne Fishermen's Rescue and Recovery Service provides a 24 hour emergency rescue service along the River Boyne, 365 days a year. It is a voluntary marine search and rescue group, based in a purpose built boathouse in Drogheda, Co. Louth, offering a range of skills and equipment to communities throughout the island of Ireland.

Welcoming news today of the funding, Louth TD Fergus O'Dowd said, “I’m delighted for the entire team as a new state of the art vehicle will greatly assist the Boyne Fisherman providing frontline and community services. I want to sincerely thank all of the volunteers in the service who in many cases put themselves in very high risk situations to provide 24 hour emergency rescue services.”

CLÁR (Ceantair Laga Árd Riachtanais) or Funding for Small-Scale Rural Projects is a targeted investment programme which provides funding for small-scale - infrastructural projects in rural areas that have suffered the greatest levels of population decline.

The Measures being funded under the 2022 CLÁR Programme are:

• Measure 1: Developing Community Facilities & Amenities
• Measure 2: Mobility, Cancer Care and Community First Responders Transport
• Measure 3: “Our Islands”