£4.5 million has helped 50,000 rural dwellers deal with COVID-19
Date published:
Over £4.5 million has been redirected into rural communities, helping around 50,000 vulnerable and isolated people to stay home and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Edwin Poots MLA has instructed his Department to do all it can to ease the burden and worries of those in rural communities and rural businesses, and to find new and innovative solutions to the unique problems created by COVID-19.
Minister Poots said: “In the last three weeks, I have secured £2.5 million for DAERA for the 2020/2021 Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme (TRPSI), and pushed that support towards dealing with the immediate impacts of COVID-19 in the rural sector.
“Rural life is already susceptible to isolation issues and COVID-19 has left that community particularly vulnerable. The funding I have repurposed, allows our community and voluntary partners to work alongside councils, health trusts and others, to identify those most vulnerable and offer help.
“That help might be in the form of receiving food parcels, getting access to transport, having prescriptions brought to their house or being helped to contact mental health services.
“The Rural Support charity has also been supported to prepare advice and guidance for the farming community and rural dwellers.”
DAERA also provides grant aid to rural businesses and communities through the EU LEADER and Tourism projects and TRPSI Programme.
The Minister commented: “I am very aware of the need for rural businesses and the community and voluntary sector to receive funding at this critical time. Therefore I have fast-tracked over £2 million in payments to project applicants by introducing a number of easements, including speeding up the electronic processing of payments and refocusing staff resource to ensure this vital work can continue. This will provide some degree of assistance and security during these difficult times.”
Speaking on behalf of the six Rural Support Networks, Nicholas McCrickard of the County Down Rural Community Network said: ‘We are living in extraordinary times and it is imperative that we all do what we can to assist the most vulnerable members of our society. Thanks to the Minister’s prompt action, the Rural Support Networks, and our 1,500 member organisations, can now concentrate on helping to contribute to the emergency effort.”
Minister Poots concluded: “I will continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and consider further actions that my Department may make as need arises in the time ahead.”
Further information is available on the Commuity Foundation NI website.
Notes to editors:
- DAERA through its Rural Affairs Division (RAD) plays a significant role in sustaining a vibrant rural economy and working across government it has developed and implemented measures to ensure that the economic and social needs of rural dwellers are met. The tools that DAERA use to achieve this are the NI Rural Development Programme and the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme.
- This subvention to CFNI is a further enhancement to this work at a time of significant need and crisis in rural areas because of the Coronavirus.
- All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.
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