BERE Island Projects Group has been awarded €72,693 in government funding to buy an electric wheelchair-accessible bus and hopes to start up island eco-tours in the near future.
The wheelchair accessible bus will be used by them as community transport on the island, and for delivering meals on wheels.
The group will also use the funding to install an electric vehicle charging point at the island community centre.
The funding was announced by Minister Heather Humphreys, as part of an overall €412,000 funding package for 11 projects on the offshore islands.
The funding is part of a new ‘Our Islands’ measure under the Department’s Clár programme and is designed to make the offshore islands more attractive places to live and visit.
Minister Humphreys said: ‘I am delighted to announce over €412,000 for 11 successful projects under the new ‘Our Islands’ measure, which comes under my Department’s Clár Programme.
‘These islands have seen significant levels of depopulation over the years and face challenges such as rural isolation and population decline.
‘I was therefore delighted to tailor the programme so that specific supports could be channelled directly to our island communities.’
John Walsh, Bere Island Projects Group, said the group wished to extend their thanks to Minister Humphreys for supporting island communities.
‘We are delighted we are now in a position to purchase an electric bus for Bere Island, as part of our overall goal to reduce our carbon footprint and transition the island to clean energy,’ he said.
