'Learn to Cycle' Track in Dungarvan. View the Cycling Ireland Blueprint here
The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) contributes to the strategic objective of strengthened rural economies and communities as set out in the Project Ireland 2040 strategy.
The objective of the Scheme is to provide funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure and for the necessary repair, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreation infrastructure in countryside areas across Ireland. It specifically supports the growing outdoor activity tourism sector as prioritised in “Our Rural Future”, Ireland’s Rural Development Policy 2021 - 2025.
ORIS, along with other funding interventions delivered through the Rural Development Investment Programme, such as the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, CLÁR, the Local Improvement Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, seeks to assist in achieving the National Strategic Outcomes of Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities, set out in the National Development Plan 2018-2027.
The Scheme is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development and supported by Fáilte Ireland. To date, ORIS has allocated funding of almost €87 million for 1,246 projects around the country. The scheme invests in the physical infrastructure that underpins sporting and recreational activities based on the use of the resources of the countryside; these contribute to healthy active lifestyles while building on the economic and tourism potential of the area, and so are to the benefit of both local communities and tourist visitors alike.
The scheme may also provide some limited funding for the marketing and promotion of such infrastructure, typically as part of a wider project involving capital supports.
The 2022 scheme emphasises the opportunities for recreational amenities located near rivers, lakes and beaches and also seeks to support recreational infrastructure that provides an inclusive approach for communities to deliver outlets that support a diverse range of users, including people with disabilities and older adults.
Eligible cycling project types include:
- Greenways in excess of 20km
- Purchase/lease of land
- Legal fees
- Sports grounds, traditional playgrounds and Multi Use Gaming Areas (MUGAs)
- Works within Town Parks in towns and villages.
- Refurbishment and construction of buildings
- Walking or running (or cycling) tracks located in a confined space, e.g. around sports pitches or playgrounds, or within other sportsgrounds
- Marked street trails, walkways and cycleways within towns and villages
Applications much be submitted by Local Authorities.