Funding of €1.5m for Tralee Project cleared

The Minister of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Pat Carey TD, today announced that the way had been cleared for his Department to complete contractual arrangements for the grant of €1.5m to the development of the Mitchel’s Integrated Services Centre in Tralee.  The grant will match funds being provided locally by Tralee Credit Union under a long term loan arrangement with the project promoter.

Welcoming the development, the Minister said “I am pleased that the partners in the development of this substantial project for Tralee have been able to come to an agreement that will finally see the commencement of construction work in the Mitchel’s area.  I would like to thank the County Manager, Mr Tom Curran and his staff for working so diligently with local interests for their co-operation in enabling these funds to be released.  The development of the integrated services centre is in line with my Department’s policy of ensuring that there is greater co-ordination of services for communities”.

The proposed Integrated Services Centre is a landmark development that will provide accommodation for a range of State funded services to be delivered in the Mitchel’s area of Tralee and to the whole town.  The site on which the centre will be constructed has been provided at no cost by Tralee Town Council and will form the centre piece of the regeneration project already under way.  The Integrated Services Centre forms part of the wider regeneration of the Mitchel’s area which is estimated to cost in the region of €75million over the next number of years.

Construction of the centre is expected to be completed in early 2012 and when fully operational it will allow for the delivery of a range of services including training courses and enterprise space for use by people within the immediate area and the wider community of Tralee.

The grant of €1.5million is being made available from the Dormant Accounts Fund by the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.