The Government's Village and Town Renewal Scheme has come under criticism in Clare over its failure to include measures targetting rural re-population.
Enda Kenny and several of his Ministers announced the plan at the National Ploughing Championships this morning.
30 million euro in funding will be channeled through local authorities to areas still feeling the effects of the recession under the Government's Village and Town Renewal Scheme.
The money will be spent on public amenities, the renovation of derelict buildings, environmental initiatives that help support economic activity, and other projects.
But the Taoiseach says the scheme "won't do a lot" on its own and that it won't solve all of rural Ireland's probelems.
The scheme has been criticised in Clare.
Kilbaha-based Chairman and Founder of Rural Resettlement Ireland, Jim Connolly says the scheme lacks vision to re-populate areas where there's no such thing as a viable rural village.
Meanwhile, a west Clare Councillor is calling on the local authority to launch a rural regeneration programme on a pilot basis.
Gabriel Keating believes Government funding should be targetted towards the reconstruction or revitalisation of houses that have been left idle in recent years.
The Fine Gael Councillor has proposed a scheme whereby these vancant homes could be bought or leased in order to reduce the number of people on the social housing list.
