Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS)

Natural Environment and Biodiversity

In the first instance all projects must align to Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027. The strategy considers outdoor recreation as activities that take place in the natural environment, such as walking, canoeing, mountain biking, orienteering and wild swimming. It precludes activities that take place outdoors on confined courses or pitches (such as golf, football, and show-jumping) or motorised activities (such as quads/scramblers).

All projects submitted for consideration should also be consistent with the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030 in terms of their impact on biodiversity.

Eligible Applicants

Local authorities, local development companies and state bodies must work with local community/voluntary groups, particularly Trail Management Organisations, and the County Outdoor Recreation Committee to identify projects. It should be noted that private commercial entities or bodies trading for profit are not eligible for funds under the scheme.

Project Location

Projects located within any of the five main city boundaries (Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford) are not eligible under the scheme.

Projects should, in the main, be located in the countryside (i.e. not within the environs of towns or villages). However, ORIS will fund recreational infrastructure linking a town or village to significant other outdoor recreation facilities located in the countryside. Given the emphasis on recreational amenities located near rivers, lakes and beaches, water based projects located within town environs are also eligible.

Eligible Costs

All costs must be:

• Directly related to the construction of the project being applied for and as a result of an appropriate public procurement process.
• Incurred after project approval by DRCD and within the project delivery period.
• Verifiable by invoices and proof of payment.

The following types of projects and activities, in particular, will not be supported by the scheme:

• Greenways in excess of 20km
• Infrastructure for commercial activities
• Purchase/lease of land
• Legal fees
• Sport Ireland Inspection fees
• Standalone outdoor gym/calisthenics workout area projects
• Sculptures
• Motorised vehicles
• Sports grounds, traditional playgrounds and Multi-Use Gaming Areas (MUGAs)
• Works within Town Parks, marked street trails, walkways and cycleways within towns and villages except as outlined in Project Location above
• Any surfacing works to public roads regardless of whether they form part of an existing trail. The level of finish for any works on trails on non-public roads must be commensurate with the needs of walking trails and not the needs of vehicular traffic i.e. the scheme is not designed for tarring roads
• Refurbishment and construction of buildings2 (except in very exceptional and limited circumstances for projects where this would substantially improve access to, and the utilisation of, recreational resources by the wider public)
• Walking or running tracks located in a confined space, e.g. around sports pitches or playgrounds, or within other sports grounds
• Maintenance works on elements of trails which form a normal part of the work undertaken as part of the Walks Scheme
• Works covered under the agreed work plans of the Walks Scheme
• Activities which do not comply with the definition of countryside/outdoor recreation as set out above and as defined in Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors3.
• Capacity building or training
• Ongoing operational costs
• Costs not directly related to the project
• Indirect costs of the project e.g. community organisation staff time spent working on the project in an administrative capacity
• Organisation core costs, including overheads
• Retrospective costs - activity that has already been undertaken or costs incurred prior to date of project approval
• VAT where applicants are registered for VAT
• Charges such as bank interest costs, fines, financial penalties, and legal dispute costs
• Sponsorship and charitable donations
• Depreciation
• Notional costs e.g. lost opportunity

ORIS 2024/2025 provided funding as follows:

Measure 1

• Small scale repair/development/promotion and marketing.
• Funding of up to €40,000 at a 90% rate of aid.
• Maximum of 6 applications can be submitted by each local authority.
• Maximum of 3 applications can be submitted by each local development company.

Measure 2

• Medium scale repair/upgrade and new trail/amenity development.
• Funding of up to €200,000 at a 90% rate of aid.
• Maximum of 3 applications can be submitted by each local authority.
• Maximum of 1 application may be submitted per local development company and state body.

Measure 3

• Large scale repair/upgrade and new strategic trail/amenity development
• Funding of up to €500,000 at a 90% rate of aid
• Local authorities and state bodies can submit 1 application each under this Measure.

Project Development Measure

• Detailed development of projects which would enable them to reach a standard for application under Measure 2 or Measure 3 of ORIS.
• Funding of up to €50,000 at a 90% rate of aid.
• Local authorities can each submit two applications under this Measure.
• Local development companies and state bodies can each submit one application under this Measure.
• Local authorities with inhabited off-shore islands may submit one additional application under this Measure (max. 3 applications) which relates directly to a project on one of the inhabited off-shore islands.