Wexford Local Development objective is to promote, support, assist and engage in (a) social development, (b) enterprise development to facilitate rural and urban regeneration (c) community development, designed to benefit and promote the welfare of local communities or to deal with the causes and consequences of social and economic disadvantage or poverty through the following programmes:
The Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme offers a variety of services to eligible individuals who wish to access training or education, develop or start a business or to local community groups within County Wexford. The programme was secured through a public tender process and has a focus on geographically disadvantaged areas & groups working with specific target groups of the programme.
The programme aims to tackle poverty, social exclusion and long-term unemployment through local engagement and partnership between disadvantaged individuals, community organisations and public sector agencies and can make a real difference to those in our communities that are suffering disadvantage. SICAP provides a range of supports to targeted individuals and groups including:
LEADER has operated in Wexford since 1991, awarding over €35m in grants to 1340 business and community projects throughout the county. It is an EU grant aid programme with additional funding from the Irish Exchequer. Wexford Local Development is contracted to deliver the programme by the Department of Rural & Community Development. As part of this contract, WLD has consulted communities and businesses to develop priority areas for funding. These areas are defined in Wexford’s LEADER Local Development Strategy (LDS)
Wexford LEADER Local Development Strategy: A summary of project types and budgets available in the 2023-2027 LEADER programme is available here: Wexford LEADER 23-27 Budget Summary
The Local Area Employment Service (LAES) is under contract for the Department of Social Protection, as an Intreo Partner, and a core element of Ireland’s Public Employment Service. The programme was secured through a public tender process and offers a range of free services to individual jobseekers wishing to enter or return to the workforce including:
TÚS is a Government initiative which provides meaningful jobs in local communities throughout County Wexford. It does this by using Local Development Companies to match up available placements within community and voluntary groups with eligible individuals identified by the Department of Social Protection. There is little or no cost to the group and the person works for 19.5 hours per week for one year with a top up on their existing rate of pay. They can also take up additional work when on the scheme.
Eligible Work
In general, most of the work carried out within the community and voluntary sectors can be considered eligible and the types of projects may include but is not limited to:
This programme allows low-income farmers and fishers who are unable to earn an adequate living from their holding/fishing, to earn a supplementary income. The scheme in Wexford is managed by Wexford Local Development on behalf of the Department of Social Protection, which has overall responsibility for the scheme.
Participants work 19 ½ hours per week and if eligible, new participants are offered a contract from their start date up to the following 31 March. Pending eligibility, contracts then renew every three years.
In January 2026, the top-up payment for people on the Rural Social Scheme will increase by €5, from €27.50 to €32.50 per week. This is in addition to an increase of €10 for most weekly social welfare payments.
Wexford Local Development will match the skills of the applicant to suitable placements available within the community. The working week comprises 19.5 hours on an agreed basis but with built-in flexibility to suit a farmer or fisher-friendly schedule. This ensures that participation on the scheme does not affect your farming or fishing activities.
Eligible Work
In general, most of the work carried out within the community and voluntary sectors can be considered eligible for RSS and this may include but is not limited to:
The Cornmarket Project is a community-based treatment and rehabilitation project offering support to people in recovery from addiction and to those coming from a background of criminality. The mission statement of the project is ‘To reduce substance misuse, criminality and social exclusion in County Wexford by providing a range of best practice evidence based programmes.’
The project’s thirteen separate programmes and services range from low threshold practical supports for clients who are homeless and sleeping rough i.e. showers, laundry facilities, hot food provision and advocacy services, through to accredited training programmes, progression routes and employment opportunities.
To find out more see our website: https://www.cornmarketproject.ie/
This programme is an anti-bullying and mentoring programme for students in secondary schools. Senior cycle students receive training to equip them with the skills to become mentors for incoming First Year students. It is a programme based on pro-respect within the school community, and one that enables students to take responsibility for the happiness of others and for the safety and well-being of all who share a school environment.
The programme is advertised among the senior students in all twenty two Post-Primary Schools throughout County Wexford, who are then invited to apply to become Meitheal Leaders in their respective schools. Applicants who are chosen to become Meitheal Leaders undergo a two day residential training programme in the summer prior to their return to school the following September. This training programme covers the areas of:
Our Traveller Community Health & Programme delivers health promotion actions directly into local communities. We deliver two Traveller Community Health Programmes in partnership with the Health Service Executive (South East Traveller Health Unit, CHO 5), one covering North Wexford, the other covering the south of the county. Both programmes support the active participation of Traveller families in all areas of health development.
Established in 2023, the Empowering Communities Programme works to empower local communities to craft their own response to social inequality and social exclusion. The programme aims to:
Based in Bunclody Co. Wexford, ECP Community Engagement Workers work through a community work approach, building partnerships within the community to develop collective responses to the issues that matter to them to create positive social change in their area.
The Intercultural Health Programme works to to improve health outcomes for people seeking International Protection and for Programme Refugees. The programme is delivered in close partnership with the HSE’s Social Inclusion Migrant Health Team in the South East of Ireland.
Through pro-active, targeted outreach to all IPAS Centres in Co. Wexford we support access to health services and health information using community development approaches.
The Wexford Social Prescribing Service is a free HSE support, hosted by Wexford Local Development, that aims to reduce social isolation and improve people’s health and wellbeing.
“It’s about what matters to you”
The purpose of Social Prescribing is to work with individuals to explore what is important for their life and wellbeing, help them identify, local activities and services they can benefit from and support them to start engaging in these services.
The Wexford Social Prescribing Service is available in the catchment areas identified in Co. Wexford as;
WorkAbility Programme: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme supports people with an intellectual disability in Wexford to gain the skills and experience to move closer to employment. Our five-year programme which commenced on 1st January 2024 and will run until 31st December 2028 is funded through the WorkAbility: Inclusive Pathways to Employment Programme.
What this programme offers:
The Walks Scheme, funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and Failte Ireland is a national initiative involving landholders on approved walking routes, managed by 23 Rural Recreation Officers employed through 22 Local Development Companies. The scheme has developed and improved 112 trails, with the 23 Rural Recreation officers securing and overseeing maintenance contracts with over 2,679 landowners.
Key benefits to local communities throughout the Country include:
The Little Jobs Service aims to provide small maintenance, repairs and gardening jobs in the homes of older and vulnerable people throughout County Wexford and with community and voluntary groups. This project is supported by the Department of Social Protection via a Community Employment Scheme and the TUS Programme.
To qualify for the service you will need to be in receipt of either a state pension or a non-contributory pension.
The service provides the following small repairs and maintenance:
Kafe Konnect Social Enterprise gives employment to those who have found it difficult to access the labour market as a result of prior criminal convictions, or who are in recovery from addiction. We support people to make sustainable changes in their lives, to move away from criminality and substance misuse, and get back on their feet. Kafe Konnect provides training and real work experience in a range of hospitality related roles including chefs, cooks, pastry chefs, baristas, wait staff, cashiers, kitchen support staff and café management.
You will find more information at https://www.kafekonnect.ie/
EPIC Social Enterprise gives employment to those who have found it difficult to access the labour market as a result of prior criminal convictions, or who are in recovery from addiction. We support people to make sustainable changes in their lives, to move away from criminality and substance misuse, and get back on their feet. Our workshops provide training and real work experience in the design and manufacture of printed promotional materials. All profits generated by our EPIC social enterprise are reinvested in the business with the objective of helping people to rebuild their lives.
You will find more information at https://www.epicsales.ie/
