Sinn Féin TD for Clare Violet-Anne Wynne has echoed the call for increased funding for local community  radio station.

Raidió Corca Baiscinn operates out of Kilkee in Co. Clare. It has a listenership of 13,000, provides 5 CSP full time jobs  and 5 CE part time jobs to the region and many volunteering and training pathways for people with diverse lived experiences.

Teachta Wynne said:

“This local community radio station provides an invaluable service to the rural communities scattered across South West Clare , as it has done for many years now.  Never has their work been so important and integral to the community than the Covid-19 period.

“RCB didn’t stop broadcasting all throughout the pandemic period, over the course of the last 19 months they continued recording local radio shows and providing connection, entertainment and quite frankly, a lifeline to many people experiencing isolation.

“Community radio services were considered as essential service over the pandemic period and RCB kept broadcasting despite the fact they were not able to generate revenue from fundraising, sponsorship and advertising as in other years.

“They applied for the Covid Stability Fund 2020 and were not awarded any funding through this stream.

“They applied again this year, but again were refused funding. I have written to the appeal department for the Covid Stability Fund on behalf of RCB supporting their appeal. I have also written my concerns to Minister of State Joe O’Brien about this matter.

“The community radio station brought two awards back to Clare from last week’s CRAOL Féile awards in Kilkenny,  one Gold and one Silver. They provide and essential and invaluable service and if their future operation is threatened due to lack of funding that is simply not good enough in my eyes.

“RCB provide training and volunteering opportunities to Disabled People, early-school leavers and others as well as providing a hub of activity to the South West.

“I am aware of other community organisations attracting large sums of money, in both the 2020 and 2021 tranches and if balanced regional development is to amount to more than just hollow buzzwords, the West can’t get left behind. Fair is fair.

“I will continue to raise this matter with the Minister and the Department of Rural and Community Development until there is some satisfaction reached.”