Funding for rural playgrounds may be available through the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Funds are available through several headings: Encouragement of Tourism Activities - provision of infrastructural needs for tourism and countryside recreation; amenity and leisure activities; village renewal and development, and the provision of general and specialised training courses. For further information contact Leader or the Partnership Programme in your area.

Even if you are given a site, the landscape works and purchase of the equipment and safety surfacing is expensive. If you are working to a budget, half the cost will be taken up by impact absorbing surfacing under the equipment. What financial help can the local authority provide in the way of grants?

Be creative - if you are in a tourist area, then a playground is also a tourist facility. Find out what money is available locally for tourism projects and see if the playground can be part of that.

Are you in an economically deprived area? See what funding is available for projects dealing with urban and village renewal, drug prevention programmes etc.

If you go looking for money earmarked "playgrounds", you won't find it. But since a playground meets more than just a child's immediate play needs, look more broadly at how it can fit into the wider funding picture.

The following information is believed to be correct at the time of going on line but is liable to change.

Funding for Community Groups
Source	Potential Areas
National Lottery	Starter funds for local projects - Sports Capital Fund, covers playgrounds.
Area Partnership companies	Organisational support, training to groups concerned with developing playgrounds, play groups or after-school groups.
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Grants for locally based community and family support groups	Grants to voluntary organisations working with disadvantaged groups; Renovation of premises and purchase of equipment to 90% of costs; Child care and crèche facilities, including running costs and equipment
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Development Programme	Play facilities may be a part of a larger programme to be eligible for funding.
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Young People's Facilities and Services Fund	Facilities for young people aged between 10 and 20 years, ball game areas, purpose-designed seats and shelters
LEADER Plus	Play facilities as part of a wider development programme
Peace II	Play facilities (e.g.PlayCare) in border counties
Department of the Environment Urban and Village Renewal Scheme, CLAR & RAPID programmes	Children's playgrounds, traffic calming, landscaping
Department of the Environment Remedial Works Scheme - local authority housing improvements	Overall environmental improvement work including development of play areas
UK based trusts (e.g. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation)	Improving the status of children and young people
Local groups (e.g. Rotary Clubs)Forest Service, Neighbourwoods Scheme	Playground development Play facilities associated with urban woodland planting projects.

Dormant Accounts Fund - projects in RAPID, CLAR and Drugs Task Force Areas for those affected by social and economic disadvantage and disability. Specifically includes playgrounds and is also open to community groups.

Funding for Local Authorities
Source	Potential Areas
Department of the Environment Urban and Village Renewal, CLAR & RAPID Programmes	Environmental improvements including paving, traffic calming, removal of overhead wires, street furniture, tree planting, landscape treatment and other general improvements.
Environment, Annual discretionary grants	Traffic calming to provide safe streets for play
National Roads Authority- Road improvement grants - Low Cost Accident Programme	Traffic management measures
Department of the Environment Housing Remedial Works Scheme	Environmental improvements, including the sensitive design and incorporation of features conducive to children's play close to their homes. Many local authority housing departments are using this grant to provide small play areas for younger children within an estate.
Peace II	Play areas in local authority housing schemes in the border counties (Sub programme 2c on urban and village regeneration)
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, The Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund	Purpose-designed seats and shelters and ball-games facilities
Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism	Sports Partnerships – recreation and play development policy
Dublin Transportation Office (DTO)	Safe routes to school with cycleways, footpaths and traffic calming measures.
Forest Service. Neighbourwoods Scheme	Increased tree planting within urban areas, facilities including seats, litter bins, 'trim trails' and play areas