Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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122. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the steps that have been taken by the Government to revitalise rural towns; the programmes that have been put in place; the funding sources that have been made available for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37795/16]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for a Partnership Governmenthighlights the importance of town and village renewal in revitalising rural Ireland. In the last number of months, I have introduced a number of schemes which will support the development of towns and villages all over Ireland.

In August, I launched a new Town and Village Renewal Scheme which has allocated funding of almost €10 million to 172 towns and villages across the country to make them more attractive and sustainable places in which to live and work. I have secured funding of €12 million for an enhanced Town and Village Renewal Scheme next year and as part of this, I intend to pilot an initiative to encourage more people to reside in town and village centres.

I have also recently approved €5.3 million for 41 projects across Ireland under the Rural Economic Development Zone (REDZ) initiative. The REDZ programme will complement the Town and Village Renewal Scheme by supporting projects that create economic opportunity between towns and their rural environs.

The CLÁR Programme, which was reopened in October with initial funding of €3 million available for this year, will also support rural towns and villages. This programme provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population. This year, CLÁR will provide funding for three measures: Safety Measures for Schools and Community/Sports Facilities, Playgrounds and Multi-Use Games Areas, and Local Access Roads. The projects approved for funding will be announced imminently.