Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our witnesses for their detailed and useful opening statements and for these conversations, from which we always gain so much. In terms of the URDF, I welcome the investment in my own area. Tandy's Lane Park opened in the summer and it is a direct result of the URDF funding stream. Airlie Park in Adamstown is under construction at the moment. We are all eagerly awaiting it being opened, hopefully later this year. As referenced in the opening statements, Clonburris has also received quite a significant injection of funding. While it is welcome, it is absolutely and utterly needed. It is a basic requirement because these are massive growing areas. They are very large-scale strategic development zones. As we are talking about an influx of thousands of families into the area, we need the services and the amenities to come on stream and be delivered hand in hand with housing. I am really glad that the URDF is there to help make that happen.

I am particularly interested in Ms Graham's point about the Project Ireland 2040 delivery board. It is great to hear of the hiring of staff, and indeed support staff, that is happening in the area. Obviously, it is going to take teams of people to help tackle the issues that my colleague referred to in terms of dereliction and vacancy. Vacancy is just one of the key focuses that we have had in Fine Gael. Senator Cummins, who sends his apologies today, and I launched a discussion document on dereliction and vacancy and urban and rural renewal. At this stage, we have had three different successful provincial meetings to reach out to stakeholders, including local authorities, Tidy Towns groups, chambers of commerce groups, and many people who have a vested interest in ensuring that we are transforming derelict and vacant properties into used spaces and family homes. There have been three really welcome updates in the last few weeks, including that on the vacant homes officer and the announcement of the increase of funding to €60,000. The idea that these are all going to be full-time positions, or at least full-time equivalent positions, in each local authority in the country shows the commitment and the focus that there is going to be in every local authority up and down the country in this regard. In respect of the announcement of the new grant of €30,000 for people who want to purchase a vacant or derelict building and to transform it, I note the Minister has announced his commitment to making sure that this happens. In terms of the ministerial regulations, we have also seen in the past few weeks the change of use rules that will now make it so much easier to have above-pub dwellings, as it were. People no longer have to go through a lengthy and complex planning procedure. Homes can be delivered above pubs without a change of use being required. That is something that is really welcome, particularly in rural Ireland, where, unfortunately, we have seen pubs go to dereliction.

We need to see more progress being made in targets. Local authorities still do not have targets, at this stage, for the repair and lease or buy and renew schemes. These are schemes that we know are proven to work in terms of taking derelict and vacant properties and transforming them into houses. That is what we want to do. We want to unlock that potential.

From a living cities perspective, one of the initiatives that we spoke about previously was perhaps extending that to new areas that might need rejuvenation. I would be particularly keen to hear Mr. O'Brien's views on that. Overall, there is a sense that we need to reform and modernise the Derelict Sites Act. Mr. O'Brien is probably the most expert witness in that area. Perhaps he could comment on the extension of the living cities initiative and the reform of it. I ask Ms Graham to talk me through the Project Ireland 2040 delivery board, what it looks like, how it is going to be monitored, how progress is going to be measured and how it is going to be reported out. That would be fantastic.