Mr. Fintan O'Brien:

I will respond to the mention of engagement over banks and buildings such as Garda stations. That is relevant to the town and village renewal scheme. The Department of Rural and Community Development has had some engagement with banks about their buildings rather than anything else. We have been acting as a conduit between them and the local authorities to make sure everyone is aware of the opportunities that may exist. Some of those bank buildings and Garda stations tend to be strategically important buildings within towns, so we are working on that as a conduit of communication.

The committee may have heard that some relevant projects were included in the recent town and village renewal announcement. For example, an old bank in Urlingford is being turned into a remote working hub. A Garda station in Dromahair in Leitrim is being refurbished as a community facility. I agree absolutely there is potential and it is something about which we are talking to various people.