Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his good wishes and his question on town centres throughout the State. The downturn in economic activity associated with the recession has resulted in a significant number of shop closures and vacant units in town and city centres across the country. We all see this in every county. My county, Tipperary, and that of Minister of State Deputy Coffey, Waterford, are not exempt. To help address this issue, a number of initiatives have been taken by my Department in recent years. Local authorities were requested, where possible, to reduce commercial rates and local charges to assist local businesses. Revised development contribution guidelines were introduced last year, which resulted, for example, in an acknowledged 26% reduction in contributions applied to developments in the four Dublin local authority areas. Also included is the publication of new guidelines on retail planning in 2012, aimed at promoting and supporting the vitality and viability of town and city centres.

Further to the commitment in the Construction 2020 strategy, my Department is examining the possibility of enabling local authorities, should they wish to do so, to adopt measures to incentivise the use and development of vacant and under-utilised sites in urban areas and - dare I say - town centres across rural Ireland. My Department remains committed to providing a clear framework for addressing urban centre decline and its impact on the retail sector, and we will explore all options in order to achieve this.

I have considerable interest in this issue. We have a number of planning Bills to come before the House. There are other avenues we can explore also, including working with the local authorities. Town centres, because of the various circumstances the Deputy and I have outlined, have been left bereft, with buildings empty. This needs to be addressed and all avenues will be explored in this regard.

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