Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am referring to the pilot scheme to get people back into towns and villages. I never mentioned an application process. I said I was looking at developing a pilot scheme, to be rolled out in the latter half of this year, to encourage people to take up residential occupancy in rural towns and villages. The details of the scheme will be finalised through collaboration with relevant Departments with a view to launching it in the second half of the year. I will be working with my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, to introduce a range of initiatives to encourage more people to live in village and town centres because if we are serious about rural regeneration we need to start with our rural towns and villages.

A package of schemes will support our rural communities in 2017, including a €12 million town and village renewal scheme.

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