Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has said funding of €53 million has been approved for the town and village renewal scheme. Will he confirm for the House how much of that sum has been drawn down? The replies to parliamentary questions to the Minister indicated that there had been a €2.5 million underspend under the programme in 2018. Will he confirm whether the money has been spent since and if all of the money allocated in 2018 was spent?

The Minister and I see the effects of both schemes daily. There is significant potential in towns and villages, but there is no sense in the Minister ploughing away with this initiative in his Department if other Departments are ignorant of what is going on or not co-operating with his Department. For instance, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government should provide for rates remissions for those who invest in their properties. Instead, if someone invests in a business property in a small town or village, he or she receives a bigger rates bill. There is significant space overhead in many properties in towns and villages that would be ideal for use as assisted accommodation or accommodation for older people who want to live near services. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government should engage with the Minister to devise a scheme for existing properties to get people back into services.

The Department of Health is dragging its feet on the GP contract. A GP service is essential in any local community. It, too, would help to keep people in rural areas and encourage others to move back. The schemes should be bigger. What else is going on at the Government table to provide services in local communities?

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