John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this question for the Minister of State, Deputy English and the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy who are unable to attend. As Deputy Kelly noted, Tipperary town is a town I know very well. I could not agree more with him about the town. It has many things going for it but it is equally true that even during the Celtic tiger years it was a town which was behind the curve of much of what was happening in the country. I was in the House when the question he asked was referred to and I am glad that I have some good news for him.

Supporting the development and growth of towns and villages across Ireland is a major priority for the Government and to this end policy interventions are being pursued across a number of Departments and are being implemented by local authorities around the country. In particular, €2 billion is available under the urban regeneration and development fund, with a further €1 billion available under the rural regeneration and development fund.

The national planning framework, which underpins Project Ireland 2040, clearly articulates the importance of making our cities, towns and villages more attractive and liveable in order to offer a quality of life that is improved for those who live or want to live in those towns. It emphasises the need to regenerate and rejuvenate urban centres to provide for increased population and employment activity and enhanced levels of amenity and design quality in order to sustainably influence and support their surrounding areas. It is precisely these outcomes that the Government and Departments are supporting under the national planning framework and the various funds that are available.

Community interaction and engagement in this process is essential and it is very encouraging to see the level of local commitment to the rejuvenation of Tipperary town as evidenced by the establishment of a Tipperary town centre forum, a local initiative which is supported by Tipperary County Council

The Minister of State, Deputy English, has taken a keen interest in the issue and met with local stakeholders and officials from Tipperary County Council on 24 January to discuss how a three-year action plan could be developed, and then delivered, for the town.

It is proposed to engage specific planning expertise to support the development of an action plan for the town and to carry out a consultation exercise to allow all stakeholders in the town to input into the overall process. A key output of the action plan will be the identification and development of key rejuvenation projects for which the strongest possible bids can be submitted for funding under the national funding programmes.

A submission from Tipperary County Council seeking funding to support the forum has been considered by my Department and I can confirm that my Department will provide financial assistance to the council to assist with the costs of bringing in expertise to help drive the regeneration project. This funding will allow specific planning and stakeholder expertise to be brought in, as well as dedicated project management expertise to support the overall process.

A funding allocation has been ring-fenced within the Department and will be communicated to the council shortly, together with the finalisation of the council's own expected contribution from its own resources. This amount will be made public when it has been communicated to the council in Tipperary.

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