Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is correct. I see many of these properties as I travel across the country, not just in the west but all over. As I said, it is important that we use every mechanism possible to unlock the potential and get them back into productive use.

Specifically, around the town centres, we are looking at four specific areas around governance, enabling economic and social purpose, a new living towns approach and aligning investment and resources. That will, therefore, address those specific issues in urban clusters and smaller urban centres.

As Deputy Griffin said, however, this perhaps needs to be broadened out and looked at in consideration of rural houses and cottages, which are beautiful in their own right and have a heritage aspect, which could be brought back into use. The Minister of State, Deputy Burke, is certainly giving consideration to that but these are all very worthwhile suggestions. As I said, every opportunity we can get to try to unlock that potential should be explored and considered.

See this speech in context