Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A pilot was done under the town centre living initiative and 15 suggested actions came out of it. Have those suggested actions been reviewed by the Minister's Department? One of them was to appoint town centre officers, perhaps in local authorities, who would assist property owners. We know there have been issues in this area and the pilot report also acknowledged legal issues in regard to ownership. The idea is that town centre officers would get in and engage with property owners where properties are being left in ruins in the centres of rural towns in particular. They are an eyesore and it is an unfortunate situation. While there are schemes in place, there is clearly a need for new initiatives and actions in this regard. In many towns, the situation is not getting much better and it is clear they are not seeing the funding that is available. That is why we need new initiatives based on the 15 suggestions.

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