Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister has said, one of the reasons this is such an exciting scheme is that it has the potential to breathe new life into towns and villages, particularly in the regions. It could increase footfall on our high streets. At the moment, there are some villages and towns experiencing 50% to 60% vacancy rates on their high streets.

Another important issue is the fact that a lot of over-the-shop premises can be quite difficult to work with. I have seen many that are in quite a state of disrepair and access can be a real issue. There are also complications around fire certificates and other certification requirements. I ask the Minister to provide detail on the situation regarding premises that can be difficult to work with in terms of access and certification. Is there a plan in place to ensure that dealing with those issues is as smooth as possible?

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