Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The town centre first policy is a major cross-Government initiative that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. Key to this is the establishment of the national implementation office to assist in the delivery and implementation of the policy and to co-ordinate stakeholder engagement at a national level. This office is also responsible for supporting town regeneration officers in driving the implementation of the policy at a county level. The national implementation office has now been established and the head of the office appointed. Similarly, local authorities around the country are in the process of appointing town regeneration officers who will drive the development of town centre first plans at local level.

Central to the town centre first approach is the range of support funding in place and this includes the Department's town and village renewal scheme. Indeed, the Minister yesterday announced over €27 million in approvals under the scheme. This was in addition to the €115 million announced in November for 23 regeneration projects across rural towns under the Department's rural regeneration and development fund. These projects focus on combatting vacancy and dereliction by regenerating iconic town centre buildings such as old hotels, banks, schools and courthouses and are thus central to the town centre first approach.

The new oversight and advisory group for town centre first policy is also due to meet for the first time next week to ensure there is clear stakeholder visibility on the implementation of the policy. The Department remains committed to ensuring the continued roll out of the town centre first policy will work to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages, as set out in Our Rural Future.

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