Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 72, 83, 102 and 114 together.

The town centre first policy is a major, cross-government policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres. It supports the vision in Our Rural Future for a thriving rural Ireland, which is integral to our national economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being and development.

My Department co-chairs the national oversight and advisory group for the policy with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. This group seeks to oversee the delivery of the policy and ensure there is clear stakeholder visibility in respect of implementation. The group met for the first time in December and is due to meet again this month. The establishment of the national implementation office is key to the success of the policy. The office supports town regeneration officers in driving implementation at a local level and co-ordinates stakeholder engagement. This structure has now been put in place within the Local Government Management Agency and my officials are in ongoing contact with the national office.

A key aim of both the town centre first and Our Rural Future policies is addressing vacancy and dereliction in rural towns and villages and ensuring the policies and schemes in place directly address and tackle these issues. This complements other national policies such as Housing for All and the national planning framework, which also aim to tackle vacancy in rural towns and villages as well as supporting local communities.

Central to the town centre first approach is the range of support funding in place, including my Department’s rural regeneration and development fund and the town and village renewal scheme. Last November, I announced funding of €115 million for regeneration projects in rural towns under my Department's rural regeneration and development fund for 2023. These projects include a focus on combating vacancy and dereliction by regenerating iconic town centre buildings such as old hotels, banks, schools and courthouses. Similarly, last December, I announced €27 million in funding to combat dereliction and breathe new life into rural towns and villages under the 2022 town and village renewal scheme.

In 2023, the schemes implemented by my Department will continue to support the town centre first approach and prioritise addressing vacancy and dereliction. For example, last month I launched the 2023 building acquisition measure, which will allow local authorities to purchase up to three buildings up to a total grant value of €500,000. This call for applications is open and local authorities have until 28 April to submit applications. The scheme priorities are reviewed at the end of each scheme year and the review process for the 2023 town and village renewal scheme is currently at an advanced stage. I intend to launch the 2023 scheme in June of this year and local community groups can then submit their proposals through their local authority for funding under the scheme.

My Department remains committed to the success of the town centre first policy to deliver on the goal of revitalising rural towns and villages as set out in Our Rural Future.

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