Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask for an update on the Department's plans to address dereliction and vacancy in our rural towns and villages. When we travel around the country, we see that many rural towns have a lot of buildings that are closed, including old shops, bars and once-thriving businesses. A lot of houses are also closed up, many of which are derelict. We have an unusual situation whereby there is a housing crisis not just in urban Ireland but in rural Ireland as well.

I would like to know what more will be done to ensure we bring life back into those towns, get people back living in them again and make businesses viable for the future. This relates to my earlier question on rural proofing and ensuring that we have policies that will direct funding into the areas where the most potential lies and activity can happen in order to regenerate many of our rural towns and villages.

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