Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his response. While I appreciate the great work of the Department in supporting rural communities and the great work that both the Minister and the Minister of State are doing, vacancy and dereliction in our towns and villages remains a real concern. I appreciate that the Department of housing is the main Department tasked with tackling this problem but it is important for Departments to continue to engage directly with each other on vacancy and dereliction in order to properly address it, to actively encourage footfall and to drive local economies. I acknowledge that the Department's rural regeneration and development fund plays a major role in this regard. It encourages the reuse of vacant, derelict and heritage buildings. Given its importance, is the Minister considering any expansion of the RRDF?

See this speech in context