Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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9. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the town and village renewal scheme will open for applications; the types of projects that will be eligible for funding in 2022; the number of applications received for Dún Laoghaire in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27395/22]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I ask for an update on the town and village renewal scheme for 2022 and the types of projects that will be eligible for funding. How many applications were received from Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in 2021 and how they have progressed?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The town and village renewal scheme is part of a range of measures to support the revitalisation of rural areas. The programme is funded under Project Ireland 2040 as part of Our Rural Future. The scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the local authorities. Since the introduction of the scheme in 2016, more than €113 million has been approved for more than 1,400 projects throughout the country.

In February this year, I announced almost €18.5 million for projects under the 2021 scheme which will benefit towns and villages throughout the country. I can confirm that one application was submitted by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for assessment under the 2021 scheme. However, it was not successful in receiving approval for funding.

I launched the 2022 town and village renewal scheme last Friday, 27 May. As was the case last year, there will be a strong emphasis on projects that tackle vacancy and dereliction by bringing landmark town centre buildings back to life for use as multipurpose community spaces or as remote working spaces. It will also support the development of parks, green spaces and recreational amenities in town centres and support marketing campaigns targeted at attracting remote workers and mobile talent to a particular county or region.

This year I have also introduced a new building acquisition measure that will fund the purchase of vacant or derelict buildings for use as community facilities. This will provide up to €400,000 to each local authority to purchase vacant and derelict buildings for future development as community assets. I know this will make another significant contribution to revitalising our towns.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for that welcome update. I would love to get more information about the building acquisition measure she has announced and which is so constructive and positive. I know Dún Laoghaire seems like a Dublin town, but it is very much a community town with considerable vacancy and dereliction. Through Digital Dún Laoghaire and with the council, we are trying to develop the opportunity for remote working to try to keep the pressure off public transport and reduce the number of people going into the city centre so that they can have a better quality of life, but crucially to rejuvenate one of Ireland's oldest towns. We have 160 shopfronts all the way along the main street. Many of those are vacant either at ground level or above shop level. There are significant opportunities through the building acquisition measure for the council to acquire some of those and turn them into either remote working or community activity centres and to restore the badly needed footfall on the main street in Dún Laoghaire. I ask the Minister to give us more information about the building acquisition measure.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Minister and fully support her in what she is doing about vacant properties. The policy mentions the judicious use of compulsory purchase orders, CPOs. Is it possible to acquire property in that manner if the owner does not want to sell it and if it is lying more or less derelict and out of use? Is the Department actively pursuing that?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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In response to Deputy Stanton, CPOs are a matter for the local authorities. It will be up to them to decide to purchase a property compulsorily. We will give them the money and they will need to go through the procedure. They can acquire it.

The building acquisition measure is a new stream within the town and village renewal scheme.

It will provide up to €400,000 to each local authority to purchase vacant and derelict buildings in rural towns and villages for development as community assets. That is something to which we committed in Our Rural Future, our five-year strategy. That is there and available for local authorities.

The Town Centre First policy framework contains a range of actions designed to achieve key objectives, such as social and economic revival in our towns and the provision of housing, as well as addressing challenges such as vacancy and derelict buildings.

The town and village renewal scheme is focused on the rejuvenation of rural towns and villages. Applications to the scheme each year far exceed the available budget but the scheme is subject to a competitive process with each application being assessed on its merits. I will come back in with respect to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in particular.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. One cannot but make one's spake, if you know what I mean. I am glad to hear that Dún Laoghaire made an application because, of course, if it were the case that other councils had not had the same proactivity and made applications, funding may well have been available. Who knows, that might even be the case now?

I was wondering about the supervision of the Department over the different local authorities if there are those who do not make applications. I cannot imagine that would be the case. Every local authority will be putting up its hand. However, I am making the case that in the event that all of the budget is not allocated this year, Dún Laoghaire could be considered. Glencullen, Kilternan and Stepaside have received funding under rural schemes before and as a representative of Dún Laoghaire, I can but make the case.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I wish to ask the Minister about a new fund she announced last week for turning dilapidated and run-down buildings, landmark buildings in some cases, into community assets. The Minister might give us an overview of that scheme.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Carroll MacNeill is dead right to make the case. I suggest the council continues to send in applications. Kilternan got €80,000 in 2017. Stepaside got €100,000 in 2018. I encourage the Deputy's local council to keep sending applications.

The urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage offers possibilities in tackling larger areas of population. There is also the connected hubs fund. Whether remote working facilities are private or run by a local authority or enterprise centre, funding can be applied for under that fund.

Under the town and village renewal scheme, the building acquisition measure is especially set up to acquire property. Up to €400,000 is available per local authority if an application to buy vacant properties is made. We all know of banks that are vacant properties in a number of towns. There is no reason we could not acquire some of those for community use.