Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this initiative and the Minister's commitment. I am a long-time advocate of this measure as well. There is nothing better than to see people living in the centre of towns and cities, and villages for that matter. When people start to move out, everybody moves out. Nobody wants to live in the centre of a town on their own. I can well see when people move in now, more and more people will move in. These initiatives will bring much life to the centre of towns and cities, particularly now when we are trying to move cars off streets and from cities and towns. I notice that many older people want to move back into towns and cities. They want to be near the shop, the church, the pub or have coffee in the mornings or whatever and do not want to have to take out their car to move.

This is a great scheme that will have many benefits for the years to come.