Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Question 510: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on regeneration schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11083/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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This Government remains fully committed to the regeneration of the estates and communities in our most disadvantaged areas. Despite the current adverse economic conditions and consequent Exchequer constraints, we continue to prioritise funding for regeneration within the overall social housing programme. Last year alone my Department provided €118 million for regeneration, representing 25% of the overall housing capital investment programme.

My Department currently supports an ambitious programme of regeneration projects which seek to address the causes of disadvantage through a holistic programme of physical, social and economic regeneration. The national regeneration programme includes a wide variety of projects ranging from large-scale urban regeneration projects such as those in Ballymun and Limerick City, to smaller estate-wide regeneration projects in Dublin city and in a number of regional towns around the country. There is a requirement for regeneration projects to deliver more than just an improvement in the housing standards of an area, by taking a broader approach to addressing the socioeconomic and infrastructural deficits that contribute to the social exclusion of the community. On that basis, the regeneration projects supported by my Department take a broad focus beyond the regeneration of the physical environment, to also deliver social and economic regeneration in these areas.

This year, the total funding available for the housing capital investment programme will be over €390 million. I envisage making announcements in relation to budgets or allocations for the various housing programmes, including the regeneration programme, in early March.