Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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197. To ask the Minister for Finance when the living city initiative will be implemented; when the outcome of the consultation process with local authorities and Government agencies will be completed and an announcement on the designated areas be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12911/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that I announced in my Budget Statement that the Living City Initiative, which was enacted in the Finance Act 2013, would be extended to now include the cities of Dublin, Cork, Galway and Kilkenny as well the original target cities of Limerick and Waterford. The inclusion of these four cities within the Initiative followed the results of a thorough independent ex ante cost benefit analysis.

The Initiative will target certain areas of these six cities, particularly those areas which are most in need of regeneration. Those designated areas will be decided upon following consultations with the relevant local authorities and other Government agencies. Those consultations are currently underway and will form part of the process of applying for EU State Aid approval.

The Initiative cannot be implemented until EU State Aid approval has been received. Similarly, I will not be announcing the areas to be designated until this approval has been received and the initiative is to be commenced. 

It is important to note that I do not see this as a wide-spread Initiative, as it is targeted at those areas which are most in need of attention.