Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)
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203. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the living city initiative; the progress that has been made on EU state aid approval; the selection process for areas of Dublin city that will qualify; when he expects the process to commence; the person who will be responsible for it; if ordinary citizens and resident groups will have a chance to make submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13015/14]

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, which is also underway.

I would like to refer the Deputy to Section 372AAA of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, which states that the areas to be specified under this Initiative will be by order of the Minister for Finance. The Minister for Finance will therefore be the person responsible for the Initiative.

My Department has received a number of submissions from interested parties including citizens and resident groups. A number of stakeholders, including residents, were also consulted as part of the ex-ante cost benefit analysis which was undertaken in respect of the original pilot cities of Limerick and Waterford.