Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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118. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the living city initiative; when it will become operational for relevant properties in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19653/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Officials from my Department have held preliminary discussions with the relevant local authorities to identify the areas of the six cities, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford, which might fall within the scope of the scheme. Each of the local authorities have now submitted proposals on the areas which they believe should be included. Further discussions will be held in due course.

An application for EU State Aid approval was submitted on 27th March and we look forward to hearing from the European Commission. 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.