Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

314. To ask the Minister for Finance if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 is eligible for the living city initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41570/14]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 submitted proposals on the areas which they believe should be included. 

My officials have also been in contact with the EU Commission on the application for State Aid approval for the Initiative and this process is expected to be concluded shortly. I will not be announcing the areas to be designated until this approval has been received and the initiative is to be commenced. 

I would expect that I will be in a position to make an announcement in the near future. 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.

It will not be possible to claim retrospectively for work that was carried out before the commencement of the scheme.

Other incentives which are available include the Home Renovation Incentive which came into operation on 25 October 2013 and will run until 31 December 2015. It provides for tax relief for homeowners by way of a tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure incurred on repair, renovation or improvement work carried out on a principal private residence.  In the recent Budget I announced that the incentive will also be available from 15 October 2014 to rental properties whose owners are subject to income tax.